The first lesson therefore is that little children are precious to Christ. They too need his salvation, for they too come into the world with sin and with a fallen nature. Timothy was taught the Scriptures from a child (2 Timothy 3:15), and the Israelites were to instruct their children about what great things God had done for them as soon as they were able to understand (Joshua 4:6-7). A young child may believe and belong to the kingdom of heaven – this is implicit in what Christ has said previously.
We also learn that individuals are important to him. A major element of the parable is that the ninety-nine are safe, and only one has gone astray. But that one lost sheep stirs up all the compassionate feeling of the Shepherd, and summons him to go out searching for it. He is not willing to lose even a single one. He does not say, ‘Well what is one sheep? I still have ninety-nine safe in the fold.’ He cannot think like that; he cannot abandon one of his sheep. He does not think to himself, ‘It is too much trouble; I cannot be bothered with foolish sheep that wander off.’ These are all his sheep. As their shepherd, they look to him for all their needs. If there is danger, if the wolf comes, they sense that their only defence is their shepherd. They can expect his help because they are in his heart. He says, ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep’ (John 10:11). He is committed to them and is not like a hired shepherd who is only earning a day’s pay, and then is off home. There was a special relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. He lived with them out on the hills, and as Christ tells us, they knew his voice, and distinguished their shepherd from other shepherds. Even sheep, which we think of as very low down on the intelligence scale, have this ability. His mind goes out to that sheep, alone, helpless, not able to find its way back to the flock. He knows that he must come to its rescue because it does not have the ability to find its own way home.
This is a parable, and no parable can do complete justice to the reality, but we may ask, when did Christ know that his sheep was lost? He knew before he came into the world. In fact, he knew from before the creation of the world. He knows who are his sheep and who are not his sheep, and the truth of election is behind all that is given in this simple picture. We do not know who the elect are, and so we preach to all. Even Christ, who did indeed know all that the Father had given him, preached to more than just these, and gave a sincere offer of the gospel to elect and reprobate, because they must be given the opportunity to hear the gospel. So Christ saw his sheep was lost when he was still in heaven. The incarnation was part of his rescue mission into the world. He was moved to come by his pity. It was not too much trouble for him to leave the glory of heaven, where the angels veil their faces and worship him. He was ready to face unbelief and questioning of his motives, scorn and hatred, false accusation and injustice, so that he finally went to the cross of Calvary. He was willing to be surety for his sheep, and take their sins upon him, so that he could cancel their debt to God, and so that the justice of God could be satisfied. This simple parable encompasses all these wonderful elements of Christ’s redemptive work. He gladly came to our rescue for the joy set before him.
We could ask, what makes a sheep wander off? Why does it expose itself to danger and separation from its shepherd? There are many dangers. The sheep does not know where green pastures or still waters are to be found. It can wander into barren places in a mindless way forgetting that it is away from the flock. How many miseries sinful human beings bring upon themselves before they come to salvation. The preacher could think of many. The sheep may wander off to give birth. That is the one time that sheep like to be on their own, but there is danger in this. The wolf can come and the sheep is away from the protection of flock and the shepherd, and even the crows can attack a helpless animal that is stuck on its back and unable to get up on its feet. We are easily taken in by the world and its trinkets. It makes promise of great happiness, but does not tell us of the disappointments of life and the pain of a wounded conscience. How many movies portray those on a sinful path as if they were perfectly happy without ever being troubled by guilt!
The lost sheep bleats pitifully; it senses it is not with the flock but cannot get back. We have no sense of direction to get back to God. It continues to eat what is in front of it, but cannot foresee all the dangers that could overtake it. So we wander through life thinking only of the present moment, and forget we have an eternal soul which we do not know how to defend. The sheep is not thinking of its destination, but is absorbed by the present moment – the clump of grass currently in front of it. So we are carried away by the pleasure of the moment, not asking where our lives will lead us. We are not considering that when we have consumed all that this world has to offer, that there is an eternal future to face. We gain no profit from life. Viewed spiritually we are no better at forty than we were at thirty. The poor sheep is lost; it explores the same wrong possibilities repeatedly, going in circles. You can spend the day wandering and realise you have come back to where you started. We experience many let downs and disappointments in life, but we do not know where to find life in abundance. If you are lost, one direction is as good as another. If someone says, go this way, you have no ability to assess their advice.
Scripture gives us grounds to believe that the blood of Christ covers all children who have not reached an age where they can discern between good and evil (Romans 9:11). This is in accordance with the mercy of God, which we rightly expect to exceed his wrath (Romans 5:15). His heart of love responds to their vulnerability, and helpless dependence. Romans implies that we will be judged for actual sins, and not simply for the possession of a sinful nature (Romans 1:21,32; 3:10-18), and little children have not yet reached the age where they have done good or evil (Romans 9:11). This implies that the element of guilt from the possession of a sinful nature has been atoned for by Christ in their case.