Advent - After the Lost Sheep

 

"Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:3-7

Selfless Love came down on Christmas Day to look for us, His lost sheep. Jesus of Nazareth is Our Good Shepherd who (recklessly) will leave the flock who does not require rescuing, to go after you even if you are the only one lost and needing rescuing in the world.

We All Need Rescuing

But the reality though is that everyone needs rescuing, for we all have lost our way. There may be those who feel they do not need to be rescued because they are already "righteous" in their own eyes (and do not need a Savior). They feel that they already know all the rules and the regulations, and they have no need for Christ.

Cautionary Tale

And this is God's warning for us, those are the ones the Good Shepherd leaves in the open country -- busy bodies busy among themselves within their little happy clappy same minded, members-only clique who follow their strict religiosity, their own club rules and their humanmade traditions. They are meticulous about their righteous good deeds and nit pick on others. Everything they do is for show and for their own glory, and nothing to do with who Christ is and what He is about.

Reason for Coming Down

What Jesus is really after and why He left heaven for, is us -- those who know nothing or so little about Him. And those who do get to know Him but are even hungrier to know more.

Those of us born in a culture where the bible is subversive, deemed illegal, laughed at or looked at as an old book of myths have all been short changed. What most people today forget is that myths and legends arose from events that took place in ancient history. And that everything they believe to be historical truth, all came from old writings of old people who have long passed on. Without old books we will never know much about the past.

The Lost Sheep

The Apostle Paul while he was in his missionary journey, teaching about Christ back in the first century said that after he leaves, savage wolves will come in (to the church) among them and will not spare the flock, and from their own will arise those who will distort the truth to draw away the sheep.

Indeed, Jesus Himself warned His disciples about those in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ferocious wolves.

Those 99 who do not need rescuing are essentially the wolves in sheep's clothing. 

Those who need rescuing are those of us who wandered away from the flock because of our own ignorance, hard headedness or because wolves forced us out.

Jesus came down on Christmas Day to look for us and bring us back home.

Advent Series