The rabbis understood Christ's parable as applying to the publicans and sinners; but it has also a wider meaning. By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has apostatized and has been ruined by sin. This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which God presides, yet this little fallen world--the one lost sheep--is more precious in His sight than are the ninety and nine that went not astray from the fold. Christ, the loved Commander in the heavenly courts, 191 stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had with the Father, in order to save the one lost world. For this He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved Him, and came to this earth, to be "wounded for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities." (Isa. 53:5.) God gave Himself in His Son that He might have the joy of receiving back the sheep that was lost.

Rabbinerne forstod, at Kristi lignelse angik tolderne og synderne, men den betyder også noget mere. Med det mistede får fremstiller Kristus ikke alene den enkelte synder men den eneste verden, som har gjort oprør og er blevet ødelagt af synden. Denne verden er kun et atom i Guds store univers, og alligevel er denne lille faldne klode det ene mistede får mere dyrebar for ham end den i og halvfems, der ikke gik bort fra folden. Kristus, den elskede leder i de himmelske sale, kom ned fra det høje og gav afkald på den herlighed, han havde hos Faderen, for at frelse denne ene fortabte verden. Det var for den, han forlod de syndfri verdener de nioghalvfems, som elskede ham, og kom ned til denne jord for at blive såret for vore overtrædelser" og "knust for vor brødes skyld". Gud gav sig selv i sin Søn, for at han kunne få den glæde at få det mistede får tilbage.