Sunday Sermon | Why He Came: To Seek and Save the Lost

We trace the story of Zacchaeus to show how Christmas is a rescue mission and how grace pursues people we often ignore. We compare the rich ruler, the blind beggar, and a despised tax chief to reveal how saving faith produces joyful repentance and generous restitution.

• Why Zacchaeus sits beside the rich ruler and blind beggar in Luke
• How Jericho’s wealth and tax system bred exploitation and isolation
• Jesus calling Zacchaeus by name and inviting himself in
• Crowd grievance versus Christlike compassion
• Repentance shown through generosity and restitution
• Salvation declared as the purpose of the Son of Man
• Christmas framed as God’s active pursuit of the lost
• Practical steps to seek the lost and embrace divine interruptions

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Transcript

Welcome And Reading Luke 19

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Well, good morning, church family. If you're a guest with us this morning, we are really grateful that you are here. And uh let me welcome you and just say what a pleasure that it is for you to join us. Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 19. Luke chapter 19 as we continue our walk through our Christmas sermon series, where we are looking at text that specifically detail for us why Jesus came. Why he came. If you do not have a Bible, there is a Bible in the PureC in front of you. You can take that as a gift from us to you. You can keep that. We would love for you to keep a copy of God's word. That's why we place them there and we restock them so that you can have that.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a real man was he. We wound up in a sycamore tree for the Lord we wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, we looked up in the tree. And he said, Zacchaeus, you come down, for a close deer house today, for a close deer house today.

