Despised to Delivered: Zacchaeus’ Story of Redemption

May 9, 2021

Despised to Delivered: Zacchaeus’ Story of Redemption

Luke 19:1-10

 

-Jesus specializes in mending lives and creating a new creature through redemption.

-Redemption = a changing of one’s status from broken and condemned to fixed and eternally delivered

-Zacchaeus was a hated man in society and definitely on the road to eternal destruction and Jesus turned that all around in an instant.

-As we go through these first 10 verses of Luke 19, I challenge you to take a look at your own life and answer 2 questions:

1. Am I eternally by Jesus?

2. If so, what am I doing with that redeemed status today?

 

9 Things to consider from this case study of redemption:

I. (Luke 19:2a)

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans

-Zacchaeus was in a despised situation with the people around him and, up to this point, he was also condemned to a God-less eternity because of his sin.

 

II. (Luke 19:2b)

-and he was rich.

-Zacchaeus had lots of money!

-There is no amount of wealth that can secure a human soul’s position before our Holy God.

 

III. (Luke 19:3a)

And he sought to see Jesus who he was;

-“sought” = to seek in order to find

-There was something appealing about Jesus to Zacchaeus and he needed a closer look.

-Maybe the outstretched arms of Jesus are calling to you today: “Come take a closer look…”

 

IV. (Luke 19:3b-4)

and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

-Here was Zacchaeus’ chance to see and maybe meet Jesus and get some answers to life’s hard questions answered and…BAM! (a huge crowd)

-He ran ahead and found a Sycamore tree and climbed up & PUT HIMSELF IN A POSITION TO SEE JESUS!

-You may not know exactly how to climb out of some particular hard situation you’re in, but you’ve heard enough about Jesus to know that you need to seek Him out.

 

V. (Luke 19:5-6)

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully

-Up until this point, Zacchaeus had only heard about Jesus, but Jesus knew His name!

-Jesus’ schedule already was set to go to Zacchaeus’ house and Zacchaeus would never be the same.

 

VI. (Luke 19:7)

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

-Jesus has been facing this kind of attitude for quite some time now.

-There will always be naysayers and antagonists that try to get in the way of us interacting with Jesus.

-No matter what religion says, I’m so glad Jesus came to save sinners like me and sinners like you!

 

VII. (Luke 19:8)

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the LORD: Behold, LORD, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

-Zacchaeus had now found what he was searching for…he found fulfillment in life in Jesus Christ and it comprehensively changed what he did in life.

-Now, he realizes that with Jesus on the throne of his life, he no longer needs to mistreat people in order to be successful.

-Success in life is resting in Jesus and being a part of His mission of reaching people with the Gospel.

-When we become a new creature, our desires and mission drastically change!

 

VIII. (Luke 19:9)

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

-Before this day, Zacchaeus was lost in his sinful condition and now, after turning to and receiving Jesus, he was saved from the current and future wrath of God for sin.

-Are you truly delivered from your sin because of your faith in Jesus alone?

 

IX. (Luke 19:10)

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

-Jesus has come to deliver people who are considered “lost.”

*To be “lost” means to be under the sentence of death.

-All are under this sentence of death…all are lost.

-It is when we embrace this condition of desperation that we find Jesus and His power to save.

 

Application:

1. Gospel Maybe you need to receive Jesus…do it!

2. Gospel Relationshiping – Maybe you need to be sharing Jesus…do it!

3. Gospel Maybe you need to be serving Jesus by serving others…do it!

 

 

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