A LOST SINNER SOUGHT AND SAVED
Luke 19:1-10
Good News Christian Fellowship
BUCAS, Daraga Albay
March 11, 2007
Introduction
It is always of great rejoicing for our souls to read about the conversion of a sinner by God’s omnipotent grace. It is always encouraging knowing lost sinners have been found and got saved. It is especially profitable to read and study the stories of God’s converting grace given to us in the pages of Holy Scripture. We should read them often and study them with care, asking God the Holy Spirit to teach us the wonders of his grace.
In Luke 19:1-10, we read the story of Zacchaeus’ conversion by the Lord Jesus. Before approaching Jerusalem in His last trip to it, Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, where He was surrounded by "an innumerable multitude of people"
Now let’s read Luke 19:1-10
Let’s read the story together. Our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, never changes. What he did for Zacchaeus he still does for sinners today. The title of my message is — A LOST SINNER SOUGHT AND SAVED.
For us to get the whole picture of the story or its context let’s go back first to chapter 18:18-45.
In verses 18-25 we read about the rich young ruler who refused to bow to Christ. He thought that goodness was a man’s achievement. He place himself, rather than God, at the center of his life. As he walked away from the Master, we read in verses 24-26. — “And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God
.” Then, in verse 26, the disciples asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Then, our Savior said, in verse 27, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Beginning right there, he proceeds to demonstrate the fact that he is that God with whom alone salvation is possible. Only with God is entrance to the Kingdom possible for the rich or the poor (v.27). He and he alone is able to save unto the uttermost all who come to God by him, for he is himself God the Son, God who came to seek and to save that which was lost.
The disciples then began to question the benefits of doing good works (v.28). Jesus emphasizes that entrance into the kingdom was by the grace of God (vv.29-30)
In verse 30 he tells us that the salvation he brings is “in the world to come life everlasting.”
In verses 31-33 he tells us how this salvation, this life everlasting comes to our poor souls, by his death upon the cursed tree as the sinner’s Substitute.
In verses 35-43 he shows us that the sure result of his finished work of redemption is the salvation of sinners by omnipotent grace, giving sight and salvation to the blind man as he approached Jericho.
The spiritual lessons in this passage (Luke 19:1-10) are many. Let me direct your attention to just a few of them.
Christ Entered Jericho (v. 1)
Please be reminded brethren that our text for today is one of the records of events that is significant tuning point in Jesus’ ministry. Luke records events which took place in Samaria and gives extensive teaching on the journey before Jesus and His disciples arrived at destination. Most of the events are recorded by Luke alone (Luke 9:51-15;32)
Now, Christ passing through Jericho is not of an accident. It is not accepting out of chance. It is not out of second thoughts. But it is something of Jesus’ determination to entered Jericho to accomplish the will of God. We read in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work.”
Fulfilling God’s will—providing and proclaiming salvation (even to the Gentiles!)—was our Lord’s primary purpose and calling.
." The holy Jesus made it his business to go about doing good. As the sun in the firmament is continually spreading his benign, quickening, and cheering influences over the natural; so the Son of righteousness arose with healing under his wings, and was daily and hourly diffusing his gracious influences over the moral world” (George Whitefield)
The Man who was Rich (v.2)
“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief among the publican, and he was rich.”
The Publican was a Jews who collected taxes from fellow Jews for the Roman Empire. They made their living by charging an extra amount. Some of them made more than a living. . The difference between, what the publican collected and between what he was due to pay to the government, went to his private pocket. They were considered traitors who became wealthy by collaborating with Roman authorities at the expense of their own people.
The tax collector being rich is consider to be the outcast of the society. One can be an outcast without necessarily being poor economically.
The Publican was called the worst among the people. But this man, the worst among the sinners will be in the kingdom than the self-righteous Pharisees. Our text says that Christ save Zaccheaus
Verse 10 says, “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.”
To be lost according to the Bible is to separated from God.
To be spiritually lost, our hope is for someone to come and find you.
Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus (v.3-4)
Do you remember how the Lord told us not to despise the day of small things (Zech 4:10)? Well, that is the second thing I see in this story of Zacchaeus’ conversion. — Our great God uses even the smallest, most insignificant things to save his own elect. Great works often turn on small things. Let us despise none.
It was curiosity, nothing but curiosity, on his part that brought Zacchaeus to the place ordained of God from eternity to be the place where Christ would find him. His curiosity, and that alone, seems to have inspired him, a grown man, to scamper up a sycamore tree like a little boy (v. 4).
Zacchaeus was curious, but Christ had come to be gracious. It was Christ who was secretly working to accomplish his purpose of grace toward Zacchaeus. His curiosity was but a part of our Lord’s secret work by which he would perform his gracious work.
Let me show you.
A Gracious Call (v.5)
Now here’s the tax collector at the top of the tree want to see Jesus passing by. Here is a rich man made to pass through the needle’s eye into the kingdom of God.
Consider Jesus’ call, “Zaccheaus , make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” (v.5)
Notice brothers and sisters, it was the Lord Jesus who came to Zacchaeus, not Zacchaeus who came to the Savior. It was the Son of God who called “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down,” not Zacchaeus who called the Son of God. And when the Savior called him, Zacchaeus “made haste and came down.”
The call of Zacchaeus was a very gracious call. Jesus Christ calls him by name.
