“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?”
—Luke 15:4 NLT

Some might say, “It’s fine; I still have 99 sheep.”

But that is not how God is. He (represented by the man in Luke 15:4) leaves everything to go find the one that is lost.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus submitted to death on the cross “for the joy that was set before him.” Isaiah 53:11, speaking about the death of the Messiah, explains this: “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.”

In other words, you and I were the joy that awaited Jesus. He died on the cross so that we could “be counted righteous.” We were the “lost sheep” and Jesus died so that it would be possible for us to live in relationship with God.

You are not just a face in the crowd or a number on a church’s attendance report.

Luke 15:4, Hebrews 12:2 and Isaiah 53:11 teach us a startling truth: On the cross Jesus was thinking of you.

Remember that today.

Here’s a short breath prayer to accompany you in your comings and goings today:

Breathe in: On the cross,
Breathe out: You thought of me.