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Bible story · Luke 15:1–7

The Lost Sheep

A shepherd searches the hills until he finds his one lost sheep. A 2-minute animated story, told simply for children and families, with each verse from the King James Version.

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1 of 8

Some religious leaders grumbled because Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. So Jesus told them a story.

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Luke 15:2 KJV

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“Suppose a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost. Won’t he leave the ninety-nine and go looking for the one that is lost?”

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Luke 15:4 KJV

3 of 8

The shepherd searched over the hills and through the valleys, calling for his lost sheep as the sun went down.

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Matthew 18:12 KJV

4 of 8

At last, in the dark, he heard a little cry. There was the lost sheep! He was happier about that one sheep than about all the others.

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Matthew 18:13 KJV

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He lifted the sheep onto his shoulders and carried it all the way home, full of joy.

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luke 15:5 KJV

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When he got home, he called his friends and neighbors together. “Celebrate with me,” he said. “I have found my lost sheep!”

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Luke 15:6 KJV

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Jesus said, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns back to God than over ninety-nine good people who do not need to turn back.”

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luke 15:7 KJV

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Jesus also said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” He never stops looking for the lost.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

John 10:11 KJV

The end

Next story: The Prodigal Son

What does this story teach?

  • Every single person matters to God.
  • God does not give up on anyone who is lost.
  • Heaven celebrates when someone comes back to God.
  • Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who cares for each of us.

Questions to talk about

Use these with your children after the story, at bedtime, at the table or in a class.

  1. Why do you think the shepherd left the ninety-nine to look for one sheep?
  2. How do you think the lost sheep felt when the shepherd found it?
  3. What does this story tell us about how God sees you?
  4. How can we welcome people who feel lost or left out?

Read the story in the Bible

This retelling uses simple words for young readers. Read the full account in Luke 15:1–7, one verse per screen:

Luke 15 Matthew 18

Frequently asked questions

Where is the parable of the lost sheep in the Bible?

Jesus tells it in Luke 15:3–7 and Matthew 18:12–14. In Luke it comes first of three parables about lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.

What does the lost sheep represent?

The lost sheep stands for a person who has wandered away from God. Jesus told the story when religious leaders complained that he welcomed sinners (Luke 15:2).

Who is the shepherd in the parable?

The shepherd is a picture of God, and of Jesus, who called himself “the good shepherd” in John 10:11. Psalm 23 also begins, “The LORD is my shepherd.”

What is the lesson of the lost sheep?

God cares deeply about every single person and goes looking for those who are lost. Luke 15:7 says there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.

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