Luke 19:1-10

NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Built on the Truth of Scripture and Centered on the Gospel Message Chapter 19

19:1–10 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. The story of this “wealthy” (v. 2) tax collector shows how a rich man can be saved (cf. 18:24–26). In contrast to the rich man who refuses to give up his wealth to follow Jesus (18:18–25), Zacchaeus, like the tax collector in 18:9–14, confesses that he is a sinner and gives up some of his wealth in order to follow Jesus.

19:1–10 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. The story of this “wealthy” (v. 2) tax collector shows how a rich man can be saved (cf. 18:24–26).

In contrast to the rich man who refuses to give up his wealth to follow Jesus (18:18–25), Zacchaeus,

like the tax collector in 18:9–14, confesses that he is a sinner and

gives up some of his wealth in order to follow Jesus.

Like the accounts of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, the story of Zacchaeus should be frequently studied by Christians.

The Lord Jesus never changes. What he did for this man, he is able and willing to do for anyone else.

1. No one is too bad to be saved

We learn, first, from these verses that no one is too bad to be saved or beyond the power of Christ’s grace.

We are told about a wealthy tax collector becoming a disciple of Christ.

A more unlikely event we cannot imagine!

Read — 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

— 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

We see the camel passing through the eye of a needle and a rich man entering into God’s kingdom.

We have here proof that all things are possible with God.

We see a covetous tax collector transformed into a generous Christian (v8).

Who can God save? (Look up ; )

2. Our Lord’s compassion and power

We learn from these verses Christ’s free compassion toward sinners and his power to change hearts.

It is hard to imagine a more striking example of this than the story of Zacchaeus.

Unasked, our Lord stops and speaks to Zacchaeus; unasked, He offers Himself to be a guest in the house of a sinner;

unasked, he sends into the tax collector’s heart the renewing grace of the Spirit and places him that day with the children of God ().

It’s hard to speak too high of the grace of Christ...

We find in Him an infinite willingness to welcome sinners and

an infinite ability to save sinners.

If ever there was a soul sought and saved without having done anything to deserve it, that soul was the soul of Zacchaeus.

Grace, free grace, is the only thought which gives people rest in their dying hour.

3. Converted sinners will always bear fruit in conversion...

—Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

There was unmistakable proof that Zacchaeus was a new creature.

When a wealthy Christian begins to distribute his riches and

an extortioner begins to make restitution,

we may well believe that old things have passed away, and all things have become new ().

Freely pardoned, raised from death to life, Zacchaeus felt that he could not begin too soon to show whose he was and whom he served.

Let us turn from the whole passage with the last verse ringing in our ears: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (verse 10).

It is as a Savior more than as a Judge that Christ desires to be known.

Let us see that we know him as such; let us take heed that our souls are saved.

Once saved and converted, we shall say, “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?” ().

Once saved, we will not complain that self-denial,

like that of Zacchaeus,

is a burdensome requirement.

19:10 to seek and to save. This encapsulates the purpose of Jesus’ ministry and reaffirms his mission to “call … sinners to repentance” (5:32).

Not only is he able to save, but he also takes initiative

in seeking those who need to be saved

since he is both a powerful and merciful Savior.

Observe, (1.) The deplorable case of the sons of men: they were lost; and here the whole race of mankind is spoken of as one body.

Note, The whole world of mankind, by the fall, is become a lost world:

as a traveller is lost when he has missed his way in a wilderness,

as a sick man is lost when his disease is incurable, or

as a sick man is lost when his disease is incurable, or as a prisoner is lost when sentence is passed upon him.

as a prisoner is lost when sentence is passed upon him.

(2.) The gracious design of the Son of God: he came to seek and save, to seek in order to saving.

He came from heaven to earth (a long journey), to seek that which was lost (which had wandered and gone astray), and

to bring it back (, ; ), and

— For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit

to save that which was lost, which was perishing, and

in a manner destroyed and cut off.

Christ undertook the cause when it was given up for lost:

undertook to bring those to themselves

that were lost to God and all goodness.

Observe, Christ came into this lost world to seek and save it.

His design was to save, when there was not salvation in any other

— Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”