The Man Who Jesus Saw
Notes
Transcript
Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in Luke 19:1-10. Pg. 825 in our church provided Bibles.
We’re still walking with Jesus in his final journey to Jerusalem, a journey that has filled the last 10 chapters of Luke’s Gospel. Last week, we watched Jesus stop for a blind man sitting in darkness along the road just outside Jericho. Today, we follow Him as He enters the city itself and has His final personal encounter before the triumphal entry and the events that lead to His crucifixion and resurrection.
This encounter is very different from that of blind Bartimaeus. He was poor, powerless, and pushed aside by the crowd. Zacchaeus is wealthy, influential, and deeply hated by the crowd.
Yet both men encounter Jesus and both are transformed in ways no one expected.
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Introduction:
Introduction:
This encounter takes place as Jesus enters the flourishing city of Jericho rebuilt by Herod, just outside of the ruins we mentioned last week. This newer Jericho was vibrant and wealthy; its palm-lined streets, balsam groves, and warm winter climate made it an incredibly desirable place to live.
It was also strategically placed along a major trade/travel route leading up to Jerusalem. Because of that, Jericho became one of the primary tax hubs in the region. It’s here that we meet a man named Zacchaeus.
Luke gives us two key details about him:
…He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
Being the chief tax collector meant Zacchaeus wasn’t the man sitting at the tax booth; he was over the entire operation. He hired the collectors, set the rates, and managed the contracts. The Roman tax system was infamous for overcharging, skimming, and manipulation; and the chief collector benefited from all of it.
To the average Jew, a man like Zacchaeus was a traitor who enriched himself by taking from his own people. Beyond being socially despised, he would have been excluded from religious life and moral society.
His life had left him
Wealthy, but not well.
It gave him status, but not stillness.
He held the purse of Rome, but lacked peace with God.
But, then he encounters the Prince of peace walking down the road and his life changed forever.
This passage unfolds in 4 main acts:
Act 1: A Man Who Seeks (vv. 3–4)
Act 2: A Savior Who Calls (vv. 5–6)
Act 3: A Life That Turns (vv. 7–8)
Act 4: A Salvation That Comes (vv. 9–10)
Act 1: A Man Who Seeks (vv. 3–4)
Act 1: A Man Who Seeks (vv. 3–4)
Luke begins by telling us that Zacchaeus
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was,…
That’s more than curiosity. The verb tense implies ongoing effort. This was determination. Something was stirring inside him that all his wealth and authority had never been able to satisfy.
And that begs the question: Why would a chief tax collector want to see Jesus at all?
A.) The Restlessness of Zacchaeus (v.3a)
Maybe he had heard how Jesus welcomed tax collectors like Matthew, or how He shared meals with men no other rabbi would approach.
Or perhaps the weight of his own conscience had grown so heavy that when he heard Jesus was entering Jericho, a spark of hope ignited inside of him.
Whatever the reason, Zacchaeus had a restlessness that pulled him toward God, maybe for the first time in His life.
B.) The Obstacles (v.3)
But, as He tries to get to Jesus, he hits a major obstacle standing in his way:
…but on account of the crowd he could not,…
The people of Jericho weren’t about to let him get close to Jesus.
It’s possible, they were intentionally blocking him out much like they tried to silence the blind man just a few minutes before.
Or maybe, like the disciples with the children, they assumed Jesus had better things to do than waste time on the chief tax collector.
Whatever the reason, the crowd wasn’t letting Zacchaeus through.
Then the second obstacle:
Read just the last part
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.
Being short in a dense, hostile crowd gave him no chance of seeing Jesus by ordinary means.
C.) An Act of Desperation (v.4)
So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
Two things wealthy men didn’t do in first century near eastern culture: Run and climb trees.
Either one was considered undignified and childish. Doing both was unheard of.
But, Zacchaeus is desperate and desperate people will often do what they’ve never done before.
Sycamore-fig trees grow low and have wide branches that are perfect for climbing. They also provided enough cover for a man to hide among the branches.
Picture the scene: A wealthy government official climbing a tree like a child, desperate to get a simple look at Jesus.
This isn’t normal behavior. This is the behavior of a man who knows something in his life has to change. So he positions himself in the one place where he knows he can see and hear Jesus.
Application: Zacchaeus shows us what genuine spiritual seeking often looks like. It begins with the realization that your life is missing what only Jesus can provide.
He refuses to let the crowd, or his own doubts keep him from Jesus.
He’s honest about his condition, and that honesty drives him to humble himself like a child by climbing a tree.
All the while thinking he’s looking for Jesus, but he’s about to find out Jesus was already looking for him.
Act 2: A Savior Who Calls (vv. 5–6)
Act 2: A Savior Who Calls (vv. 5–6)
In v.5 everything shifts.
