40 Bible Verses About Lost Sheep

In Scripture, the image of a lost sheep is one of the most powerful illustrations of God’s love, mercy, and pursuit of those who have strayed. Whether you are seeking comfort for yourself or ministering to someone else, these Bible verses about lost sheep will remind you that God never gives up on us. He seeks, finds, and rejoices over each return.

In this post, we will explore 40 powerful Bible verses about lost sheep, along with short reflections to help apply each passage to everyday life.

What Does the Bible Say About Lost Sheep?

The concept of the “lost sheep” comes primarily from Jesus’ parables in the Gospels, particularly in Luke 15 and Matthew 18. In these parables, Jesus compares God to a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one who is lost. This metaphor extends beyond literal sheep, it represents people who have drifted away from the faith or God’s commandments.

The shepherd’s pursuit of the lost is not just a search, it’s an act of deep love. The return of the lost brings great joy in heaven, as Scripture says.

The following list of Bible verses about lost sheep will help you understand the spiritual meaning behind this imagery and why it continues to resonate today.

Lessons from the Lost Sheep

1. God Pursues Us Relentlessly: The Shepherd doesn’t wait for the sheep to return. He takes the first step, every time.
2. No One Is Beyond Redemption: Even if you’ve drifted far, you can be restored.
3. Heaven Celebrates the Return of One: Every individual matters to God. You are seen and cherished.
4. We’re All Sheep Needing a Shepherd: Even the strongest believer still needs guidance and care.

40 Bible Verses About Lost Sheep

Below are 40 Bible verses about lost sheep, divided between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Old Testament Verses About Lost Sheep

• Psalm 119:176 – “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.”
• Isaiah 53:6 – “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
• Jeremiah 50:6 – “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains.”
• Ezekiel 34:4 – “The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought.”
• Ezekiel 34:16 – “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.”
• Ezekiel 34:11-12 – “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep.”
• Zechariah 10:2 – “For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.”
• Micah 5:4 – “And He shall stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they shall dwell secure, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth.”
• Isaiah 40:11 – “He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”
• Jeremiah 23:4 – “I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.”

New Testament Verses About Lost Sheep

• Matthew 10:6 – “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
• Matthew 15:24 – “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'”
• Matthew 18:12-14 – “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?”
• Luke 15:4-7 – “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”
• John 10:11 – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
• John 10:16 – “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.”
• 1 Peter 2:25 – “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
• Hebrews 13:20 – “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep…”
• Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
• Acts 20:28 – “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood.”
• Revelation 7:17 – “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water.”
• John 21:15-17 – “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.”
• 1 Peter 5:2-4 – “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you…”
• James 5:19-20 – “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death.”
• Romans 5:8 – “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
• Colossians 1:21-22 – “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled…”
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
• Titus 3:4-5 – “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy.”
• 1 Timothy 1:15 – “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
• Mark 2:17 – “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
• Luke 5:32 – “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
• Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
• Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
• 2 Timothy 2:24-26 – “The Lord’s servant must…correct his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”
• 1 John 4:9-10 – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”
• Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
• John 6:39 – “And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”
• Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Conclusion

These Bible verses about lost sheep serve as a profound reminder that God never gives up on anyone. Whether you’re the one who’s strayed or someone interceding for a lost loved one, know that the Good Shepherd still seeks and saves today.

He rejoices over the one. He leaves the ninety-nine. He carries you home on His shoulders.

Have you felt like a lost sheep recently? Meditate on these verses, let God’s Word draw you back, and remember; He’s already looking for you.

Read also: 40 Powerful Prayers That Shake Heaven and Earth

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