He was a citizen of a very wicked city, Jericho. . Zacchaeus was a publican.
He made his living by cheating other people. Everyone, even in the vile city of Jericho, said,
“This man is a terrible sinner.”
Christ is the friend of sinners. He came to save sinners. Grace knows no distinctions. Grace is no respecter of persons. God calls whom he will. He has mercy on whom he will. The calling of God the Holy Spirit is always a very gracious call.
John 10:1-3, “Truly, truly I say unto you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he call his own by name and leads them out.”
What a tremendous privilege. He knows by name.
The Irresistible Call (v.6)
“So he made haste and come down, and received him joyfully.”
Christ saved the lost Zaccheaus by his effectual call.
When the Lord Jesus Christ calls sinners to himself by the omnipotent, irresistible grace and power of God the Holy Spirit, those sinners whom he calls come to him and receive him joyfully.
Why did he accept Him without hesitating? Is it the Middle Eastern hospitality? Did he feel that something is much greater than the speech of a regular man, who is inviting himself — if such, could be said — to a stranger’s house?
He did so because God’s omnipotent, saving grace is irresistible. He who said, “Today I must abide at thy house,” must do so!
We read in John 6:63-65, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. This is why I told that no on can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
Zacchaeus’ conversion tells us that the grace of God that brings salvation is omnipotent and irresistible. None are too sinful, too base, too vile or too far gone for Christ to save. His arm is not short that he cannot save.
So, there’s the effectual call of Christ that demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. When you see the effectual call at work, you will see the sinners loving Jesus Christ. The sinners will see the beauty of Christ that is so IRRESISTIBLE, something which cannot be resisted.
When Christ comes into a man’s heart, he is not a visiting guest. He is a permanent resident of the house. He takes his rightful place as Master of the house.
In John 1:11-12 we read, “He came to his own, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
A remarkable Change (v.8)
Read verses 7 and 8, and you will see that grace wrought in a sinner makes a mighty change in the sinner who experiences it. What we have here, is the ultimate confession of a sinful past, and a courageous and sincere repentance. The man, after living in the riches of life, gives half of his money away. He did exactly what Jesus had said time after time, and he did exactly.
Here’s the soul that was deeply shaken, as a result of this trampling meeting between the Perfect Righteousness and the long-nesting sin.
Here’s the man who joyfully forsake his wealth and follow Christ. He humbly repented and turns to Christ for righteousness.
That is true faith – faith evidence by good works. You say you have faith; but how do you prove it?
Here’s Zaccheaus prove his faith in Christ. After living in the riches of life, gives half of his money away. What will remain for him do you think, from his fortune, at the end? Our text doesn’t tell us. But one thing for sure he found the true riches in Christ that he willingly forsake what he has and follow Christ.
This text teaches us that genuine conversion produces change in the lives of those who are saved. When genuine salvation comes to a man, his life radically changes.
God’s Sovereign Election (vv. 9-10)
Salvation comes to chosen sinners because the purpose of God according to election is sure.
Salvation came to Zacchaeus because Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham.
He may or may not have been a Jew outwardly. We are not told. Many of the publicans were Jews. Others were Gentiles. But this publican was a child of promise (Gal. 4:28), one of Christ’s, an heir of promise, because he was numbered among Abraham’s spiritual seed (Gal. 3:29). He was by nature a coarse, wicked man (Matt. 18:17). Like you and me, he was a sinner by birth, a sinner by nature, a sinner by choice, and a sinner by practice. But he was, like you and me, distinguished from all others in the crowd that day by God’s distinguishing grace and called because God had from the beginning chosen him to salvation.
Again, this also recalls Apostle Paul’s theology: "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."[Rom.4: 3].
"This day is salvation come to this house; forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham;" not so much by a natural as by a spiritual birth. He was made partaker of like precious faith with Abraham: like Abraham he believed on the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness: his faith, like Abraham’s, worked by love; and I doubt not, but he has been long since sitting in Abraham’s harbor. “ (George Whitefield)
What a beautiful picture of God Sovereignty in the salvation of man. All who come to Christ are drawn by Him (Romans 10:13, John 6:37).
Those who do seek will find that they have first been sought by Him, the One who came to seek and to save the lost.
CONCLUSION
How refreshing! How blessed! Jesus Christ declares, “I found him.” Once found the lost- the sinner- they are changed forever.
Zaccheaus goes from being rejected of all men to being accepted by God the Father.
Zaccheaus goes from hell bound sinner to heavenly bound saint.
Zaccheaus goes from a sinner to a sinner saved by grace.
When the love-calls of his Holy Spirit went forth, though, like Zacchaeus, we were lifted up with Pharisaical pride, self-righteousness, ambition, worldly pursuits, and the countless other vanities that had kept us from Christ; — down we came at the call of grace! Gladly, we took the Savior home to our house and to our heart, and received him joyfully.
Christ came to Jericho to seek and save Zaccheus. What is true of yesterday is also true for today. None are too sinful, too base, too vile or too far gone for Christ to save. His arm is not short that he cannot save. Oh, no! His mighty arm is omnipotent in the operations of his grace! None are beyond the reach of omnipotent mercy!
Christ graciously calls us. Christ takes note of the most of us, the insignificant being. Christ seeks us and saved us.
Let us pray.
