Jesus Sees the One

Hello & Greeting

Prayer Requests

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Introduction

Have you ever felt invisible?

Not in a dramatic way — or a tragic way… just in a quiet, every-day way.

Like you’re in the room — but nobody really sees you. You’re present — but overlooked.

Sometimes that feeling comes from being different.

Sometimes it comes from being hurt.

Sometimes it comes from carrying a past you wish you could erase.

And what makes it harder is when it feels like everybody else sees the labels — the rumors — the mistakes — and the reputation… long before they ever see you.

That’s the kind of moment we’re exploring today. It’s not a story about a crowd — or a miracle. It’s a story about one man:

A man who most people avoided.

A man others judged.

A man who had money — and all the stuff you could ever want — but no peace.

And yet — when Jesus walks through his hometown — He doesn’t just see the crowd. He sees the one. And that moment changes everything.

Me

I don’t know about you — but I’ve had plenty of seasons in my life where I felt unseen. Not necessarily ignored… just … overlooked. People saw what I did — or what I represented — or what they assumed about me — before they ever took time to really know me.

And if I’m honest — there have been times where I was part of that crowd. Quick to form opinions. Quick to label. But slow to understand.

It’s easier to notice people’s reputations than it is to notice their hearts, isn’t it? It’s easier to talk about someone than it is to walk toward them. And when life gets busy — we often start seeing people as interruptions instead of invitations. But Jesus never treated people that way.

He didn’t rush past brokenness. He didn’t ignore the overlooked. He didn’t avoid the uncomfortable. He noticed people.

And I think one of the most dangerous things that can happen in our faith is when we stop seeing people — and start only seeing categories.

The difficult one.

The awkward one (that’s me)

The skeptical one.

The “they’ll never change” one.

But behind every label — is a person with a story — and a heart — and an eternal soul.

That’s why this series we’re in matters so much. We’ve spent the last several weeks asking the question, “Who’s Your One?”. We’ve been challenged to consider that one person we love or care about — and to honestly and earnestly pray for them — and look for opportunities to have faith conversations with them — maybe even invite them to church.

Because evangelism doesn’t begin with a speech.

“EVANGELISM BEGINS WITH SEEING” GRAPHIC

It begins with seeing.

Seeing people the way Jesus does: with compassion — and with patience — and with hope.

The man we’re meeting today wasn’t looking for a sermon. He was just trying to see Jesus. And what he didn’t know — is that Jesus already saw Him.

We

In fact — I think a lot of us will be able to relate to the guy we’re reading about today. We know what it’s like to be judged by our past — or our mistakes — or our reputation — or even our personality.

And at the same time — we also know what it’s like to be a part of the crowd.

Busy. Distracted. Focused on our own lives. So we walk past people without really seeing them. We make assumptions instead of asking questions. We notice the labels instead of the hearts.

Not because we’re cruel… but because life moves fast.

And when life moves fast — people can start feeling like background noise instead of eternal souls. We don’t mean to overlook people… we just do. We see the issue — but not the human being. We see the attitude — but not the hurt. We see the behavior — but not the battle. And yet — the people we walk past every day — the ones we work with — and live near — and laugh with — and sometimes avoid — they all carry stories we don’t fully know.

They carry questions.

They carry wounds.

They carry doubts.

They carry spiritual longings.

And the reality is that most people aren’t asking for a big speech. They’re just hoping somebody will see them.

That’s why this story connects with us. Because we’ve all been this guy at some point — and we’ve all been part of the crowd too.

And what makes this story so powerful — is that Jesus doesn’t act like the crowd.

He stops.

He looks up.

And He notices the one.

And when Jesus sees someone — everything changes.

God

Turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of Luke — Chapter 19. If you’re new to the Bible — Luke is the third book of the New Testament — right after Matthew and Mark. And if you’ve got The Turning Pointe set as your church in the Bible app — you should’ve just received this week’s sermon notes — and you can click on the passage right there in those notes — and it’ll take you to the Scripture.

This morning we’re meeting a man named Zacchaeus. And he was a guy that most people tried to overlook and avoid. A lot of us will remember him from that song in Sunday School growing up, right? “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he…” But more importantly — we’re going to see what happens when he is finally seen — as he has an experience with Jesus.

v. 1

Look with me at Luke 19 — starting in verse 1:

Luke 19:1 CSB

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.

See — Luke tells us Jesus was passing through Jericho.

Not staying — not settling in — just passing through. But even in a moment that looked ordinary… Jesus was about to change somebody’s life.

v. 2

Look at verse 2:

Luke 19:2 CSB

2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

This one sentence tells us a lot. Notice here what this says about Zacchaeus… he wasn’t just a tax collector… he was the chief tax collector. He was the big dog — the supervisor of all the other tax collectors. He had power. He had money. He had influence. But he didn’t have respect. What you’ve got to understand about this point in history is that there was basically nobody the Jews hated more than a tax collector.