A.) The Intentionality of Jesus (v.5)
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus,…
“Came to the place”- Denotes intentionality.
Jesus didn’t just happen to walk by the tree, he purposefully walked beneath it because he new exactly where Zacchaeus was perched.
“He looked up”- The crowd saw Zacchaeus as a problem. Jesus saw him as a sinner in need of mercy.
Then Jesus calls Him by name.
Whenever God speaks someones name in scripture, it signals divine initiative.
God called Abraham by name. He called Moses by name. And now Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name.
This is a reminder that salvation doesn’t begin with a sinner hunting for God; it begins with God calling the sinner to himself.
B.) The Command of Jesus (v.5)
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down,…”
Jesus doesn’t offer Zacchaeus a suggestion. He gives Him a command. Friends, there is nothing casual about following Jesus. When Jesus calls he does so with authority.
Zacchaeus cannot remain in the tree and receive Christ at the same time.
The Lord is confronting the position Zacchaeus had placed himself in, not just physically but spiritually.
Zacchaeus had spent years climbing the ladder of financial success and making demands of others. Now the Lord of glory makes a demand of him that he must obey.
Jesus meets people where they are, but He never leaves them there. His call moves us and requires immediate obedience.
Zacchaeus had to choose to cling to the the tree or obey the voice of Christ.
Friends, obedience to Christ is the doorway through which everything changes.
…Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
C.) The Reason of Jesus (v.5)
Read the last part
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
Must- Conveys a sense of duty or obligation.
It’s the same word that Jesus used when he said “I must suffer…I must preach the kingdom…I must be about my Fathers business
Now that same necessity applies to Zacchaeus: “I must stay at your house.”
Jesus had a divine appointment he had to keep.
Jesus telling Zacchaeus he was coming to his home that day would have shocked the crowd.
Entering someones home meant fellowship, acceptance, and identification.
Jesus was publically declaring that he was not ashamed to come to Zacchaeus.
This is the gospel. Jesus comes not becuase we are worthy but because he is merciful. Not because we pursue Him, but becuase he pursues us.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
D.) The Response of Zacchaeus (v.6)
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
Zacchaeus responds immediately, comes down, and receives Jesus with Joy.
This is evidence that Zacchaeus had already been transformed
Joy is one of the fruits of genuine conversion. When Jesus calls and a sinner responds, joy follows.
The man who had to climb a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus now stands face-to face with the Savior of the world, ready to receive him into his home
Application: Jesus calling out to Zacchaeus demonstrates that the work of salvation never begins with us, it begins with Christ.
You may think you’re seeking Him, or feel unworthy to approach Him (you are), but He is the One seeking you and He calls you anyway.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Some of you are like Zacchaeus hidden in the branches of success, busyness, guilt or fear.
You can see Jesus from the tree but you can’t receive him from the tree. You must come down.
What He did for Zacchaeus, He still does today. When Jesus calls, and a sinner comes down in humble faith, transformation is immediate, joy appears, and the whole direction of life changes.
Act 3: A Life That Turns (vv. 7–8)
Act 3: A Life That Turns (vv. 7–8)
Zacchaeus has hurried down the tree, received Jesus joyfully, and welcomed Him into his home. But notice the crowd:
A.) The Grumbling of the Crowd (v.7)
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
The Jewish people have a long history of grumbling before the Lord. The O.T. records over a dozen instances where they complained because God didn’t act the way they expected.
And there rejection here fits the same pattern. They see Zacchaeus as someone who deserves judgement, not fellowship. He’s beyond repentance. There’s no hope left for him.
But the very thing they use to reject him “he is a sinner”, is the very reason Jesus has gone to him. The only way sinners can be saved is for Jesus to go to them.
B.) Evidence of Zacchaeus Transformation
Remember in v.6, the moment Zacchaeus responded to Jesus he was transformed.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
In Zacchaeus case, that new creation becomes visible immediately.
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord,…
Standing suggests a public and decisive moment.
This is not private guilt. Genuine repentance steps into the light.
He calls Jesus “Lord” which signals his allegiance to Christ authority over his life and announces:
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor…
He doesn’t excuse or defend his past. He acknowledges that he once took and now he’s going to give. And he goes far beyond a symbolic gesture. He gives half of everything he owns to the poor.
Talk about evidence of a changed heart!
But he doesn’t stop there:
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
If- Is a condition, “to the extent that”, not maybe.
Defrauded- To extort or cheat, which was a known practice for tax collectors who could profit from bringing charges.
The law required repayment plus 20%, but Zacchaeus chooses the harshest standard; fourfold restitution, used in cases of deliberate theft.
