First, I would like to welcome all of you to the 2016 HBF Easter conference titled Restored. We will be hearing messages from Mary, John, and the three David’s. David Won, David Wolf, and David Kim. The purpose of this conference is to point out how we are lost and why we need Jesus to save us. WHO WANTS TO BE SAVED? WHO WANTS TO BE SAVED? I hope that during or after the conference we can come to know God more personally and be saved. To know God who saves the lost.
Luke 19:1-10
Key Verse 10
“ For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost”
You probably have heard a CBF message on Zacchaeus and the sycamore tree before, but today we will be going more in depth and looking at Zacchaeus attempt to get Jesus attention and Jesus approach to Zacchaeus. We normally think of this passage to be funny because, it is the story of a short man climbing up a tree to see Jesus. And when we picture a short man climbing a tree, it is funny. The passage tells us that Zacchaeus could not see over the crowd to see Jesus. So he was a short man. But they say that God measure us from the head up. So in God he was tall. So let’s think of this passage as a tall man climbing a tree to get a panoramic view of Jesus. In this passage we’ll see how Zacchaeus is transformed by the love of Jesus. Zacchaeus obeys Jesus calling and gladly accepts his invitation. Through Zacchaeus repentance Jesus brings salvation to his household.
In verses, 1 and 2 there is a clear picture of the setting and the characters. Jesus is entering and passing through Jericho. We are then introduced to Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. Not only was he a tax collector, he was the chief. He held a high position in society and many of the town’s people probably feared him because he was demanding and he stole money from the poor. Everyone in Jericho disliked him and during that time he was considered one of the worst sinners.
Although Zacchaeus was the worst of the worst, he was curious to see Jesus. He probably had heard of all the miracles Jesus preformed and was amazed. Zacchaeus was probably thinking, what if Jesus preformed some more miracles in Jericho? He had to be there to see. Imagine if a famous celebrity like Justin Bieber was coming to Chicago and there was rumor that he would preform a free concert. A lot of people would go crazy and track him down. Maybe you wouldn’t climb up a tall tree. However, in this passage Zacchaeus; a wealthy, high class, short man ran ahead. He RAN, he didn’t walk. The he climbed a sycamore tree because could not see over the crowd and was eager to see Jesus. (Verse 3-4) At that moment Zacchaeus did not realize how silly he would look up on a tree? Imagine one of the wealthiest people in town like Rahm Emmanuel, climbing up a tree to see a stranger. Even though Jesus was a stranger to Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus made such a great effort to see him. At that moment in time, he did not care about his reputation and the reaction he would get from the towns people from climbing up the tree. All he cared about was to see Jesus. He wanted Jesus attention and put himself in the way Jesus was coming. His climbing up the tree was his happy dance.
In verse five Jesus arrives to the spot where Zacchaeus is and says, (Call one of the people in the audience. Can you please read for us.) “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Thank you who ever read. First, how did Jesus know this strangers name? And second, did Jesus just invite himself to this man's house? Verse 5 is Jesus approach toward Zacchaeus and calling him by his name shows respect, intimacy, and love. And it shows that Jesus knows us. We all want to be known by somebody and if someone does not recognize us we become sad. But Jesus know us. He knows each of us by name. And he calls us by our names. Jesus did not say to Zacchaeus “hey shorty” or “hey funny man up there”. Jesus said Zacchaeus. So what happens next? Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus house. People don’t usually invite themselves to someone’s house. Usually only family and closest friends invite themselves. Everyone else has to make an appointment. In this passage, Jesus treats Zacchaeus like close friend, like a family member. Zacchaeus was probably always feeling lonely and hated because the townspeople didn’t like him. Jesus invitation to his house makes Zacchaeus feel important and noticed. At that moment Jesus became his BFF. We may be wondering why Jesus chose to go to Zacchaeus house out of all the people in the town? The bible says, it is the sick who need a doctor not the healthy. In this passage Jesus came to save the lost . Zacchaeus was lost before he met Jesus.
What happened after Jesus tells Zacchaeus “come down, I must stay in your house today?” In verse 6 we see Zacchaeus response to Jesus. Zacchaeus came down at once and gladly welcomes Jesus to his house. Zacchaeus no longer thought of Jesus as someone who performs miracles, but as a friend. Zacchaeus felt Jesus love and care for him and immediately accepted Jesus facebook invitation.
Again in verse 7 we can see Jesus love for Zacchaeus. When all the people began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” Jesus didn’t care or take any offense. Jesus came to save Zacchaeus.
In verse 8 Zacchaeus is transformed from a lost man to a saved man. He repents. Can we all please read verse 8 “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the lord ‘ Look lord! Here and now I give half of my pocesions to the poor and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Wow Zacchaeus sincerely repented and was willing to give back to the people who he stole from them. The chief tax collector who was lost in the world of money and greed now found new meaning in his life through Jesus and repented. His paying back what he stole is his act of repentance.
Moving on to verses 9 and 10. After Zacchaeus act of repentance, Jesus forgave him. Not only him but offered salvation to all his household. Can we please read them together? When Jesus says “Today, salvation has came to this house, because of this man, too is a Son of Abraham” Jesus meant that he had forgiven his sins. In verse 10 when it says that the “Son of Man came to Seek and save the lost” it is referring to God sending down Jesus, his son to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins. God also sent Jesus down to find those who don’t know God bring them too him.
From this passage we can see how Jesus approaches Zacchaeus, and also how Zacchaeus seeks Jesus. Jesus didn’t care who Zacchaeus was and what society would think if he came to his house. Jesus wanted to save Zacchaeus, just like he wants to save us. This passage highlights Jesus great love for us.
Just like Zacchaeus we are lost. There is too much technology around us, that we get lost. We become too busy at school that we also get lost. Many times, I stray away from God and loose faith in him. The college process has been stressing me on top of the IB curriculum. I feel like Jesus has been letting me down because although I have a high GPA and class ranks the Universities I wanted to go to did not give me any scholarships. This week I was very hurt because although I was accepted into Purdue 6 year pharmacy program I was not granted any scholarships and the government didn’t give me any money either. Through this passage Jesus spoke to me because I know that he is waiting for me to accept his invitation. Although I did not get into the school I wanted Jesus opened up another door for me to a good school with a good scholarship. When I stray away from God, Jesus is there calling me Rebekah come down, I must stay at your house today. I know that many of us experience the same thing. So let’s get excited at the name of Jesus and do our own happy dance. We don’t have to climb a tree, but we can do a happy dance. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That is us!
Today we learned that when Zacchaeus accepted Jesus invitation, he was saved along with all his household. The lost were saved. When Jesus call us by name, let’s accept his calling and be transformed to children of God. Let's make this conference our sycamore tree to hear Jesus invitation no matter if we came here to be with our friends or because our parents forced us to. We made a great effort to come to the sycamore tree; we drove a long distance in the snow, prepared messages, group presentations, group bible studies, so let this conference be our sycamore tree where we meet Jesus, accept his invitation, and be restored.
To conclude let’s all please read the key verse that is verse 10. “ For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”
Lets Pray…
