God, tell me a story about…animals
The Lost Sheep
“And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”
Matthew 18:13
Read Matthew 18:10-14
Or click here for an animated version of the story.
Today we look at one of Jesus’ parables. This is our first parable of the year, so let’s review what a parable is. A parable is a teaching aid or a word picture that Jesus used to aid in His work here on earth. Jesus used things that were familiar to people at that time so that they could understand the lesson. An “earthly story with heavenly meaning”. If He were to tell a parable today it would probably be linked to technology since that’s something WE’RE familiar with.
Questions
- Who do the sheep in this story represent?
- Who does the shepherd represent?
- How many sheep did the shepherd have in this story?
- Why did the shepherd look for his lost sheep?
- What did the shepherd do when he found the lost sheep?
- Why would God celebrate when he finds one of us who are lost?
Bonus Stuff
This video helps us see why Jesus chose to use sheep in his story, rather than chickens or pigs.
And this video is a song which was once commonly sung in children’s churches. It does remind us that we are like sheep and God is our shepherd.
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