THE LOST COIN AND SHEEP

LUKE 15:1-10

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 THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP
AND COIN - LUKE 15:1-10
In this lesson, focus on 2 of the 3 parables Jesus taught related to lost things – The lost sheep and the lost
coin.

• Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

• What do lost things lose.
• Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents.

BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 15:1-10

15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the
Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even
eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he
do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until
he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives,
he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost
sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to
God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire
house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and
neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in
the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

MEMORY VERSE: "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" (Luke 15:7).

INTRODUCTION
Although Jesus tells three parables related to lost things (sheep, coin, son/brother), Luke's Gospel presents
them as a singular "story". The first two teach a general principle; when the lost is found, a joyful
celebration follows.

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The Pharisees of Jesus' time taught that God would welcome a repentant sinner, but through these
parables, Jesus teaches that He seeks out sinners by the grace to lead them to repentance.

BACKGROUND OF THE STORY

In Luke 14, there is a great crowd following Jesus. His miracles and teachings attracted people from all over
Galilee and Judea. Many of those in the crowd were despised and rejected by society. In the midst of this,
Jesus shares these parables to explain something of God's grace to sinners.
The scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus for receiving and eating with sinners. They stayed clear of the
marginalized in fear of being contaminated. In response, Jesus refers to the parables of the lost sheep, the
lost coin and the prodigal son.

1. LESSONS FROM THE LOST SHEEP (v3-6)

The sheep that was lost represents the sinner who has gone astray. While the 99 were safe within the
flock, the lost sheep was in grave danger.
A shepherd in Jesus' time was responsible for each sheep and had an obligation before his master that
none should stray, die or be seriously injured (Matthew 18:11-14). In this parable, the shepherd is Jesus,
who has come to look for the sinner.
It's also worth noting that shepherds were treated as dirty by the religious leaders.
The lost sheep is too weak and too lost to return on its own strength in the parable. The shepherd's love is
so great he leaves the ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost. He then carries the sheep on his
shoulders to bring it home.
Here we can see God's love and joy in seeking sinners. Remember, the rabbis taught that God was willing
to receive sinners who sought His forgiveness persistently, but here, it is God who seeks the sinner. God's
love is so great that He seeks each one (Ezekiel 34:16) and rejoices when He finds them.
A God who forgives sinners who come to Him for mercy is undoubtedly good, but a God who tenderly
seeks out sinners and joyfully forgives them shows extraordinary love. That love brought Jesus into the
world to seek and save the lost.
This same love continues today. Regardless of age, social, political and cultural changes, God still seeks the
lost and calls them to repentance.

2. LESSONS FROM THE LOST COIN (v8-10)

The second parable Jesus teaches is of the lost coin. Jesus speaks of a woman who loses a coin in her house
and the great lengths she goes to until she finds it.
The typical house in Israel at that time of Jesus had tiny windows or no windows at all. So, a lamp was
needed for light, even in the daytime.
This lamp reminds us of the Bible, which gives light to everything (Psalm 119:105 & 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

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The drachma was a silver coin first used by the ancient Greeks and had a value similar to that of the Roman
denarius and equivalent to a worker's day's wages.
But for women, they had even more value than a day's wage. In Israel, it was customary for a woman to
receive ten silver coins as a wedding gift. Hence, these coins had a more sentimental value beyond the
monetary value, similar to a wedding ring today.
The coin might not have been worth much to someone else, but to her, it meant everything.
The woman lights a lamp and sweeps diligently. She will not give up or leave any place uncleaned until the
lost coin is found.

