Historically, there is something about Black Sheep that helps us better understand them as the perfect metaphor for a sinner in the gospel paradigm. Black wool cannot be dyed any other color. Thus, sheep farmers could not sell the wool and therefore, black sheep were considered worthless. Sinners also cannot be dyed any other color. Just like the leopard and its unchangeable spots (Jer.13:23), nothing we do can “dye-away” sinful human nature. On our own, we remain corrupt sinners until the day of our resurrection.   Simultaneously saint and sinner, is the nature of Christian sheep. We are all the black sheep of the family, and yet at the same time, we are dressed in Christ’s perfect garments tailored from His spotless wool. The only way to get rid of black wool is to be declared a righteous citizen of God’s Kingdom on account of Christ.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Is. 1:18).

 Thinking of his own soul as that of a black sheep, the psalmist himself confessed, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. 51; 23:1). Hundreds of years later, even the greatest of all prophets, John the Baptist, confessed the insufficiency of his soul when he pointed to Another and exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).

 God does not have a fold of black, and another white. God only has a fold made up entirely of black sheep because He knows the truth about us. On the inside, we’re all black sheep. But the Good Shepherd gave His life for the black sheep, the black sheep who’ve done nothing good with their lives, and in fact for all sheep, regardless what shade they appear to be. Even sheep who don’t seem to have any spots haven’t done anything good with their lives. Before God, they have only lived out a show, a performance, dressed up in white camouflage.
Christ alone is the “Lamb who is led to the slaughter…” so that all the black sheep of the human family would have life – His life – and have it in abundance.                                                                                                                                       Written by: BLACK SHEEP  /  MICHAEL LORENZANA