What Would Jesus Say to the Lost?

Luke 15:4-7


This passage of scripture can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. The way I’ve always thought of it was that Christians are a group of 99 sheep, and we are willing to sacrifice the other 98 sheep with us, or go as a group of 99 after one that has strayed away from the faith. God has recently taught me a deeper meaning to this scripture, and shown me that He is the Shepherd, and He is the one willing to leave His flock and go after 1 lost sheep.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” Jesus poses this question in such a way that it seems like the answer is, “any Shepard would do this.” And the way I’ve always understood it was in this manner. The truth is that no Shepherd in his right mind would leave 99 capable sheep to search after a single lost sheep.

The question that we get asked on many occasions is “why are you doing this? Why would you waste your spring break toting around drunk people from club to club, hotel to hotel, and so on?” The answer is simply, “because Jesus would.” Jesus would risk losing every sheep He has in order to find one sheep, willing to surrender their will back to the Shepherd.

And do you want to know the best truth that you could hear right now? Jesus is on this van, in pursuit of your heart, because His will is that none should perish, and that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). I know that there is so much controversy surrounding Biblical teachings, and the Biblical text. But the one thing that is certain is that Jesus was a lover. If He wasn’t God, He died in such a way that it would be worth following in His footsteps, because He’s the only one that has every truly loved. Jesus believed that He was God, and He loved humanity so much that He surrendered Himself to the most horrific death in order to save the life of everyone whose ever lived. If He wasn’t God, then he saved no one. However, if Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life; and if Jesus was in fact God, He is a Shepherd that will leave 99 of His sheep to seek out one that is willing to turn back to Him. That is crazy love.

If Jesus were standing with you right now, He wouldn’t notice that you were about to spend your evening in a club soliciting yourselves to the desire of your hearts. He wouldn’t point out how much alcohol you’ve had tonight. Jesus wouldn’t remind you of the person you slept with last night who didn’t love you, and who you didn’t love. Jesus wouldn’t take the drugs away from you. He would simply remind you how much He loves you. And He would ask you to fall in love with Him so that you could be freed from your chains of bondage. So that you could be free from your addictions. So you could be free from your struggle with self-esteem. So that you could find peace in your spirit in this corrupt life that we live.

If I told you that I am NOT in need of Jesus since I’ve already accepted Him as Truth, I would be lying. Jesus saves me everyday (1 Corinthians 15:31). Jesus reminds me everyday of the love that He has for me. He reminds me every time I slip up that I don’t love Him as much as I say I do. But He has enveloped me. He has gripped me in such a way that to breathe without Him burns my lungs. That His love is caught up like a fire in my bones, and to keep His word inside of me cremates my insides (Jeremiah 20:9).

So this is the Truth that I leave you with: No matter what your opinions about Jesus are, and no matter what you decide to do tonight, Jesus will be there with you. Jesus did not come to make bad people good. If He had come to make bad people good, then the fruit of His ministry has been a failure for 2,000 years. There is no one worthy of the love of Jesus Christ, not one. But there are billions of people who are desperately in need of the love of Jesus Christ, and that’s true. If Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good, what then? Jesus came to bring dead people back to life, and He does that by His truth.

This is not a plea. If the intentions of your heart, and the actions of your life continue in such a way that they oppose the truth of Christ, that will be okay. Jesus doesn’t need you. He desperately wants you though. The remedy of Christ is not for those who think they’re okay it’s for those who know they are not okay. We’re all in need of a doctor. This is your prescription for life: Jesus has overcome the world. Resist Him and you resist freedom. Accept Him and you accept freedom. Who doesn’t want to be free?