The parable of the lost sheep

Luke 15:17

To help the children learn the meaning of the parable of the lost sheep.

“Then he told them many things in parables” (Matthew 13:3a, NIV*).

The story of the lost sheep shows us why Jesus was interested in sinners, whom the Jewish leaders considered unworthy. This parable, along with the one of the lost coin and the prodigal son, expresses the love of God and the joy he feels when a sinner repents.

The emphasis of this story is God’s love for all people. The lost sheep represents those who are lost in spiritual darkness and in need of help; the other 99 represent those who have been saved. Remember that God’s desire is that no one be lost.

This parable tells us of the joy of the Lord when a lost soul is found. God rejoices when we approach him.

One of the biggest fears that small children have is getting lost in some unknown place or losing their parents. This parable will be of great help for their emotional development.

Help them understand that the shepherd loved his sheep so much that he fervently sought the one that was lost until he managed to find it. Emphasize that Jesus is our good shepherd and we are the sheep. Jesus loves his sheep and he takes care of them, and he does not want any to be lost. In the same way, we can be sure that God is watching each of our steps.

By studying this parable, your children will understand that the love and care of a shepherd for his sheep represents the attitude of love and care that Jesus has for his children.

I once lost...

For this activity, you will need a soft ball. Form a circle with your children and tell them: I’m going to throw this ball. The person who catches it will tell us about something that they have lost. For example, once I lost some coins. I searched for them everywhere until I found them. I was happy when I found them!

Finish the game when everyone has participated and conclude with this: “Nobody likes to lose things because sometimes it is difficult to find them. There was once a shepherd who had a hundred sheep, but one day, as he counted them he noticed one was missing. We are going to learn what happened in our biblical story.”

These activities will help children learn biblical truth. If possible, prepare visual resources to better explain your lesson. For example, draw on a card a sheep and a shepherd, or make puppets with paper bags or socks.

The parables

Ask your children to form two centric circles standing up (one inside the other), with the same number of participants. Use a tambourine or other instrument to play during the game. When they hear music, they will march in opposite directions from each other.

When the music stops, they will stop marching and will say to the person in the opposite circle: “Parables are special stories that Jesus told.” Do this a few more times to prepare them for the Bible story.

The story of the Lost Sheep

Jesus often told special stories called parables.

One day Jesus was teaching a big group of people. Among them were poor people and people who were not accepted by society. This annoyed the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They thought that Jesus should not approach such people. For this reason, Jesus used this parable to teach them:

“There was a man who had a flock of one hundred sheep that he loved very much. He always cared for them with affection and knew them perfectly. He took care of them and protected them from wild animals, and looked for the coolest places and the best pastures to feed them. He wanted them to be healthy and happy. As he did every day, the shepherd counted his sheep, but something was wrong. He counted them again and again until he was convinced that one was missing. There were only 99 in the flock, a little sheep had gotten lost!

So the shepherd left the other sheep in the field and went looking for the lost sheep.

He looked everywhere: inside bushes, in the rocks, and caves, and he could not find the sheep. After a long time of looking, he finally found the sheep, placed it on his shoulders and went back home happy. When he arrived, he invited his friends and neighbors to celebrate because he had found his lost sheep.”

Jesus wanted people to know that he is the Good Shepherd, and that he loves and cares for his sheep.

Where is my sheep?

Hand out Student Activity Sheet #64-A with the corresponding picture of the sheep and help the children it cut out. Give them Student Activity Sheet #64-B and #64-C. Tell them to trace the word of faith and write their name. Then ask: “What is a parable?” (A special story that Jesus told to teach people.) “What was the theme of today’s parable?” (A shepherd who lost a sheep)

Instruct the children to color the activity sheets, trace the numbers and paste the picture of the sheep, while doing a general review of the story.

Encourage the group to take home their activity sheets to share the lesson with their families and friends.