Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus Basingstoke 9th March 2008
GOOD NEWS FOR LOST PEOPLE
We often hear of exciting rescue missions about emergency services
It can be gripping TV drama as the story is retold – we experience the suspense and feel the relief as the victims are later interviewed expressing their thanks to their rescuers.
As we prepare for Easter and think about the Mission of Jesus, we find an equally gripping story, full of suspense and drama as the story unfolds.
You may have all sorts of ideas about Jesus’ mission
But for me Luke summed it up very clearly in 19v10
“For the Son of Man came to Seek and the Save the Lost”
Jesus mission involved many of the other things but first of all it was a rescue mission!
Reminds me of the story of Saving Private Ryan where 8 men who survived the bloody assault on Normandy were sent on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines to find and rescue Private James Ryan, whose 3 brothers were recently killed in combat. Private Ryan was to be rescued before he too was killed. The soldiers recruited to search for him, under the command of Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), were understandably perturbed that their mission, seemed say that saving the life of one Private Ryan was worth risking the lives of 8 more soldiers.
It was a Spielberg story full of action and drama
Jesus mission is no less exciting - read the Gospels packed with action and drama
Not a story of a team saving one man, but of one man saving the whole world!
One man whose mission is to save every man woman and child from enemy hands
A mission in which we discover Jesus Christ as a real man
A mission where His courage and commitment never wavered
A mission that even meant giving up his own life on a cruel Roman Cross
So let’s look more closely at His mission…
1. JESUS MISSION SEEKS US OUT
“For the son of man came to seek….”
Did you notice as we read the story of Zacchaeus, jostling at the back of the crowd, as he was leaping from one leg to the other to see Jesus, that it all seems the other way round..
v3 says “Zacchaeus sought to see who Jesus was”
He was seeking Jesus. He’d no doubt heard stories of Jesus, his mind boggled at thought
• Just imagine, a man who can turn water into wine – how my cellar would be full of the finest wines for years to come.
• Just think – a man who paid his taxes from coins found in a fishes mouth – and think of the money I’d be able to save.
• Imagine a man who fed 5000 from one boy’s lunch I’d never go hungry.
• Wow! He healed the sick, even raised the dead! I could live for ever!
His curiosity urged him forward to see Jesus – but how can he do it? He’s too short!
The quick wit that made him his fortune soon found a way around it
He ran on ahead, seeing a tree climbed it – hid in leaves & had a great view
So imagine his reaction as Jesus passes and he hears his name being called
Zacchaeus Zacchaeus come down– surely must be someone else?
But no it’s me he’s calling – He’s calling me!
Zach nearly fell out of the tree in excitement! How does he know me?
Why bother with me with all these others round about?
While Zacchaeus was seeking out Jesus…the other side of the story is
“The Son of man came to seek.. Him!!!”
Jesus knew all about Zacch’s needs, his problems, lifestyle, wealth.
Knew all the unanswered questions, the loneliness and deep emptiness.
He’d worked for so much yet still unsatisfied and longing for more.
Long before it entered Zacch’s head to see Jesus, Jesus was seeking Zacch
You too may be looking for answers from God, for him to meet your needs,
Like Zacch you may be reasonably successful but like him feeling empty, lonely, unsatisfied - hungry for meaning hungry to be loved and accepted
Let me assure you, long before you started searching for God
He’s been searching you out – He’s been longing, looking for you!
“The Son of man came to seek..”
Jesus didn’t need to journey through Jericho to get from Galilee to Jerusalem
There were more direct routes – the road to Jericho was notorious for robbers!
But He deliberately chose to go that way to seek out a blind beggar (v18)
He chose to go that way to seek out this sinful lonely Tax Collector
We often miss the point that Jesus seeks us out
John 1 Phillip tells his friend Nathaniel “We have found the Messiah”
Yet only a few verses before we read that “Jesus found Phillip”
“The Son of man came to seek..”
Jesus mission didn’t happen merely by chance – it was all part of God’s plan
God’s heart is open to us in love and grace - He is seeking us out – you out!!
Christianity is not about a religion – not what we do - not about what we can achieve
Christianity is all about a relationship – a relationship that begins with God’s initiative!
God has always been like that, even when the first man rebelled –
When Adam & Eve disobeyed eating fruit from the tree and were hiding in the bushes – where’s God? Planning their destruction? Preparing thunderbolts!
No! In grace and love he comes through the garden seeking - “Where are you?
Today he’s asking you the same question – Hear him calling Where are you?
“The Son of man came to seek..”
Title Son of Man given to Jesus, says something important to us about his mission
Son of Man on one hand = glorious title used by Daniel describe the awesome splendour majesty power & authority of Messiah who reigns & rules over nations
On the other hand = title tells of God humbling himself, laying aside his glory.
God becoming a human being, taking the form of a servant!
God becoming a man sharing our life, our humanity, facing our temptations
Living among us experiencing tiredness pain emotions, rejection and cruelty and even death itself
In Jesus the Son of Man’s perfect sinless life we see God himself reaching out to us.
In Jesus the Son of Man we find God’s love revealed in a way we can understand
The Son of Man is God with a Human face – God reaching out to us - pursuing us God persevering, longing for us even when we try to ignore him or turn from him.
“The Son of man came to seek..”
Jesus not only came seeking us, He also taught us about it in stories and parables.
Remember the woman who lost a coin – she swept and searched the house to find it
Jews had a similar story to show how we could find God by seeking in the law.
But Jesus turned it round – We see God on his hands and knees searching for us!
We see God persisting in his search until he finds and recovers what is lost!
Remember the story of the lost sheep? Out at night searching the hills rescuing a stray?
Ezekiel describes God in the same way
“Behold I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out” Ez 34:11
This is the God we proclaim this Easter! God on a Rescue mission
If you’re not a Christian you need to know Christ is seeking after you – Today!
May explain a great deal – why you’re here – why your attitude to God is changing
May reassure you to know God is not a million miles put of reach – he’s right here!
He’s saying to you this morning its time to come down out of your tree!!
What’s keeping you there? Your Pride? Your Possessions? Your friends?
Your Habits? Your failure? Your Unbelief? What is it that’s standing in the way?
Most of you are Christians- wonderful security in knowing Christ searched you out.
Whenever you doubt – remember your relationship with God doesn’t rest on you alone!
Your relationship with God depends on the fact that He searched and found you first!!
Challenge for us as a Church - our mission is the same as Jesus = to seek the lost!
Our call is to seek out the lost, to show same perseverance & determination as Jesus.
So often we expect the lost to come to us – sow in the barn not the fields!
As a Church we need to be thinking about ways in which we can continually build new relationships, create new opportunities to meet people who at the moment don’t know Christ. That’s why we are always seeking opportunities to serve the local community around us to find common ground where they can experience God’s love for them.
As individuals: How many people are you’re regularly in contact with who don’t know Christ? Not just those you see at work but people you socialise with, people you do sport with, people you engage in leisure past times with – are they there? These are who you should be praying for and seeking opportunities to share Christ.
Reassuring as we seek them, so too is God – we’re in partnership with His Spirit
Important! Make a conscious decision to become involved with Him in this!!
2. JESUS MISSION IS TO THE LOST
“For the Son of man came to seek the lost”
If anyone was lost it was Zacch – lonely despised by fellow Jews as a Tax Collector
Working for enemy – Romans. A VAT Collector on goods passing through Jericho.
Problem didn’t add value he took it! More ZAT than VAT = Zacchaeus Added Tax!
Some in ZAT pocket for Romans and rest in Zat pocket for me!!
Zacchaeus wasn’t particularly religious either – probably banned from synagogue.
No doubt past caring - He was lost! Lost from others – but also lost from God
Picture of ourselves without God, self centred, materialistic ignore God, - Lost!
Imagine the reaction of the crowd when Jesus says
v5 Come down Zacchaeus for I must stay at your house. When they all saw it they murmured “he has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner!”
I can hear the mumbling and muttering round the crowd “What does Jesus think he’s doing going to that man’s house - the man doesn’t deserve it. He’s a sinner!!”
Understand, Jesus mission is to sinners - to messed up people with messed up lives
His mission is to people whose values are all wrong, who aren’t religious, who’ve failed
Jesus never stood up, as Pharisees did saying “Thank God I’m not like them!”
But nor did He agree with their sin, or how they lived or their attitude to God.
He never despised or rejected them – and He never cast blame on them..
Instead he identified with them, spent time in their homes, ate meals and partied with them (First thing Levi did was party for others & Jesus went)
Jesus cared deeply for them – He loved them just as he loves you and me.
Here are people who are literally lost – lost from God now and for eternity!!
The word “Lost” means literally to be destroyed or to die,
Coming under God’s judgement, facing his punishment – of death and eternity in hell
God takes our sin and failure seriously, our beliefs and actions now have eternal consequences
Jesus mission was to seek out & stop lost people from going down that track
He came to seek the lost that’s why he came that day to Jericho to Zacchaeus
That’s why he was on his way to Jerusalem as he’d explained in 18:31
He was on his way to die on a cross in place of Zacchaeus
He was on his way to die for people like you and me so that we need never be lost…
Which brings us to the 3rd thing about Jesus mission…
3. JESUS MISSION IS TO SAVE
v10 “The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost”
Jesus mission was to be a Saviour – the Saviour of the World!
At his birth the angels sang “To you is born this day a Saviour”
What does Saviour mean> What does salvation mean?
It can best be illustrated from Zacchaeus’ own story
We don’t know the exact words Jesus spoke to him but we can see the results
i) His Changed Priorities
Zacchaeus said “Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything I will restore it fourfold.”
• Being saved meant recognising he’d been wrong and being ready to admit it.
How hard we find that to do. We justify ourselves, make excuses,
We blame others or even our upbringing or circumstances or society
We’ll do anything but admit our own failure, our guilt and disobedience.
(Doubt it? Example when you make a mistake driving and your reactions)
• No longer was Zacc’s bank balance his master – it had become his servant
Jesus had taken first place in his life from his words “Behold Lord”
• No longer was he a grabber but a giver! What a miracle had taken place. Law required 1/10th for poor he gave ½. Law added 1/5th to repay, he gave 4X
His generosity sprang from deep sense of gratitude to Jesus forgiveness
Evidence of true conversion is when your wallet is converted!!
Here are some clear signs of real repentance - He was sincerely sorry
He could no longer go on cheating and stealing his life had turned round.
Same challenge for you if you want to know Salvation
Q? Are you ready for your priorities to be turned around? Are you ready for change?
Q? Are you ready to admit you’re wrong? Ready to let Jesus be Lord?
Q? Are you ready to stop your old way of life and begin living the new one?
Q? Are you even ready to put right the wrong? Changed priorities but also…
ii) He Exercised Faith
Jesus said of Zacchaeus “he also is a son of Abraham” v9
Unlike self righteous Jews around him who proudly claimed to be sons by birth
Zacch proved he was a Son of Abraham because like Abraham his faith was in God.
Gal 3:9 Abraham believed & was blessed, so all who believe are blessed as he was, if you belong to Christ you are descendants of Abraham
His faith was more than mental assent that God exists but faith that received Jesus warmly, Faith that welcomed Christ into His home, Faith that surrendered control of all his possessions, Faith that accepted the forgiveness that Jesus offered, Faith that rejoiced in the assurance Jesus gave..
”Today Salvation has come to this house”
Zacchaeus received Jesus as joyfully as a man on a desert island would welcome a passing ship! He trusted Jesus and his actions flowed from that new relationship.
Personal challenge for you this morning – will you stop trusting in yourself and in the security you find in your work and possessions, and put your trust in Jesus Christ?
Jesus mission was a Rescue Mission – He still rescues people today
He came not just for Zacchaeus but also to rescue you from your selfishness and dishonesty, from your loneliness, from the emptiness of life built around material things that will never ever satisfy
Jesus came to bring you into a living personal relationship with God where you can know his forgiveness, his peace and his joy and know the assurance that you need not be lost but know salvation indeed has come to you today!
I invite you to take a step of commitment this morning to receive Christ as your personal Saviour welcome his Spirit into your life today just as Zaccheus welcomed him into his home and life all those years ago.
