Genesis 47,48; Psalms 10; Luke 19
Jesus Came To Find Lost People and Save Them!
Scripture
Luke 19
10 The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”
Observation
Luke 19
1 Jesus was going through the city of Jericho. 2 In Jericho there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a wealthy, very important tax collector. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was. There were many others who wanted to see Jesus too. Zacchaeus was too short to see above the people. 4 So he ran to a place where he knew Jesus would come. Then he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him.
6 Zacchaeus hurried and came down. He was happy to have Jesus in his house. 7 Everyone saw this. They began to complain, “Look at the kind of man Jesus is staying with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!”
8 Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “I want to do good. I will give half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times more.”
9 Jesus said, “Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God’s chosen people. 10 The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”
Zacchaeus was a sinner. He was a tax collector. To the people of that day being a tax collector was worse than being a prostitute or at least just as bad. Tax collectors worked for the Roman government collecting taxes from the Jews. Because tax collectors were usually dishonest and they would charge more that what they should they were very well off. Zacchaeus was very wealthy which probably meant that he was not totally honest when he collected taxes from the people.
Jesus found Zacchaeus up in a tree.
The little guy wanted to see Jesus and that was the only way he was going to have the chance because he couldn’t see over the crowd. It is important to note that Jesus came to Zacchaeus who was up in that tree. He called him by name and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.”
Sometimes we think that we are the ones that seek out God but the truth is that Jesus came to this earth to find the lost and save them. God pursues us and not the other way around.
Salvation came to Zacchaeus and his family not because he or his family deserved it. They were saved because Jesus found them and saved them.
Are you saved?
Have you repented (turned away from) of your sins and have you trusted in Jesus Christ to save you? Jesus wants to save you just like you are. You are a sinner. He came to find and save “sinners”
The Bible says that once we are born again that Jesus Christ comes to live in us. He will use us to find the lost and save them.
Who do you know that needs Jesus?
Have you invited them to church?
Why not?
Do you go out of your way to spend time with them?
Why not?
Jesus went to eat at Zacchaeus’s house. He went to spend time with him. Jesus wants to do the same thing through us.
Application
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Jesus shocked the religious leaders by going to the house of a sinner. Help me to be willing to do the same thing. Give me your heart for the lost around me. Show me who You want me to witness to and show me who You want me to spend extra time with this week. I pray that You would guide and direct me. Help me to be sensitive to the leading of Your Holy Spirit.
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