Event New Testament
The parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son
Also known as The prodigal son, The lost sheep
When the Pharisees grumbled that Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them, He told three parables: a shepherd who searches for one lost sheep, a woman who sweeps her house for one lost coin, and a father who runs to embrace a son who had squandered his inheritance. Each ends in a celebration, and the last with an older brother who refuses to join.
Why it matters. These parables are Jesus's own explanation of why He welcomes sinners: heaven rejoices over one who repents.
- Primary passages
- Witnesses
Chronology confidence: medium
Recorded only by Luke, during the journey toward Jerusalem; Matthew has a shorter form of the lost sheep in a different setting.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The transfiguration precedes The parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceLuke places the parables of the lost on the journey to Jerusalem that begins after the transfiguration.
Jesus participates in The parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJesus tells the three parables in answer to the Pharisees' complaint that He welcomes sinners.
Evidence:The parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son develops the theme Repentance
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceEach parable ends in joy over a sinner who repents.
Evidence: