Jesus came

Introduction

This morning, we are looking at a familiar scene in the Bible. It is one that you learned about when a child if you grew up in church. There is even a children’s song that teaches about this event between Jesus and a rich man.

This encounter left the rich man changed forever. It was not like a previous encounter Jesus had with a rich man. In a previous encounter, Jesus met a very religious man who was rich. This religious man went to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him about the law, to which the man replied that he has kept the law.

Mark 10:21–22 NKJV

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

He was unwilling to follow Jesus, because that would require him to do what Jesus told him.

The encounter that we will look at today is very different in that this rich man was changed. He was gloriously saved by our Lord.

Would you turn to Luke 19 and stand with me as we read the first 10 verses?

Luke 19:1–10 NKJV

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 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.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pray

Zacchaeus was:

Zacchaeus was failing to live up to his name.

Zacchaeus meant “righteous one.” Yet, that is the last way those around him would perceive him. Zacchaeus was seen as a collaborator with a foreign, gentile government.

The people in Jericho resented him. While they may have treated him with respect out of obligation or fear, they did not like him at all.

In those days, the Roman government would tell the tax collectors what they needed, and the tax collectors could take more from the people as long as Rome received their portion of the taxes. He grew rich by taking more taxes than what was necessary.

He was cheating his fellow Israelites. He was very unrighteous in his dealings with other people.

Zacchaeus was kept from seeing Jesus.

The crowd around Jesus was too large for Zacchaeus to sift through so that he could see Jesus.

Now this crowd that had kept Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus was made up of different types of people.

Those that followed Jesus

The followers of Jesus were so consumed with being able to listen to Him that they failed to see that there were people outside of the crowd that needed to encounter Jesus. They may have written Zacchaeus off as not worthy of Jesus time, or may have considered him to be too great of a sinner for Jesus.

Whatever their motivation or inability to recognize that a man was needing to encounter Jesus, they were an obstruction.

Christian brother and sister, today, we need to ask ourselves if we at anytime have been an obstruction to someone knowing Jesus.

Those that did not follow Jesus

This group could have been made up of the religious people who did not recognize Jesus as Messiah. So, they had their part in keeping Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. This is the same group that would later criticize Jesus for being the guest of a sinner.

Someone who is lost will try to keep another lost person from Jesus. In fact, this whole world system is designed to keep people from Jesus.

When the crowds or things are keeping us form seeing Jesus, we must be like Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus was not about to let a crowd keep him from seeing Jesus. Notice something here in verse 4:

Luke 19:4 NKJV

4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

This rich, government official did two things that men of his position did not do. He ran and he climbed a tree. He lost his dignity to see Jesus. He came to a place in His life where he did not care what anyone thought. He ran on ahead of the crowd. He found a tree growing by the road and he climbed it. He found a way to get above the crowd and look at Jesus.

Zacchaeus was a man who had everything by today’s standards. He had wealth and power. Yet, he set his dignity aside for a chance to see Jesus.

Folks, that is exactly what we need to do today. Whether we have already been saved or if we are still lost, we must lay our dignity aside and run and climb to the place where we can see Jesus. We need to get to the place where we are so desperate for Jesus to work in our lives that we will lay aside our dignity and do whatever it takes to see HIM!

Jesus knew:

Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name!

Look at verse five with me.

Luke 19:5 NKJV

5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

I want you to understand something that is both obvious and profound. It even bears repeating: The one through whom everything was created knows your name.

Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name!

Jesus did not say, “Man, come down!” He did not say, “Sir, come down!” Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down!” Jesus is personal. He deals with us as individuals and calls us to salvation by name! Jesus knows our names. He knows your name and He knows my name!

Jesus knew what Zacchaeus had done.

Jesus knew who Zacchaeus was. He knew what Zacchaeus had done. In fact, Jesus knew the thing Zacchaeus had done in private as well as the tings he had done in public. Truth be known, the citizens of Jericho had no idea just how lost and undone Zacchaeus really was. Yet, the Lord Jesus knew and had just invited Himself to Zacchaeus home.

Jesus did not care what was in Zacchaeus’ past, because Jesus knew that He had the power to overcome the past. Jesus was concerned about Zacchaeus’ future. Jesus was also concerned about Zacchaeus’ present. Jesus was there to save him!

Many of you watching this may say, that Zacchaeus had nothing on the things you have done and that there is no way that Jesus can save you. Friend, I want you to know today that Jesus knows exactly what you have done and He wants to save you today. He wants to have a personal relationship with YOU. He wants to save you today!

Jesus knew what the people thought of Zacchaeus.

It was not too hard to figure out that the people hated the tax collector, yet Jesus was not bothered by that. How many of us church going folk will let someone’s reputation keep us from reaching out to that person. How many times have we failed to reach out to someone that is lost because we are afraid of what others would think?

Folks, we need to be like Jesus, unhindered by popular opinion and ready to share the good news with those that need it most!

Jesus knew where Zacchaeus was.

While we see Zacchaeus seeking to see Jesus, we see Jesus going to right where Zacchaeus was. Then we see Jesus going into the home of Zacchaeus. Jesus was very personal in his encounter with Zacchaeus.

He is very personal in the encounter that you are having with Jesus right now. Jesus meets you right where you are, but the wonderful thing about Jesus is that He loves you too much to leave you where you are. He comes to us personally to save us and then personally changes us and continually grows us to be like Him.

Jesus came:

Luke 19:10 NKJV

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

Maybe you are watching this or listening to it and you are thinking, could Jesus really save me. Can he really take all of this dissatisfaction that I have and make me fulfilled. He did that with Zacchaeus and he can do it for you right now. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He left the glories and comforts of heaven to seek and to save the lost. He went to the cross, suffered, and died to seek and to save the lost. Jesus rose from the dead three days later to seek and to save the lost.

His mission then was the same as His mission now: to seek and to save the lost.

Before I share with you how to be saved, I want you to notice one last thing:

Zacchaeus received:

Luke 19:6 NKJV

6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully. He encountered the only one that could make him whole. You may have been chasing after riches like Zacchaeus or you may have been chasing something else like a relationship, or a high, or a position, or authority, but you will never be satisfied until you joyfully receive Jesus. Jesus is the only one that can make us whole.

Zacchaeus’ joyful reception of Jesus led to a great change.

Luke 19:8 NKJV

8 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.”

We see that Zacchaeus was converted or saved because his actions followed up his faith. It was his faith in Jesus that saved him. His salvation brought about an obvious change in his life. Have you had that type of encounter with Jesus?

Decision

If not, you can right now. The Bible tells us that we must confess Jesus and believe in our heart.

Romans 10:9–10 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Would you like to make that confession? Do you believe today that God has raised Jesus from the dead? Then, bow your head where ever you are and pray this prayer with me:

Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. Today, I am turning away from my sin and turning to you. Please forgive me of my sins. I confess that I believe with all of my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead and I am asking Him to be Lord of my life. Thank you, Lord for saving me! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, I want you to send us a message through our facebook page or send us an e-mail to [e-mail]. You can also call or text me at 731-400-2423.

Bro. Joe is going to come lead us in a song at this time. This will be a good time for those of you who are saved to pray for the lost and especially for the ONE that you are praying for. Let us pray.

Pray