This was incredibly expensive. But genuine repentance is costly. Zacchaeus is no longer trying to protect his wealth. He’s trying to repair what his sin has damaged. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to demonstrate what salvation has produced in his soul.
Application: This is what genuine repentance looks like. Not vague, abstract emotion, but concrete, visible action.
Genuine repentance is quantifiable, specific, and seeks to repair what was broken.
Friends, often the reason we lack peace isn’t mysterious. It comes from unrepaired damage, unconfessed sin, and unresolved wrongs.
It’s impossible to have inner peace with the Lord while knowingly leaving outward harm to go untouched.
For some today, repentance may mean:
Making that difficult phone call.
Publicly confessing that sin you’ve been hiding.
Writing the check to repay what you stole.
Or having that conversation with your spouse or children you’ve been avoiding.
Repentance isn’t the barrier standing between you and peace. It’s the doorway to peace.
When Zacchaeus stepped through that doorway, he stood up and publicly declared his repentance so the whole crowd could see a different man than the one who climbed the tree.
Act 4: A Salvation That Comes (vv. 9–10)
Act 4: A Salvation That Comes (vv. 9–10)
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house,…
Jesus isn’t rewarding Zacchaeus transformation with salvation, He’s announcing the salvation that has already occured. Zacchaeus’ transformation was the evidence, not the cause.
A.) Immediate and Certain Salvation (v.9)
“Today” is a key word in Luke’s gospel. Signaling fulfilled prophecy or someones salvation.
As it does here here in vs.9.
B.) The effects of salvation (v.9)
“House”-household.
House of David.
When Jesus brings salvation to a person, that salvation often has a ripple effect.
When the Philippian jailer was saved in Acts 16, his entire household is saved as a result.
We don’t know who else in his household believed, but salvation often impacts an entire home.
Salvation brought healing and peace to a home in desperate need of both.
C.) Salvations Identity (v.9)
Notice the rest of v.9
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
Society had written Zacchaeus off as a traitor who had forfeited his right to be numbered among God’s people.But, Jesus restores what sin and shame has taken.
“Son of Abraham”- Refers to being part of the physical bloodline of Abraham, which the entire nation shared. But it also means something deeper.
Abraham is the man God chose in Genesis to form a people for Himself. God promised to bless him, make a great nation through him, and bring salvation through his family line. Scripture calls Abraham ‘the father of all who believe,’ meaning the true mark of belonging to God’s family is faith. Jesus is declaring that Zacchaeus now shares that faith.”
Jesus is declaring that the man who was once cast out of the family because of his sin is now restored. He’s no longer defined by his past or the crowds opinion of him. He shares Abrahams faith, therefore he is an heir to all of God’s promises to Abraham.
Then Jesus states the purpose behind all that had just taken place:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
This is the nail that this entire encounter hang on. The story of Zacchaeus isn’t about a sinner seeking a Savior. It’s about the Savior seeking a sinner. Not to improve Zacchaeus life, but to save his soul.
Everyone labeled Zacchaeus beyond redemption. But to Jesus he was a person of value who was lost and needed to be found.
Hear me, you don’t seek after something that doesn’t matter to you. You seek after things that are important to you.
Application: Jesus declaration teaches us that when we come to him our salvation is immediate, personal, restorative, and purposeful.
When we come to Jesus in faith He enters every part of our life, gives us an identity anchored in a relationship with him and restores the dignity that sin has destroyed. Your sin doesn’t disqualify you from Jesus love, sinners are the exact people he came for.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Zacchaeus was a wealthy, powerful and despised man searching for peace. His conscience was so pricked by his sinful condition it drove him up a tree.
But Jesus sought him out, called him by name, entered his home, restored his identity, and saved his soul.
Zacchaeus climbed a tree looking for peace, but Jesus climbed a tree to bring peace to all those who come to Him in repentance and faith.
Zacchaeus woke up the morning sinner, but went to bed that night a child of God.
Invitation:
Invitation:
Unbelievers: If you’re here today, trying to get just a glimpse of Jesus because you know something is lacking in your life. You need to know that Jesus Still stops under trees, calls sinners by name, and enters the homes of those that everyone else has written off.
You can find Peace with God “today” in the same way Zacchaeus did.
Invite them to call out in faith or step to the back of the room.
Believers: Zacchaeus shows us that peace and joy grow where repentance is real. Some of us lack peace and joy because obedience is unfinished.
Prayer:
Prayer:
Father, thank You for sending Your Son to seek and to save the lost. Thank You that He stops for people like Zacchaeus, and people like us. For every believer, grant courage to obey, to reconcile, to turn fully toward You, and to walk in the peace that repentance brings. For those who do not yet know Christ, open their hearts today. Help them to come down from whatever tree they’ve been hiding in and receive the Savior with joy. Let the peace of Christ enter homes and hearts today. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