That’s for two reasons, really:

The first is that they were crooked people. They were swindlers. They stole from people and kept a lot of money for themselves — so they were basically Biblical examples of embezzlers. And this guy was the chief of all of them!

And secondly — and maybe even more importantly — tax collectors were Jews who had turned on their own people. So not only were the Israelites oppressed by the Roman government — but they were being oppressed on behalf of the government by somebody who was one of them. He was a Biblical snitch! Nobody likes a snitch — ‘cause snitches get stitches, right? (Sorry — I spent too much time in inner-city ministry.)

So Zacchaeus had wealth — but no community. He had comfort — but no peace.

v. 3

And yet — something stirred in Him. Here’s Zacchaeus — probably the most hated man in town — and he’s trying to get a good look at Jesus. Listen:

Luke 19:3 CSB

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

…Can you imagine the only thing anybody ever remembers you for is being short?

But Luke includes this detail — not so we can laugh at him — but so we can understand his desperation.

v. 4

And in his desperation — he does something unexpected. Look at verse 4:

Luke 19:4 CSB

4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.

Zaccheus runs.

A grown man. A wealthy man. A proud man. He’s running the streets and climbing a tree. Why?

“WHEN SOMEBODY REALLY WANTS” GRAPHIC

Because when somebody really wants to see Jesus — pride takes a back seat.

And notice here — Luke doesn’t just say “a tree”. He tells us Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree.

SHOW SYCAMORE TREE PICTURE HERE

You see — a sycamore tree can grow up to 30 or 40 feet tall. But it has these low — spreading branches that even a short person can climb — and those branches are strong enough to support a grown man’s weight.

And here’s the beautiful part: long before Zaccheus ever wanted to see Jesus — God had already planted that tree. Before Zacchaeus even knew he needed help — God had already provided a way. That tree wasn’t an accident. It was preparation. God had been working behind the scenes long before Zacchaeus ever showed up.

And just like Zacchaeus — God will provide what you need on your journey as well. Maybe you’ve been nervous about approaching your “One”. Maybe you’re not sure what to say. Or you’re not sure how to go about it. Maybe you’re just looking for an “in” with them. But this story of Zacchaeus shows us — that God will provide what you need on your journey as well. He’s already prepared the way for you. He’s gone before you to pave the way — to make the crooked paths straight — so that you can experience His presence — so that you can see Him — and so that you can help others Find and Follow Jesus.

v. 5

And then Jesus arrives. Verse 5:

Luke 19:5 CSB

5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”

Jesus stops. And out of the entire crowd, He looks up. And He calls Zacchaeus by name.

Not, “Hey, sinner.”

Or, “Hey, tax collector.”

But Zacchaeus. Jesus didn’t just notice Him… He KNEW him.

I mean, how would you react in this situation? You’re just trying to get a look at Jesus — at this point you’re not thinking about the tree you just climbed or how God has made a way for you — you’re just trying to see what everybody else is seeing.

And then suddenly Jesus says, “Hey buddy, let’s go. I need a place to stay.” Like… the Messiah is asking to crash at your place. What if you haven’t cleaned the house yet!?

v. 6

But that’s not a concern of His. And Zacchaeus responds immediately. Look at verse 6:

Luke 19:6 CSB

6 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully.

Not reluctantly.

Not cautiously.

Joyfully.

“WHEN GRACE MEETS A SEARCHING HEART” GRAPHIC

Because when grace meets a searching heart — joy always follows.

But see — Zacchaeus’ stance in the community isn’t lost on him — he knows exactly how people feel about him. And he realizes that he is hated — and that he is considered a sinner. And yet — He still welcomes Jesus joyfully. He recognizes that Jesus is the only person who can save him from His sin.

v. 7

But the people around him aren’t so thrilled. Listen:

Luke 19:7 CSB

7 All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”

This is totally outrageous to the people of Jericho. Zacchaeus is a sell-out. He’s mistreated and stolen from his own people. What do you mean the Messiah is going to stay with him?

See — the crowd only sees Zacchaeus’ reputation. But Jesus sees his heart.

The crowd labels him — while Jesus loves him.

And that’s still how Jesus works.

He doesn’t define people by their worst moments. He sees who they can become through grace.

And in this moment — something powerful happens. Zacchaeus doesn’t just feel forgiven. He changes.

v. 8

The crowd is still talking about him — but look at Zacchaeus’ response. Verse 8:

Luke 19:8 CSB

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.”

This is huge. Don’t miss this. These are the words of a man who has been changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ.

See — at this time in history — it was considered extremely generous to even give one-fifth of what you owned to the poor. A half was just unheard of.

And under Levitical law — which is the law these people followed — the repayment for extortion was 20 percent above whatever had been taken. Zacchaeus goes well beyond that — giving four times as much.

