LOST BUT FOUND BY JESUS!
LOST BUT FOUND BY JESUS!
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” —Luke 19:1-10
As Jesus was going through His day, He was headed somewhere when, looking up from the crowd that was following Him, He saw Zacchaeus in a tree looking at Him. Now “Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” Jesus said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” and “So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”
The response of some of the people in the crowd was not really positive when Jesus said He was going to Zacchaeus’ house. They said, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” Oh, how self-righteous those people were that said that as if they were not sinners. May we never forget what Jesus has saved us from. May we understand more the depths of our depravity, the depravity of the whole human race. Oh, that we would consider that our Lord God Almighty did not come to us because we deserved Him to, but it was all out of His love, mercy and grace that He did.
Jesus had a wonderful impact in the life of Zacchaeus who welcomed Him gladly and said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Yes, the man was surely impacted by Jesus and Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Four things Jesus mentioned about Zacchaeus—
- Today salvation has come to his house
- He is a son of Abraham (had the faith of Abraham)
- Jeus sought him out
- He was lost
Brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus, may we model after Jesus and “seek and to save the lost.” We cannot save anyone like Jesus can, but we can bring them to Jesus and encourage them to call on His name and He will save them (Romans 10:9-15). Oh, that we would be “seeking” the lost as Jesus did/does. May we work along with Him. Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus, my Lord. Yes, may this be so and all for Your honor and glory. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuA9uabvKno