Lost Sheep

The term "lost sheep" appears about twice in the New Testament, Matthew 10:6 and Matthew 15:24. The Greek word translated here as "lost" is "apollymi" (G622) and is a compound word meaning "coming to destruction." In both places the word is in the Perfect tense, indicating they were heading for destruction at some point in the past and they have continued to be heading for destruction to the present.

Several questions arise from the use of this term. If there are lost sheep, there must also be sheep that are not heading for destruction. These are the sheep, humans, who obtained approval through faith, such as Abraham.

The next conclusion, if the lost sheep are designated as from the house of Israel, there must be other lost sheep outside of the house of Israel.

Finally, since Jesus came to save lost sheep, they were never in His hand before, because they could not have become lost or heading for destruction.

Bottom line, everyone born as a made sinner was made a lost sheep, and Jesus came for them. We all were once children of wrath. We were all once vessels prepared for destruction. But we were made "My sheep" by the Good Shepherd. And when we were, there was rejoicing in Heaven!

 

Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 15:7
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

The lost sheep are the sinners. They are heading for destruction.

 

When were the "lost sheep" lost? Certainly they came into that condition at conception, being conceived in iniquity. But the cause of the loss can be traced back farther, to the consequence of the Fall. So the sheep became the lost sheep as a consequence of the fall, and that consequence is applied at conception.

 

Luke 12:32 NASB
“Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom."

Who are those of Christ's "little flock." Not everyone because he has at least one other flock. Certainly He was speaking to his disciples, probably a larger group than the 12, but clearly within the range of His voice.

 

John 10:16 NASB
“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.

It looks like the little flock of Luke 12:32 are one of the "folds." These do not at present listen to His voice, not have they in the past become one flack with on Shepherd. Jesus is speaking of what He is accomplishing now to bring about a future reality.

 

In Matthew 10:6, scripture says Jesus sends His disciples to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Thus His ministry went first to the Jews, but then to the Gentiles. He was not sent only among the Jews, but also among non-Jews. To deny this verse indicates He was not among non-Jews is unstudied nonsense.

 

Can we consider professing Christians, who love the Lord, but have been led astray by false doctrines, lost sheep? Yes. If we are off the paths of righteousness, those upon which we are led by the Good Shepherd, we wander like lost sheep.

 

1) Is the fact that Jesus sent His disciples to the lost sheep of the house of Israel in dispute? Nope.

2) Is the fact that Jesus was sent among the lost sheep of the house of Israel in dispute? Nope

3) Is the fact that Jesus was not sent only among the lost sheep of the house of Israel in dispute? Yes, but not by me.

 

Hard to be the light of the world, humanity, Jews and Gentiles, if you were sent only among the Jews.