Luke 19:1-10 - Jesus and Zaccheus

Introduction

[READING - Luke 19:1-10]

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.”

[PRAYER]

[CONTEXT] As Jesus approached Jericho, he moved ever closer to Jerusalem—ever closer to the cross.

He encountered Bartimaeus, a blind man, who was healed and began following Jesus and praising God. Many others joined Bartimaeus in praising God as Jesus made his way through the streets of Jericho.

This, coupled with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead not many days prior, meant that it was standing room only for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of Jesus.

And that’s not good if you’re a short man.

[CIT] In this passage, Zaccheus-small-in-stature climbed a tree to see who Jesus was as He passed by.

I don’t think he could’ve imagined that Jesus would call him down, enter his home, and save his soul—but that’s precisely what happened.

[PROP/INTER] In this passage, Jesus passes by us this morning. Will we see HIm? Will we respond to Him? Will we be saved by Him?

[TS] Notice vv. 2-3…

Major Ideas

#1: Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was...

Luke 19:2–3 NASB95

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.

[EXP] Zaccheus was not just rich but very rich, and yet he was searching. Beyond saying that he was searching for Jesus, we can’t say specifically what he was searching for. Perhaps he was looking for forgiveness or meaning or satisfaction. Indeed, he should’ve been looking for all those things, but whatever he was searching for, he seems convinced that he could find it in Jesus.

But think about how odd it is from a worldly perspective that Zaccheus is searching for anything.

He has it all. Wealth. Power. Respect. Yes, some people hated him because he was a chief tax collector but no one is loved by everyone.

Besides, when he was down about people disliking him, he could always comfort himself with his great riches.

And isnt’ that the point of life?

To be rich?

To be powerful?

To be respected or feared?

[APP] There are lots of people who believe that is the point of life. They do all that they can to get rich or get famous or get power, and once they have those things they do all they can to hold onto those things.

Now some of those people never sense the disatisfaction that Zaccheus apparently sensed.

In their case, they are blind and numb to their need for Jesus.

But some people sense the disatisifaction and also sense that eternity looms ahead and so they come to Jesus asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

But if Jesus tells them something they don’t want to hear, then they will leave Him and go ask someone else—and they will keep doing that until they get an answer they like.

[ILLUS - The Rich Young Ruler]

Take for example, the rich young ruler a little earlier in Luke. He sought Jesus just as Zaccheus did. He asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” but when Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him, the rich young ruler went away sad because he was unwilling to give up his great possessions. Now, we are not told, but what do you think happened next with the rich young ruler? His longing for eternal life was probably still there. What do you think he did with the longing? Well, he probably convinced himself that he had found it in someone else besdies Jesus.

Maybe he asked another rabbie or maybe he convinced himself that he already had eternal life or that he could gain it by being a little more charitble with his great wealth.

But, if so, he was gravely mistaken. There is salvation in no one else except Jesus.

Zaccheus is different.

He is different from those blind to their need for Jesus.

He knows that he needs Jesus.

And Zaccheus is different from those who seek out Jesus but then leave off Jesus when He demands from them something they don’t want to hear.

Zaccheus sought Jesus because—although he was rich, powerful, and feared—he sensed that none of that mattered in light of eternity. He sought Jesus because those things couldn’t satisfy. Those things couldn’t get him forgiveness from God. Those things wouldn’t (and still don’t) lead to eternal life.

Do you know this morning that Jesus is your way—your only way—to forgiveness from God?

Do you know that only Jesus satisfies for all eternity?

Do you know that Jesus is the only way to eternal life?

[TS] Notice vv. 5-9...

#2: “Zaccheus, hurry and come down....”

Luke 19:5–9 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.” 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.

[EXP] Zaccheus went from hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus to having Jesus as a guest in his house. It’s the only time in the Bible that Jesus ever invited Himself to someone’s home—and I wonder what Zaccheus thought when he saw Jesus stop under the sycamore branch, look up, and say, “Zaccheus… I must stay at your home.”

Do you think when Zaccheus heard Jesus say his name, he was excited, like the song goes, “He knows my name; He knows my every thought; He see each tear that falls; And He hears my when I call!”

Or do you think there was a bit of anxiety that entered Zaccheus’s ears as he heard his name come out of Jesus’s mouth? “Oh no! He knows my name! Oh no! He knows my every thought!”

[ILLUS] ‘Can you send Rocky to the principal’s office?’

It only happened a few times in school but I remember the principal coming over the intercom, saying, “Mr. Lee, I need to see Rocky in the principal’s office.” The anxiety would grip me. What did I do? How did they find out? How much does it take to bribe a principal?

Maybe Zaccheus felt anxiety or maybe he rejoiced that Jesus knew his name.

Either way, this was a divine appointment for, as Jesus said, He must stay at Zaccheus’s house.

[APP] I believe that every time that God brings you into this church it is a divine appointment with Jesus. I hope that you hear Him call your name when you are in this place.

But how will you respond to this divine appointment with Jesus?

Maybe you’ve been the bystanders watching Jesus pass by Sunday after Sunday, but maybe today you hear Him call your name.

Will you respond to His call?

Will you hurry and come down?

Will you take Him into your home?

Will you take Him into your life?

Will you take Him into your heart?

Sometimes we hear that asking Jesus into our hearts is the wrong sort of language to use.

Rather we should say that we are believing in, trusting in, and following Jesus. But we won’t believe in, trust in, and follow Jesus to the end unless we believe in, trust in, and follow Jesus with our hearts.

Romans 10:9-10 says...

Romans 10:9–10 NASB95

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

I think Jesus calls your name this morning.

I think this is a divine appointment for you and for me.

How will we respond?

Let’s take Jesus into every part of our lives!

And let’s begin by taking Him into our hearts!

If we do, repentance will result.

Zaccheus is not saved because of his repentance, but he does prove his salvation by his repentance.

As a chief tax collector, Zaccheus had very likely gotten rich by collecting more money from people than he was supposed to on behalf of Rome.

Recognizing that salvation had walked into his life in Jesus, Zaccheus repented, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anyting, I will give back four times as much,” (v. 8).

If money had been gained by fraud, God’s Law only required that the sinner to fully repay what was sinfully gained plus one-fifth (Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:6-7).

Zaccheus likely made some people poor through his excessive tax collecting, so by giving the poor half of his possessions, he was doing more than what God’s Law required.

God’s Law demanded a four-fold like Zaccheus mentions at the end of v. 8 when someone stole an animal and it was killed (Ex. 22:1). (If someone stole an animal and it was later found alive, only a two-fold repayment was demanded. Ex. 22:4).

So Zaccheus judges his defrauding more severely, and once again is willing to do more in reprentance than the Law demands.

Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too, is a son of Abraham,” (v. 9).

A son of Abraham is not just a descendent of Abraham.

A son of Abraham is one who believes God as Abraham did.

A son of Abraham is one who is counted righteous because of his belief just as Abraham was counted righteous because of his belief.

All the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled in Jesus, and all the sons and daughters of Abraham believe what God has said concerning Jesus and God counts that belief to them as righteousness.

If you’re saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus, you’ll repent of your sins.

And if you repent of your sins, you have been counted righteous.

[TS] Let’s back track a moment, notice v. 7…

#3: They all began to grumble...

Luke 19:7 NASB95

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.”

[EXP] Two things were working against the salvation of Zaccheus: (1) public opinion and (2) love of money.

He wasn’t just rich but very rich and had gotten very rich by taking advantage of others.

These others perhaps lined the streets of Jericho to see Jesus but were unwilling to provide a little room so that Zaccheus could see Jesus too.

They hated him—but Zaccheus didn’t let pubic opinion or his own opinion of himself stop him from seeing Jesus.

[APP] Don’t let anything keep you from seeing Jesus. He is passing your way this morning in these Scriptures.

Don’t let what people think about you keep you from seeing Jesus.

They may think those things for good reason or for no reason, but don’t let whatever they think make you think that Jesus doesn’t think much of you.

He went to the cross for you.

He thinks you’re worth dying for.

And please don’t let whatever you think about yourself keep you from seeing Jesus.

Zaccheus was likely convicted about taking advantage of so many people as a chief tax collector but rather than thinking, “Jesus wouldn’t want to see me,” he thought, “I need to see Jesus.”

I think as Zaccheus climbed up the tree to see Jesus, he had already decided that he would lay down every sin for him.

While it is true that you cannot come to Jesus and keep your sin, it is also true that there is no sin that can keep you from Jesus if He calls to you.

He calls to you this morning!

Do not let anything hold you back!

[TS] And finally this morning, notice v. 10…

Conclusion

#4: To seek and to save that which was lost...

Luke 19:10 NASB95

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

[EXP] This is why Jesus was born. This is why Jesus lived. This is why Jesus died. This is why He rose. To seek and to save that which was lost.

He seeks you this morning if you are lost.

He seeks your heart, your home—every part of your life.

He seeks your repentance.

He seeks your devotion to Him.

Will you give it to Him?