Why Zacchaeus Matters In Luke

Jericho, Taxes, And Outcasts

Zacchaeus Seeks A Glimpse

Jesus Calls Him By Name

Crowd Grumbles, Heart Changes

Radical Repentance And Generosity

Salvation Declared And Mission Stated

Four Applications For Us

Christmas As Rescue Mission

Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_00 1:19

All right, you're gonna be whistling that song all day, and let me just say you're welcome. Okay. Now most of us have excuse me, most of us have categorized this story as a child's story. And you remember the coloring pages from Sunday school class. But it is in fact one of the most important stories in Luke's gospel. It is the last personal encounter that Jesus has right before he goes into Jerusalem in his triumphal entry. That account is actually a shocking surprise and unveils, at the end of that account, Jesus unveils the purpose for his coming, demanding that we tie his birth, that we tie the major scene here to this account. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. So listen as I read Luke chapter 19, 1 through 10. He, that's Jesus, entered Jericho and was just passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. Zacchaeus was trying to see Jes uh who Jesus was, and he was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 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. Now, when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and he said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry, come down, for today I must stay at your house. And he hurried and he came down and received him gladly or with joy. When they saw it, that's the crowd, they all began to grumble, saying, He has gone to the to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. Zacchaeus 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. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, as we open your word, as we press into this Christmas season and all the busyness and all the fun and all the family celebrations and all the traditions. Father, allow us to see with clarity the reason for Jesus' coming. Allow that to penetrate our hearts. Everyone under the sound of my voice today, that they would know that King Jesus, you came to seek, that means to draw near and to save the lost. And Father, give us a passion, give us a heartbeat that is in line with yours, and allow us to walk that out with a passion and a fervor all of our days. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. All right, there are three characters in the Gospel of Luke that he has stacked right here, side by side, that Luke wishes you to compare. So just outside of Jericho, a confident ruler approaches Jesus in the midst of the crowd. Okay? He pushes through the crowd, he approaches Jesus, he's confident. Now the disciples know that he is rich and he is influential. The disciples just prior to this had blocked children from coming to Jesus. They let this guy through and they're starting to lick their chops for all the influence that he can bring to the gang, right? This is a good candidate. He is assertive. He is sure of his own righteous standing before God. But when Jesus exposes his sin of covetedness, his love of wealth suddenly has made salvation impossible for him. The account shockingly ends with this rich ruler rejecting Jesus. You see, he is blinded by his own wealth. Next, Jesus hears the desperate cry of a penniless, blind beggar just outside on the road to Jericho. He is fully aware of his need, both physically and spiritually. And he's willing to shout above the crowd that is telling him to be quiet. Jesus, son of David, have mercy upon me. And Jesus, full of compassion, restores his physical sight, now matching his spiritual sight. And the third encounter that Luke stacks together is Zacchaeus in the center of Jericho. Verse 19:1 says that Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. You see, Jesus is marching towards Jerusalem, and his triumphal entry is on the horizon. He is simply passing through Jericho. But as we will see, Jesus is always open to divine interruptions. You know the people in your life that God places that alter or slow down your plans? Do you recognize when God gives you divine interruptions? Verse 2, and there was a man called by the name Zacchaeus. And he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. Now, ancient Jericho was a renowned retreat city for the rich. Enormous palaces with swimming pools and gardens and bathhouses and even a theater there in Jericho. In your mind, I want you to think Palm Beach, Florida. Now, additionally, Jericho was only one of only three cities in Israel that collected taxes. Okay? So where there's lots of money, you should collect taxes there. And Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Now what this means is he's one of the very few that's at the top, a kingpin, if you will, that takes a collection from all the other tax collectors underneath him. He takes his cut. Now this gave him immense power over the average, ordinary person. And it also meant that his social circle was with the major powerful influences in Israel and Rome. Now, as a general rule, no one likes to pay taxes. Can I get an amen with that? I figured that would be resounding. Now, Jews really don't like to pay taxes to Rome. Right? Because this is their God-given land. And Rome is ruling over them. Now, furthermore, you have to understand the system was that Rome required a certain tax, but then the tax collector themselves got to add on a portion that was their salary. Okay? But they could each add on however much they wished, and on up the line. So obviously, the system is ripe for abuse. So all of this adds up to an extreme dislike for tax collectors. Imagine you're a farmer that's just barely scraping by. And here is this no-good traitor and thief who's lounging by the swimming pool and eating, you know, imported foods. Tax collectors were considered in the same class with murderers and gamblers and prostitutes. If a tax collector came into your home, your home was suddenly considered unclean. So the phrase that we actually read all throughout the New Testament is sinners and tax collectors. And now here is Zacchaeus, the kingpin of the Jericho tax cartel, and one of the most hated men in all of the city. Now, for our reader, as you're going through the Gospel of Luke, you realize that Zacchaeus is now suddenly the most unlikely candidate for the kingdom of God. Because the gospel demands that you loosen your grip on money, that you change the way you see your finances, that to come to God, you have to realize that God's in control of my finances. Recall the rich young ruler just outside of Jericho. He was rich, but he was known as a pretty good guy all around. And in one swift move, Jesus exposed that the true love of his heart was his money. So it doesn't give the reader a whole lot of hope for Zacchaeus. Verse 3. Zacchaeus was trying to see who Jesus was. But he was unable because of the crowd, and he was small in stature. Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming. He heard the commotion. He looks up from his desk. He hears people shouting, hey, Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming. Now Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus before from his other tax collecting friends. They couldn't believe it. You know this Jesus, this Messiah that all of Israel is talking about, he actually sits and will have a meal with tax collectors. Matthew is one of his closest disciples. In fact, when you read Luke's account of Matthew's conversion and Luke chapter 5, it says that after Matthew got converted, Matthew threw Jesus a party and invited all of his tax collector friends. So here's this massive party. And the Pharisees hear about it and they begin to grumble. Why is it that he would even go to a party full of sinners and tax collectors? To which Jesus replies, he says, It is not those who are well who need a physician, but the sick. So hearing about Jesus from all the other tax collectors, Zacchaeus's heart has been stirred. Could God really accept someone like me? As you picture Zacchaeus in your mind, I want you to look past the hardened outer shell, that little man Bavrado, and the defensive remarks that always say, I don't care what everyone else thinks of me. Truth be told, I've met a lot of miserable rich people in my life. I could illustrate athlete after athlete, celebrity after celebrity, who's who after who's who of people who are insecure, depressed, helplessly addicted, and in the end deeply unsatisfied with life. Trapped in the prison of this is all this world has to offer. You see, sin is almost always fun at the start, isn't it? But it leads to death, it leads you away from God. It destroys your soul. So when we get to the end of Zacchaeus's account, he knows he's a sinner. Everyone knows he's a sinner. He's nothing like the rich young ruler. No, no, no. He would never dare enter the temple or the synagogue. He knows he's on the outside looking in. Zacchaeus longs for a way out. And suddenly he hears that Jesus is coming. And in hope, he says, I'd just like to see him. But like the blind beggar, he can't see because of the crowd. So Zacchaeus runs ahead of the crowd and like a kid climbs up into a tree. And he's hiding there. This position is incredibly embarrassing for a man of his position. And so he hides. He's not going to cry out in the crowd. He's not going to push through the crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. No, he's going to sit in that tree. He's going to let the scene pass him by, and he's going to get a glance of Jesus. That's as far as he's thought. After that, everything will just go back to the way that it was. I mean, I'm too far gone for someone like Jesus. Look at verse five. Jesus veers to Zacchaeus' side of the street. He gets closer and closer. And as he does, Zacchaeus's heart begins to pound. And then Jesus stops right underneath and looks up at him. Zacchaeus is frozen in fear. He's no longer hidden. Suddenly, everyone is staring at him. Is he going to be exposed? Is Jesus going to give him the most unbearable public rebuke? No, it's with kindness and even a little bit of laughter that Jesus says, Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down. For I must stay at your house today. Now, this probably doesn't uh register with our Western ears. You and I would find it rude if we invited ourselves over for lunch, right? If I came up to you after church and said, Hey, I'm coming to your house, you'd be like, wait a second. But everyone in Jericho was hoping that Jesus would be their guest today. Everyone was. Imagine you go to a parade for the president of the United States, and as the motorcade is going along, it stops, and the president looks at you and says, I'm coming to your house for lunch. Think about the honor. You selected me. You see, Jesus' tender and even playful invitation diffuses every fear that's in Zacchaeus. How did he know my name? And out of all of these people, why would he choose me to befriend, to be associated with me? The scripture says that Zacchaeus is overflowing with joy. The crowd, however, has the opposite response. It says they grumble. Out of all of us, out of all of us here. He chose him to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. As you read the account, Bible scholars debate on whether the scene has shifted to uh they go to Zacchaeus's house and have a meal. Because if you look at verse 7, it begins to use the past tense. So maybe time has elapsed and more engagement, but it matters not because Luke wants to tie a very tight flow. Because the crowd questions, what Why would Jesus befriend the Al Capone of society? And by going to his house, isn't Jesus saying that I approve of your actions? Zacchaeus, on the other hand, his heart is radically changed. Jesus, in one act of kindness and acceptance, has melted Zacchaeus's heart. God sought me. He found me. He picked me out of the crowd. God wants to be my friend. And immediately Zacchaeus's hope turned to saving faith. Saving faith. And you see it worked out in Zacchaeus's life immediately in how he acts in outward repentance. But that is a sign of saving faith. Immediately, Zacchaeus turns to Jesus and says, I am giving half of my money to the poor. Just like that. I mean, in Jewish culture, if you gave 20%, you were considered generous, overwhelmingly generous. If you gave any more than that, that's just foolish. And then Zacchaeus says, listen, after half of my wealth, if I have defrauded anyone, I will repay it four times. Four times. Zacchaeus is putting his entire fortune on the line. He doesn't care. He cannot believe that the Son of God accepts him. And this generosity is a thank offering to God because God's changed his heart. In fact, it's quite the opposite reaction from the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus is actually living out the command that was given to the rich young ruler. He's actually walking through the eye of the needle. And the unlikeliest of all has joined the kingdom of God. Verse 9, Jesus says, Today salvation has come to this house. That which once was lost has been found. Zacchaeus has gone from death to life. Can you see the smile on his face? Have you ever been there? Do you remember the joy of your salvation when you first heard that Jesus loved you enough to die in your place? And now we have finally arrived at the pinnacle of the mountain. Because after Jesus declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus, look at verse 10. