Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-10
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable: “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? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Seeking Shepherd
A Sermon by Vicar Roland Rossmiller
Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have you ever been lost—really lost? Not just confused for a moment, but utterly disoriented, heart racing, mind spinning, panic rising? Kay and I recently had such an experience at the London Airport. We thought our flight had been changed. We were wrong. We missed the plane. We wandered through the terminals with that sinking feeling—you know the one—we're stuck. What do we do now? Thankfully, a kind airline worker helped us and rebooked us for a flight a day later. A problem, yes, but solvable.
Now imagine something far worse than missing a flight. Imagine being spiritually lost—being cut off from God, wandering far from the shepherd, and unable to make your way home. That's more than unnerving. It's eternally deadly. And yet this is where the gospel meets us today. Our God is not content to let his sheep scatter.
Today's scripture shows us God's heart in the seeking Shepherd—relentless in his pursuit, merciful in his rescue, rejoicing in our restoration. Today we'll hear three things: First, God's promise in Ezekiel. Second, God's fulfillment in Jesus. And third, what this means for us at First Lutheran.
God's Promise in Ezekiel
Ezekiel paints a bleak picture. The leaders of Israel were supposed to shepherd his people—protect them, feed them, guide them. Instead, they grew fat while the sheep went hungry. When leaders neglected, exploited and scattered the flock, Jeremiah's warning came true: "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture" (Jeremiah 23:1).
But God does not—and did not—abandon his people to false leaders. God declares, "I myself will search for my sheep and I will seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11). Listen again: I myself will search for my sheep and I will seek them out. When human shepherds fail, God himself steps in. The Lord himself will do the shepherding. He will rescue the strays, bind up the injured, and feed them with justice.
In our Lutheran confessions, we confess that the law shows us our failures and tells us how we harm others. We muddy the waters for others, we push and shove and judge fellow sheep. But God's gospel promise is pure—the pure promise that God himself, in Christ, is our shepherd. This clarity keeps us from relying on ourselves, and directs us to God's grace alone. He himself will be our shepherd.
God's Fulfillment in Jesus
This promise, of course, points to Christ. Jesus declares in John chapter 10, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Let me repeat that: lays down his life for his sheep. In Jesus, the promise of Ezekiel 34 comes true—not metaphorically, but literally. The God of Israel puts on flesh and walks among his sheep.
God's fulfillment appears in Luke 15. The people who God promised to shepherd in Ezekiel 34 shows up in the flesh in Jesus Christ. But when the shepherd comes, how is he received? The Pharisees grumble: "This man receives sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). For them, holiness meant separation. But for Jesus, holiness meant restoration.
Jesus paints two pictures in two parables—one in a pasture, one in a home.
First, the lost sheep: 99 are safe. One has strayed. What shepherd leaves the 99 and goes looking for the one? By worldly logic, it makes no sense, but the Good Shepherd does it. He searches until he finds, he carries the lost sheep home on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Second, the lost coin: A woman loses one of her ten coins. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and diligently looks for it until she finds it. Then she calls her neighbors to rejoice. She says, "Rejoice with me."
The point? God himself rejoices when the lost are found. Jesus drives it home, saying in Luke 19:10, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
This is not a shepherd who sits on a grassy hillside waiting for sheep to wander to him. This is a shepherd who goes into the thickets, down the ravines, through the wilderness, seeking relentlessly until he finds the lost. Today, Jesus seeks us in addictions, depression, homelessness, pride, our medical problems, aging, child-rearing. He seeks you.
The Comfort of the Gospel
Here is the comfort of the gospel in his pursuit: You do not find God. He finds you. The Augsburg Confession teaches us that we cannot, by our own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ or come to him. Faith is God's gift worked by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament. Jesus says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). Paul reminds us, "He saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy" (Titus 3:5).
This means your assurance and comfort does not rest on how strong your faith feels today. It rests on the Shepherd's pursuit. Even when you feel unworthy, even when you feel distant, he is still coming after you—today, here and now, in his Word, in his Supper, in his absolution.
But what about after we've been found? Sheep, as farmers know, wander. They get distracted by the next bit of grass to munch on. They slip into ditches and can't get out. That's us also—we sin, and sin much, daily. Yet the Shepherd does not rescue once and then abandon us. He keeps on guiding, correcting, and even carrying us.
Our security is not in how tightly we cling to him, but in how firmly he holds us. Jesus says, "No one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28).
Think of the Apostle Paul. He once hunted Christians, yet Christ found him, forgave him, and sent him on his way as his messenger. If the Shepherd could find and carry Paul, he can find and carry you.
Heaven's Response
And how does heaven respond when the Shepherd finds a sheep? Jesus says, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). Pause and consider that—the angels rejoice. God himself rejoices.
Zephaniah 3:17 says, "He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you by his love. He will exult over you with loud singing." Imagine that—God singing over his people! This highlights his deep joy when even one sinner is restored. Each act of repentance is heaven's victory, applied to an individual and strengthening the whole church.
Life at First Lutheran
Now let's talk about life here at First Lutheran. If Christ is a seeking Shepherd, then we his flock must reflect his heart. That means:
Welcoming the guest, not as a stranger, but as a treasured sheep precious to Christ
Seeking the drifting member with patience and love
Supporting struggling believers with prayer, presence, and practical help
This is the life of Christ at work among us. If the Shepherd rejoices over the lost and the weak, so should the church.
Imagine this: A visitor walks in next Sunday. They're nervous, unsure, maybe wondering if they belong here. What if we greeted them not as a stranger, but as Christ's sheep, precious to him? That's what it means to live as his flock.
Conclusion
Christ is the Shepherd who seeks the lost, secures the found, and rejoices over each one. You are safe in his arms today and always. When you wander, he pursues. When you fail, he lifts you up. And when you are found, he rejoices over you.
May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Find us on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.