This isn’t guilt talking. It’s gratitude. Zacchaeus isn’t trying to earn salvation — he’s responding to it. He’s living out what a Gospel-changed life is supposed to look like. He experiences Jesus’ love — and then immediately turns to show that same love to his community. His changed character becomes his calling. He remains in the same community — but he interacts entirely different with it — and he becomes a humble worker for Jesus.

Grace always produces change. Not perfect — but direction.

v. 9-10

And Jesus affirms it. Look at Verses 9 and 10:

Luke 19:9–10 CSB

9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

A “son of Abraham” in this context means somebody who places their faith in Jesus Christ. For Jesus has come to seek and save the lost. He didn’t come for the popular. He came for the overlooked. The broken. He didn’t come for the crowd. He came for the one.

Jesus passed through this crowd of people in Jericho for one specific purpose: to seek out the worst of the worst — the chief of all the tax collectors — and to save him. To totally — and radically — transform his life.

And here’s what I think is so cool about this interaction. There is no record of Zacchaeus changing his job after he met Jesus. It’s likely he stayed in his position of a tax collector — but he did it as somebody who had been transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ. This influence — this change in lifestyle — would have caused ripple effects for years in his community.

And by focusing on our “one” — we have the opportunity to cause those ripple effects too!

Have you ever thought about your life like that? Think about these ponds we have on our campus here. And what happens if you throw a rock in it? I mean, a snapping turtle might come at you — but otherwise — it creates a ripple, right?

At the risk of sounding really cheesy — our lives are a lot like that pond. Have you ever considered the ripple effect of your thoughts — and attitudes — and actions? You might even be a “rock” turning these ripples into big waves.

That is the impact we can have — just by a simple gesture — of praying for and having a conversation with our one.

You

This is where it becomes personal… because Zacchaeus isn’t just a character in a Bible story. He was a real person. And he also represents real people in our lives today.

People who feel overlooked.

People who carry a reputation.

People who wonder if God would ever stop for them.

And the beautiful truth of this passage is so simple:

“JESUS SEES PEOPLE” GRAPHIC

Jesus sees people others overlook. He notices the ones the crowd ignores. He calls the ones others have written off. He moves toward the ones who feel unseen. And here’s the question we have to ask ourselves: Do we?

Do we slow down long enough to see the people around us? Not just the roles they play — or the labels they carry — but the hearts they have. Because the people in your life aren’t random. They are there on purpose. Your co-workers. Your neighbors. Your family members. Your friends. God has placed people in your story for a reason.

And maybe your story doesn’t look like Zacchaeus. Maybe those people aren’t loud — maybe they aren’t obvious. Maybe they aren’t climbing trees.

But maybe they’re searching quietly.

Scrolling late at night — or asking questions in their own way. Wondering if Jesus would notice them.

And the way Jesus often notices people today — is through people like us.

Not through perfect speeches — or through pressure. But through presence. Through listening — and kindness — and genuine care.

Zacchaeus didn’t change because he was argued into it. He changed because he was seen. He changed because Jesus noticed him — called him by name — and stepped into his life with grace. And when people feel seen — their hearts open.

Notice how Zacchaeus was identified at the beginning of this passage. Verse 2 says:

Luke 19:2 CSB

2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

He was identified by his profession — but ultimately by his sin. This is how he was known. Zacchaeus — the chief tax collector. The town thief. Maybe that’s how you’ve been known too:

the cheater

the liar

the loser.

…or maybe those are just words you’re using to unfairly describe yourself.

But at the end of this encounter with Jesus — look how Zacchaeus is identified. Verse 9:

Luke 19:9 CSB

9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham.

A son of Abraham. A child of God. Jesus changes those things within us — and He doesn’t call us by our sin. He calls us His child. And because of that — he gives us the ability to come alongside others — to love them — to pray for them and care for them — and point them to Christ.

So let me ask you today — it’s the same question we’ve been asking these last several weeks — Who’s Your One?

Who’s that person that God keeps bringing to your mind? The name that surfaces when you pray? The face you can’t quite forget?

If you’ve already identified your one — may I ask — how are you praying for them? How are you reaching out to them? How are you making them feel seen? Because when people feel seen — they begin to believe that maybe God sees them too.

We

Church — we are a people shaped by grace.

We don’t just gather to sing songs on a Sunday. We don’t just show up for services. We gather to be formed into people who notice — who care — who love — and who reach. Not because we’re perfect — but because Jesus has changed us. And when Jesus changes a heart — He also changes how we see the world.

Suddenly — people aren’t interruptions — they’re opportunities. Conversations aren’t distractions — they’re doorways. And names aren’t just names — they’re stories waiting to be heard.

The same Jesus who stopped for Zacchaeus is still stopping today — and He often does it through people like us.

May we be a place where people feel seen — and known — and loved. And may the way we love others point them toward the Savior who saw us first.

Because when Jesus sees the one — everything changes. And when we learn to see people the way He does — He still changes lives.

Praise be to God.

Prayer

Communion