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. From the manger to this very scene, to offer salvation to all, even an outcast like Zacchaeus. Now this leads us to four quick points of application. Number one, the crowd completely misread the moment. They only saw Zacchaeus for his sins. They only saw him for everything that he had been up to that point. He doesn't deserve mercy. Well, none of us do. He's not a candidate for the kingdom of God. God can't, or shouldn't, or wouldn't want to redeem him. This attitude stems from two major flaws. The first is that you do not understand your own personal sin. Truth be told, you are self-righteous. You are not poor in spirit. You do not say, as John Bradford said, there go I, but for the grace of God. It's so easy to see Nineveh's sin, isn't it, Jonah? But how about your own? And number two, you underestimate the power of the gospel. Can God really change him? Brian Welsh was the lead singer for corn, the heavy metal band. They were famous. They had tons of money, sold out arenas. But behind the scenes, his life was collapsing. He was addicted to meth. He was empty, and he was on the verge of losing his daughter. Everything that the world sold him would fill him had left him completely empty. But in desperation, he cried out to Jesus. And he said he experienced real repentance, real forgiveness, and real change in his life. So much so that he walked away from millions. He left the band at the height of its success. And he chose sobriety, fatherhood, and obedience to Jesus. His story reminds us that Jesus is better than fame. And he's powerful enough to transform even the hardest hearts. Application number two: Zacchaeus surrendered his finances. Now, some of you are stuck spiritually because you hold too tightly to your wallet. Listen to Jesus. You cannot serve two masters. You're going to love one or love the other. You say, what does God expect of me? He expects a surrendered heart that is generous with the resources that God has given to you. And Zacchaeus is an amazing example of someone who has found Jesus better. Jesus is better. And now he is free to display the goodness of God through generosity. Application number three. Jesus came to seek the lost. This is the unexpected surprise, the punch of the story. That Zacchaeus wanted to just get a glimpse and see Jesus. But Jesus was actually seeking a personal encounter with Zacchaeus. Many years ago, uh there was a Sunday morning that at church I was a youth pastor, and an event occurred that had me greatly upset and really sad and caused us after church. The family would always go out to eat. My kids were very little. It's just Ian and Eli at this time. Ian's about three, Eli's two. But they're going out to eat for lunch afterwards, but I'm too upset with what's occurred, and I just go home. And I go home and I sit in a chair in my uh bedroom, and I have myself a good old pity party, okay, for at least an hour, whining and complaining about how ministry is difficult, life is unfair, things aren't working the way that I planned or hoped them to be. Well, about an hour of sitting there, the family comes home for lunch. I can hear the garage door from the other side of the house, and then I can hear the pitter-patter of little feet coming down the hall. Ian, my three-year-old, enters the room. Obviously, he knows I didn't go to lunch. Why? Because daddy's really upset. So he meets me at the door of. He walks in the bedroom and he looks at me and he says, Daddy, I love you. I say, I love you too, son. He says, No, say it louder. I said, I love you. No, say it louder, Daddy. I love you. Say it louder. And within about 30 seconds, we are shouting, I love you, back and forth. I love you. Now, what do you think that that did to my countenance? Everything suddenly vanished. Why? I did not expect to be pursued by my son. I did not expect for his love to come and pursue me and to find me where I was in my funk. Listen to me. Romans chapter 5 says, While you were the enemy of God, okay, while you were dead in your sins, while you were running away from God, you were fighting against him, not while you were seeking him, while you were far away from him. Jesus Christ came and he sought you and he died for you in your place. And this verse says, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Amen. So application number four. We must be seekers of the lost. You see, if we don't seek the lost, then the worship of our lives is inauthentic. It can't be any other way. Because you claim to love and to follow a Jesus that has just told you how much he loves to seek out the lost and to save them. Even someone like Zacchaeus. Who are you seeking? You say, I don't know anyone. Well, Jesus had a divine appointment that day. He was sensitive to divine interruptions and to God's leading. How about you? So as we close, don't miss this. Don't miss this point about Christmas. Because I know we all have beautiful trees that we've decorated that we've made just look amazing in our homes. But Jesus came to save Zacchaeus out of the tree. Luke 19, 10 tells why Christmas happened. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Christmas is that verse wrapped in swaddling cloths. The manger is not the end of the story, it's the beginning of a rescue mission. Zacchaeus thought he was looking for Jesus. Jesus was looking for him. And the same savior that stepped into Jericho, into Zacchaeus's world, so that no sinner would be out of reach. If Jesus would seek Zacchaeus, he seeks you. Think about what I just said. Jesus seeks you. And if he has sought you and found you, he now calls you to go seek the lost. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, there is no God like you. Who are we? Who am I? That you are mindful of me. And that you sought me, and that your spirit found me and opened my eyes to the truth of who you are. And every one of us in this room that calls you our Lord and Savior, you have done the same. You sought us and opened our eyes. Thank you, Jesus. That no matter how far your love was greater. You pursued us and you allowed us to see your grace. We thank you this morning. Help us to walk as you walked. Give us your heart. Change our hearts towards those who are far from you. Give us a love for people that is willing to sacrifice because we see the value in them and in their salvation. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.