This verse sums up the essence of Christ’s saving mission, showing that the purpose of His coming is not to judge, but to save. By “the lost” He means the person who has departed from God and cannot return to Him on his own. The word “came” emphasizes the divine initiative: God Himself draws near to a person in order to seek and bring him back. This saying also provides a foundation for what was said in the previous verse about the great value of the “little ones,” because if the Messiah sacrificed Himself for their salvation, then to ignore and despise them means to oppose His very work.