A Cause for Rejoicing (11/23/2025)

“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ” (Luke 15:6).

This verse is a culmination of the Parable of the Lost Sheep in which the Shepherd rejoices when he finds the sheep that was lost and returns it to the fold. This parable shows the deep love the Father and the Son have for all of creation.

Jesus has just finished some hard teaching to the multitudes, including the arrogant scribes and Pharisees, who think they are better than the Gentiles as well as thinking they are better than the lower classes of their own countrymen.

Even though this parable focuses on the return of the straying sheep, other passages show that Jesus has an equal concern for the repentance of all who come to a knowledge of Him and who accept His terms for conversion.

The message for us is that we should realize Jesus loves us, that we have a need for Him, and that we should take the necessary steps to place ourselves in a safe relationship with Him and God, based upon the conditions of the gospel as taught in Scripture.