THE COMPELLING MISSION OF THE SAVIOR
Luke 19:1-10
There’s a story about a local fitness center, which was offering $1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate that they were stronger than the owner of the place. Here’s how it worked. This muscle man would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and then hand the lemon to the next challenger. Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop of juice out would win the money.
Many people tried over time - other weight-lifters, construction workers, even professional wrestlers, but nobody could do it.
One day a short and skinny guy came in and signed up for the contest. After the laughter died down, the owner grabbed a lemon and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains to the little man.
The crowd’s laughter turned to silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the manager paid out the winning prize and asked the short guy what he did for a living. “Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?”
The man replied, “I work for the IRS.”
Well, this morning we’re focusing on a high-ranking IRS man who cheated not on his return, but on everyone else’s. He had figured out a way to skim some money off the top and squeeze the last drop from people’s wallets.
From this story we will observe the purpose of the Lord’s coming.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which is lost.”
In what has to be one of the sweetest verses in all of the Bible, there is also one of the saddest words in all of the Bible—the word, LOST.
Our text is peculiar to Luke. It is not found in the other Gospels.
Verse 10 has sixteen monosyllables, only one of which has as many as five letters, and yet they tell the story of God’s eternal mission in its fullness.
“THE SON OF MAN IS COME.” It is not “a” son of man, nor “the” son of “a” man, but “THE SON OF MAN.” As the title, Son of God, tells the story that Christ is equal with God; the term “SON OF MAN” declares that in matchless grace He took a place of equality with man – He came to take our place and die for our sins.
THE COMPELLING MISSION OF THE SAVIOUR is seen in the verses.
I. THE MISSION REVOLVES AROUND THE SINNER WHO IS LOST (1-4)
“a man named Zacchaeus”
In Luke 15 we observe have a parable about a sheep, a silver, and a son. Each were equally lost, but in each case the reason for they were lost was different. The sheep was lost through FOOLISHNESS; the silver was lost through CARELESSNESS; and the son was lost through WILLFULNESS.
The sheep was lost in a dangerous place, the silver was lost in a dark place, but the son was lost in a distant place (Ephesians 2:13); but each were lost.
The mission of Jesus revolves around FICKLE sinners as pictured in the lost sheep; the mission of Jesus revolves around FALLEN sinners as pictured in the lost silver; the mission of Jesus revolves around FOOLISH sinners as pictured in the lost son.
Apply lost to any area of life and it spells tragedy, grief, headache and pain. C. H. Spurgeon once said, “I do not know if there is a more dreadful word I the English language than that word LOST.” Lost means to be “be way from, separated from, apart from, cut-off from.”
Zaccaheus was lost without Christ.
Zacchaeus was short in stature. Zacchaeus didn’t measure up physically to those around him. He was shorter than the average. We may be able to stand head and shoulders above the rest physically; we may be smarter than the average; we may be above everyone else on the ladder of success; but none of us measure up spiritually. We have all come short of the righteousness of God
A salesman is driving down a country road when he sees a young kid in front of a barn. On the barn are 5 targets with arrows in the bulls-eye of each target. Screeching to a stop he runs out to the kid amazed that this kid could shoot so well. "Son," he says, "how did you hit all those bulls eyes?"
"Well sir," the boy replied, "I take the arrow and lick my fingers like this, then I take my fingers and straiten the feathers like this, take aim with my hand against my cheek, let go and wherever the arrow hits I draw a bulls-eye." We may attempt to make the impression that we measure up, but according to the Bible, we have all fallen short!
We are all sinners! We are all lost without Christ. A. Being lost means to be without CHRIST “He is the way” A little boy once looked up and down the street in distress. Then he saw a policeman. Running to him, he asked, “Sir, did you see a man go by without me?” Like that boy, man is lost without Christ who is the way. B. Being lost means to be without CITIZENSHIP. In other words, you have no place to call home in Heaven. Philippians 3:20 says, "For our citizenship is in heaven.” C. Being lost means to be without COMFORT Being lost means that you are without HOPE. It is a sad thing to go through the world without hope. I think one of the greatest benefits of being a Christian is the peace we have. The peace of being able to go to bed and not to be afraid of what would happen if we die is truly amazing. I remember right after I accepted Christ, the overwhelming peace that came over me. There was peace knowing that my sins were forgiven. There was peace knowing that all the guilt was gone. There was peace knowing that if I died, I would go to Heaven. Do you have that peace today? Does it trouble you to go to sleep at night without hope or peace? Today, you can have that peace and hope by simply trusting Christ as your Savior.
II. THIS MISSION REVEALS A SAVIOUR WHO IS LOVING (5-7) I am so glad that Jesus loves us. I love him because He first loved me. Let us see this love in action! A. Love is seen in His comprehension (5a) “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up...” Our Saviour once hung on a tree that all might be able to see Him lifted up for their sins; and He sees all who climb trees in order to see Him. God desires that all men should see Him; and sometimes he even plants trees, but man must decide to climb. Jesus knew where Zacchaeus was, for he came to the tree, He looked up and called him by name. Sin lowers men and women to numbers. To jailers, men and women are numbers. But to Jesus, men and women have names. How easy it is for a searching sinner and a seeking Saviour to meet. They met at the tree, and it is still at “the” tree - the Cross of Christ - that the Saviour will meet every sinner who wants to know Him even still today. B. Love is seen in His compassion (5b) “Come down....for I must abide at thy house.” It is not polite for us to invite ourselves to anyone’s home, but what an honor and joy it is when the Lord Jesus invites Himself to be our guest. "and received Him joyfully." Coming to the Lord Jesus isn’t coming to a cemetery, it’s coming to a celebration; it’s not coming to a famine, it’s coming to a feast C. Love is seen in their complaint (7) “They all murmured saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.” Why does Jesus Christ merit the wonderful name “friend of sinners?” 1. Jesus is the Friend of sinners because He stood in the presence of sinners. Although our Lord never sinned, all His life was taken up with sinners. He was always in the presence of sinners. At Bethlehem he was born into the midst of sinners. In Jerusalem he stood in the midst of sinners. On the cross he hung between two thieves. See him on the shore with sinners. Watch him enter the house of the richest man and maybe the biggest sinner in Jericho. Jesus is the Friend of sinners and yet he himself never knew any sin. He lived all his life in the company of sinners and yet was never tainted by their sin. 2. Jesus is the Friend because He suffered in the place of sinners. "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.” His love extends to all sinners in all nations and all continents. He is the “Son of man.” He is for all and would have all to be His. I am so glad that He is a friend of
sinners.
III. THIS MISSION RESULTS IN A SALVATION THAT IS LASTING (8-10) “To seek and save that which was lost” Zacchaeus accepts the Lord’s invitation and is transformed as a result. A. The profession of the sinner (8) “Zacchaeus stood and said” With the mouth confession is made of repentance as well as faith. He addressed himself to Christ in it, not to the people (they were not to be his judges), but to the Lord. What we do that is good we must do as unto Him (Colossians 3:23). Zacchaeus was not saved because He promised to do good works. He was saved because he responded by faith to Christ’s word to him. Having trusted Jesus, he then gave evidence of his faith by promising to make restitution to those he had wronged. B. The proclamation of salvation (9) “Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation is come to this house” An old table tells that when Zaccheus grew old he lived in Jericho as a humble and devout believer. Every morning at sunrise, so the story goes, he went for a walk carrying a pitcher of water. Upon his return, he always seemed happy and radiant. His wife, with usual curiosity, followed him one morning. She saw him go to the sycamore tree in which he was seated when he first saw Jesus passing by. He poured the water about the roots of the tree and bowed for a moment of silent prayer. Then, placing his hands fondly upon the tree trunk, he smiled in satisfaction and returned home. He could not forget what Christ had done for him. C. The purpose of the Savior (10) “to seek and to save that which is lost” He came to "seek and to save." Here is the He came not to seek to save, but to seek and to save. He came not to try but to triumph. He came not to seek sinners. That thought would be folly; they are everywhere - no need for seeking them. No, He came to seek and to save the lost. He is seeking weary souls, those that want His salvation. He is seeking; and seeking, saves. He is not banishing poverty. He is not cleaning up politics; He is not healing the skin over the sore or painting rotten wood. He is after the inside; not the outside. He saves from sin, from self, and from sorrow. He saves for time and for all eternity.
CONCLUSION: Years ago that a brother of the famous Whitefield was once conversing, in great distress, with Lady Huntingdon. She told him of the infinite love and mercy of Jesus, but he replied, "I know all that; but there is no mercy for me-I am lost, I am lost." "I am glad to hear it, Mr. Whitefield, very glad to hear it." "How, my dear Madam, glad to hear that I am lost?" "Yes, Jesus came to save the lost." That word moved him; he believed on Jesus, and lived and died a Christian. If you would believe on him who is the Saviour of the lost and ruined, then come to Jesus, come earnestly, come just as you are; come today.
Just as I am, without one plea
Save that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Come. He will not send you away. He came into the world to save sinners; He suffered and died to save sinners; He invites burdened sinners to come to Him.
