What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
THE LAST, THE LOST, THE LEAST
Jesus’ mission—to the least, the last, and the lost—is built on such reversals. His redemptive work facilitated them, as shown in the fact that the primary meaning of repent in the biblical languages Hebrew and Greek is “turn around” or “return.” Through the gospel, the least become the greatest in the kingdom of God the last become the first and the lost are found.
LAST LOST LEAST
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”(ESV)
Luke 19:10