Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10 is one of the greatest verses in the Bible concerning salvation. The story of Zacchaeus illustrates for us the power of this verse. He was lost and Jesus was going to save him, regardless of what other people thought of him. I am glad Jesus will save anybody who will call out to Him for salvation. I am also glad that He does not depend on other people’s opinion of what He does, who He saves, or how He forgives. He came into this world to save sinners (I Timothy 1:15), and if He will save Zacchaeus, He will save anybody. Notice with me, if you will, these five things about Zacchaeus…
- His Corruption – vs.2
He was a Jew who had made a career out of collecting taxes for the Roman government. He made himself rich by collecting more than was due and pocketing it. He was viewed as a traitor and a thief. - His Curiosity – vs.3a
He wanted to see Jesus and know Him. Do we live in such a way that others are curious about our salvation, and desire to know Jesus? - His Commitment – vs.3b-4
He had two obstacles in his way, the crowd and his stature. He was committed to overcome both. He knew the route Jesus would take, he ran ahead of the crowd despite their opinion of him (vs.7), and he climbed up a sycamore tree.
I find it interesting that those who were excited about Jesus and were following Him closely, were also blocking Zacchaeus and keeping him from Jesus. May we be conscious of this possibility and make sure that we do not keep anyone away from Jesus. - His Conversation – vs.5,8-10
A. With the Savior – vs.5
B. About his Soul – vs.10
C. About his Sin – vs.8
D. About his Salvation – vs.9 - His Conversion –vs.6,8-10
Zacchaeus came down to Jesus, received him, and had a change of heart and life. He truly is a living example of Luke 19:10. I am glad Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.
photo credit: Sharon Atkins
Bell Creek Baptist Church 