Who are the Lost Sheep?
Luke chapter 15 contains three parables with a common theme: The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. But who do these lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son refer to? He may be referring to the lost sheep of Isael. Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Mt 15:24 And notice also 1Pet 2:25 “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” And 1st Peter was written to Jewish Christians, as his introduction indicates. The people of Israel are divided into two groups, as Paul also writes in Galatians – those who were sons of the promise and those who were sons of the flesh. These two groups have been exemplified by Isaac and Ishmael and also by Jacob and Esau. The Christian community is also divided this way between the nominal and true believers. Although all of Israel may be spoken of as sheep – just as both Isaac and Ishmael were sons of Abraham, yet those in the pen who listened and obeyed may be liken
