A New Mindset week 3

Jesus is Looking for You

This morning I want to return to the thought process of a new mindset.

It has been a couple of weeks since we talked about a new mindset.

In the series, we have talked about how our thinking effects our attitude, if we have a negative thought process we will have a negative attitude.

Then we looked at how we need to have the mind of Christ, our thoughts should reflect Jesus.

This morning we are going to look at our thought process when it comes to finding Jesus.

No matter who you are or where you have been, Jesus is actively seeking you and inviting you into a life-changing relationship.

This morning we are going to look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19.

Most of us have probably heard the story of Zacchaeus multiple times, and we may even think of the song that we sang as children of the wee little man.

Most people think they are the ones searching for God.

But in the story of Zacchaeus, the real truth is that Jesus is the one doing the searching.

The story of Zacchaeus is the story of a man who thought he was just curious about Jesus—but discovered that Jesus had already been looking for him.

Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, but Jesus stopped under that tree because He came to find Zacchaeus.

This passage reveals three truths about how Jesus seeks people.

Luke 19:1–10 NASB95

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pray

1. Jesus Sees You

In the first five verses of our text we see that Zacchaeus had several strikes against him:

He was a chief tax collector, he was wealthy from dishonest gain, he was hated by the community because of the first two, and he was spiritually lost.

If you grew up in church, you may remember the song about Zacchaeus.

The song begins with Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he.

Jesus comes into Jericho, and Zacchaeus has heard stories of Jesus, and wants to see Him.

But Zacchaeus being a wee little man, was not able to see over the crowd.

Being disliked by the community, no one would be willing to allow Zacchaeus to get in front of them.

Zacchaeus decides for him to see Jesus he would have to climb a tree.

Something incredible happened, Zacchaeus is up in the tree, not expecting to be seen by Jesus, but just to get a view of Jesus.

Jesus stops, looks up into the tree, and calls Zacchaeus by name.

Here is this man that everyone is talking about, He has been performing miracles and teaching powerful lessons.

We might even say that Jesus was famous, but Zacchaeus felt like a no body.

Jesus calls out, Zacchaeus come down immediately.

Jesus saw someone (Zacchaeus) that everyone else overlooked.

In those days, tax collectors were considered traitors because they worked for Rome and often extorted money from their own people.

Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector—he was the chief tax collector, meaning he oversaw others.

Yet Jesus stopped for him.

A teacher once noticed a quiet boy sitting alone every day at lunch.

While everyone else ignored him, she intentionally sat with him and asked about his life.

Years later he said, “That was the day I realized someone actually saw me.”

Many people feel invisible:

The single parent trying to survive, the man carrying hidden guilt, or the teenager who feels like an outsider.

But Jesus sees what others overlook.

You may feel unseen, but Jesus knows you by name.

2. Jesus is Calling You

Luke 19:5–7 NASB95

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Jesus did something shocking, that caught everyone’s attention.

Jesus said, Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house.

We see two things here::

First - Jesus called Zacchaeus personally.

Jesus did not say, hey you up there in that tree, He called him by name.

Second, Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus’ life.

In those days, sharing a meal meant acceptance and relationship.

The crowd immediately began to complain.

“He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Jesus was never afraid of messy people.

He even says in the last verse of our text that He came to seek and to save that which is lost.

For Jesus to seek and to save that which is lost, He must seek out the lost, and then He must spend time with them.

A rescue worker searching for survivors after a disaster will call out names into the rubble.

They are not shouting randomly—they are looking for someone specific.

Jesus does the same thing spiritually.

He calls people out of hiding, shame, and brokenness.

Jesus may be calling someone today:

Someone out of addiction, out of bitterness, our of spiritual curiosity into real faith.

When Jesus calls, the only right response is the one Zacchaeus gave: Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly.

3. Jesus Wants to Save You

Luke 19:8–10 NASB95

8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

When Jesus entered Zacchaeus’ house, something radical happened.

Zacchaeus stood and declared:

Half of my possessions I give to the poor; If I have cheated anyone, I will repay four times the amount.

This was more than just generosity - it was repentance.

True salvation always produces transformation.

Jesus then declared: Today salvation has come to this house; For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Under the Old Testament law, which they still were at this point, repayment for theft was often double.

Zacchaeus offered fourfold restitution, which showed genuine repentance and a changed heart.

Grace had reached him, and his life would never be the same.

Imagine a man who has been living in darkness for years.

One day someone throws open the curtains and sunlight floods the room.

Everything changes instantly.

That is what salvation does.

When Jesus enters a life:

Priorities change, hearts soften, generosity grows, and relationships are restored.

Salvation is not just believing facts about Jesus.

It is welcoming Him into your life and allowing Him to transform you.

In closing, this story answers one of the most important questions in the Bible:

Why did Jesus come?

Luke 19:10 NASB95

10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

That means:

Jesus seeks the curious, the guilty, the outsider, and the broken.

Just like Zacchaeus, someone may feel like they are hiding in a tree today - watching from a distance.

But the truth is:

Jesus has already stopped beneath your tree, and He is calling your name.

The question then is not “is Jesus looking for you?”

The real question is:

Will you come down from your tree and welcome him today?

Will you welcome Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior?