The Jesus Who Seeks And Saves Sinners Series

Over nearly 40 years as a pastor, one of the things I've learned is that when you sign up to be a pastor, you also sign up to be a point man in some very challenging situations.

One of the challenging situations I've often been asked to take over has been when a beloved or in some cases, not so beloved, relative is on their death bed, and needs to hear the Truth of the Gospel or experience the consequences.

It's now been about 20 years ago when a fairly young lady attended our church one Sunday and apparently decided I would be her point man. As far as I can remember, she only came once. But she called and asked if I would visit her parents, both of whom were in an end-of-life care facility in Sparks.

So, I dutifully found my way to their bedsides in a care facility located just north of Oddie Blvd one weekday afternoon, and found that their circumstances, each of them, were indeed grim. They were in separate rooms, each of them confined to a bed, each of their bodies having so totally worn out that they were unable to do anything for themselves. In each case, it was pretty clear that death was only weeks or perhaps days away, but the one thing they were able to do, thankfully, that day, was listen, and respond--if only so feebly.

So, I talked to the woman's mother. And it's amazing the spiritual clarity most people have once it is clear that they are lying on their deathbeds. She heard the Good News, that eternal life is a free gift offered to sinners through faith in Christ, and faith in His death for her sins and she immediately, without reservation, decided that gift was for her, and prayed the sinner's prayer. Obviously, at that point in life, while on the precipice of death, what did she have to lose--she had eternity to gain.

Then I entered her husband's room, and again it was clear he had all but breathed his last. But his initial response was substantially different from his wife. As I began to share the Gospel with Him, there were immediately tough guy, smart-aleck scoffing-like responses. He initially mocked the whole idea of anything spiritual. However, I persevered, knowing that it was now or never for this "tough guy." And as I got the point of asking him whether he wanted to receive the free gift of eternal life that Christ was offering to him, the tough guy, scoffer façade totally disappeared. Suddenly, I was talking to a different person. It was as if he were only six years old and had simply decided, in light of the circumstances, to drop the tough guy, Smart aleck pretense that he had used to protect himself from anyone or anything who posed an unwanted intrusion upon his life. And believe it or not, with a humble tear a tear and whimper, he trusted Christ as His Savior.

Then, of course, I was able to share the Good news via a phone call later that day to the concerned daughter of both of these elderly people that they had each professed faith in Christ, and were likely on their way to heaven, because of God's grace shown to them in their last gasp time of need.

The reason I could share that good news was because of the good news of who Jesus is--The real Jesus is the Son of God who seeks and saves sinners, no matter how big or bad they pretend to be.

It's a truth that was powerfully illustrated by the story of Jesus and a great sinner by the name of Zacchaeus in Luke 19.

Now the story, by its placement among the 24 chapters of the Gospel of Luke appears to have happened late in his ministry, as most of the final chapters of Luke are occupied with Jesus' death and resurrection that occurred in Jerusalem. And in fact, Luke 18:31-34 tells us that this was exactly what was on the immediate agenda for Jesus. Jesus had warned His disciples that He was on His way to Jerusalem for the last time, as he headed there from Galilee for the most meaningful Passover of the Jews that would ever be celebrated. Because, once there, the true Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world would be sacrificed for our sins once and for all.

And so, as He travelled south he took the trade route from Galilee to Jerusalem that took Him through the famous Biblical town of Jericho, made famous in Joshua's Day, because its walls fell down at the shout of Israel as Israel was beginning its conquest of the Promised Land.

Now the rebuilt Jericho of the first century, and I believe, also, today is a delightful place. It was called the Eden of Palestine. It was located along the Jordan River, in the low valley before the River reaches the Dead Sea. It had a warm, almost tropical climate and owing to the fact that there was plenty of water, was home to many trees and some profitable forms of agriculture. It was also on a major trade route between Syria and Egypt. And so, it was a delightful place that was economically prosperous.