THE GOSPEL: A Life Changing Encounter!

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. (Luke 19:1-4)

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:5-7) We've established in previous studies that the Jews hated tax collectors and sinners, and they almost always used those two phrases together.  How sad to be able to see everything that's wrong with everyone else, but not be able to see ourselves for who we really are.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

We should really respect Zacchaeus for his determination to not let anything stop him from seeing Jesus.  Remember from the previous lesson, Jesus had just healed two blind men in front of a crowd of witnesses. (see THE GOSPEL: Once was Blind, but Now I See) The crowd probably grew when word of mouth traveled, and even Zacchaeus sought to see who Jesus was.  But what's even more encouraging is that Jesus saw him and called Him by his name. Jesus had done this with one of the disciples; Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48) O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. (Psalm 139:1-3) If we sincerely seek to "see" Jesus, He will "see" us and call us to Himself. 

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:8-10)  What a life changing encounter!  Do we want to give our lives meaning and purpose?  Then we have to come into a knowledge of and relationship with Christ Jesus. 

Three important things happened to Zacchaeus when he met Jesus, and the same will happen for us also:
1. Jesus comes into our "homes", our hearts, our lives.  Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Revelations 3:20-21)

2. We will no longer identify ourselves the way the world sees us, but we'll see ourselves the way God sees us.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (II Corinthians 5:17-19)

3. We will be lead to repentance and salvation.  Just like when the disciples received the Holy Spirit and started preaching about Christ Jesus, Now when [the people] heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38)

Through Zacchaeus encounter with Jesus, he ended up being restored into a right relationship with God and his fellow Jews.  Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham..."  The Jews hated the tax collectors because they were Jews who worked for the Roman government.  The tax collectors took more in taxes than they were supposed to, and kept the difference for themselves.  In other words, the tax collectors were stealing from their own people.  That's why Zacchaeus was moved to confess, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 

Jesus said, "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That's all of us who have not accepted Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord!  But first we have to accept the fact that we are lost and that we need to be saved.  As Jesus told the Pharisees who thought they were just fine, and therefore couldn't be changed because of the hardness of their hearts, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ [Hosea 6:6] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  (Matthews 9:12-13) ...by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:22, 25)

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the resence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25) And AMEN!