3. WHAT DO LOST THINGS LOSE (v2-10)

In these parables, Jesus teaches us some of the qualities of lost things.
Direction: One of the first things we lose when we're lost is our direction. The sheep was with the flock at
some point, but he started wondering and got lost. No sheep ever intends to get lost; it just happens. They
see something, it distracts them, and next thing they're lost.
We live in a world where lots of things try to distract us. Maybe it's our friends, something we see on the
Internet or TV. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:6, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned—
everyone—to his own way.”
Protection and provision: When the sheep is in the shepherd's flock, it's under the shepherd's protection.
The shepherd cares for the sheep, and he makes sure that it has the provisions it needs (food, water,
medicine, etc.). But in the wild, the sheep is all alone and one of the most vulnerable animals.
Often, we get so stressed in life because we have walked away from the Shepherd and His care. Psalm 23
says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and
your staff, they comfort me."
Potential: A single coin has so much potential. It will be passed around millions of times and fulfil many
different purposes. It can buy food for a family, help someone in need, be used for entertainment, pay for
medicine or education. But when the coin is lost, it cannot fulfil its potential. It's worth is the same, but its
potential has changed.
God has created us with so much potential, but when we get disconnected from Him, we can't fulfil this full
potential. The Bible says that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has
prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor 2:9.

4. LOST THINGS DON'T LOSE THEIR VALUE (v6-7 & 9-10)

These parables teach so much of God's grace, love and how He values people. When that coin or sheep is
lost, it doesn't lose its value. It may not be worth much in somebody else's eyes, but it's worth a great price
to the one who seeks it.
The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have eternal life." That is how valuable you are to God.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day were indifferent toward the lost. They saw themselves as worthy of a
relationship with God but sinners as unworthy and of less value.

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Jesus tells of the celebration by the shepherd and woman and follows it by saying, "there is rejoicing in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10).
The religious leaders should have been rejoicing with Jesus, not criticizing Him for leading sinners back to
God.
If lost people matter this much to God, shouldn't they matter this much to us? Shouldn't we have the heart
of God and follow Jesus' example, to seek the lost and share the gospel with them.

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 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
WHAT DO THESE PARABLES TEACH YOU ABOUT GOD?

WHICH THINGS CAUSE PEOPLE TO WANDER AWAY FROM JESUS?

WHEN WAS A TIME YOU GOT LOST SOMEWHERE? HOW DID IT FEEL?

DO YOU REJOICE WHEN OTHERS FIND JESUS? HOW CAN YOU SHARE THE
GOSPEL WITH THE LOST NEAR YOU?

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 STUDY NOTES MIND MAP

1 2
LESSONS FROM THE
LESSONS FROM THE LOST LOST________. (v8-10)
___________. (v3-6)

The lost sheep

and coin

3
WHAT DO _________THINGS
____________ (v2-10)
4
LOST THINGS DON'T LOSE THEIR
______________ (v6-7 & 9-10)

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 GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
FIND THE LOST COINS
Before you begin, hide ten coins around the room. You can play this game in teams by making ten coins of different
colours for each team.

When it’s time to begin, give each team or child a colour and tell them to search for ten coins. The first team to
collect them all wins.

FIND THE SHEEP

Choose two players. One player will be the Shepherd while the other is the sheep.

Place a blindfold on the shepherd. Next quietly move the sheep to somewhere in the room.

Have the shepherd spin around a few times.

The sheep should make a ‘baa’ noise while the shepherd tries to find them.

WHAT IS MISSING?

Place a arrange of random items on a table. You will want at least twenty items.

Give the children a few moments to study the table.

Tell all the children to turn around and close their eyes.

Remove one item from the table.

Tell the children to look at the table again and say what is missing.

Repeat it with other items.

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 COINS
Draw a line to correctly label the coins from around the world and where they are from

Dollar Euro Won Yen Yuan Ruble Pound Rupee

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MISSING SHEEP
Which sheep is missing in the images below?

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 WORD SEARCH
W O M A N N S B W COIN
HEAVEN
C S H E E P H S B
PARABLE
N E V A E H E I R
REJOICE
Z A N R L M P N E REPENT
SEARCH
Y R J Y B K H N J
SHEEP
Y C Q N A M E E O
SHEPHERD
F H I G R F R R I SINNER

R O B G A M D R C

C T N E P E R J E

www.WordSearchMaker.com

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FIND THE MISSING SHEEP

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 WRITE YOUR OWN STORY

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THE LOST COIN AND SHEEP
LUKE 15:1-10

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WRITE OUT THE MEMORY VERSE

Luke 15:7

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