I invite you to turn with me this morning to Luke 19, Luke 19, as we read together and consider the first 10 verses, a very familiar story about a man named Zacchaeus. Luke 19, we begin our reading at verse 1 through verse 10. And we hear now the Word of God. 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 being a short man, he could not because of 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 anyone 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 what was lost. May God add his blessing to the reading and the preaching of his most holy word. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you're like me, you hear this episode, and if you grew up in the church and attended Sunday school, you think of that, you cannot help but to think of that familiar Sunday school song, Zacchaeus was a wee little man. A wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in the tree and he said, Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today. A fun song. Good hand motions to go with it. But it always left me wondering just how small was this wee little man. How in the world was he able to climb that tree if he was so tiny? But you see, beloved, this passage is not about Zacchaeus' height. It's not about Jesus feeling sorry for him as if his lack of stature was some sort of a handicap. Jesus, we know at this point in his ministry, is on his way to Jerusalem. It was around the Sabbath before He entered Jerusalem to carry out the purpose for which He had come. And that purpose is clearly stated in verse 10, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. And the Savior would do so. He would save the lost by giving His life a ransom for many. Now boys and girls, lost describes one who had wandered off from where they're supposed to be. One who had gone astray. But not in the physical sense like you and I might think of. Not like you or I might get lost in a crowded store or at an amusement park or take a wrong turn in the car and have no idea where we're at. Or maybe be hiking in the mountain forest and get off the path and have no clue where you are. But lost here, we know, is talking about a spiritual state or condition, the state of the heart. Being lost in sin. Perishing spiritually. Being cut off from God. One who is under the curse of sin with the eternal punishment hanging over that one's head. That one is headed in one direction and that direction is eternal death. Jesus came to seek and to save such as that. The lost. To seek them. to look for them, to look for those who would never be able to find their way to God on their own or never want to be found. To save them, to rescue them, to bring them back from the greatest danger and bring them into the greatest good, eternal security and favor with God. And that, beloved, we know is the need of all of mankind without exception. Every single one, including you and me, is lost in and of ourselves apart from Jesus Christ. But here with this episode, we see that Christ's purpose was not only a good intention on His part, something that He intended to do, nor was His purpose simply to make salvation possible for us to go out and get it on our own. But with this episode, we see that he actually saves. As we see the Savior's purpose demonstrated with Zacchaeus. By drawing him. By claiming him. By assuring him. First of all, the Savior's purpose is demonstrated with Zacchaeus by drawing him to himself. Our Lord is drawing this one to himself, this one who had everything. He was wealthy, Luke says, and we are not just to kind of take that at face value and read over it. He was not simply a little better off financially than the rest. He was extremely rich. He had everything. And the reason for his wealth, Luke connects, of course, to his position as a chief tax collector. He was the head of the entire tax district of Jericho and its vicinity, the surrounding areas. I think of where I'm from in northwest Iowa, again, the counties there, many towns in a county, but one town is the county seat. That's where the courthouse is. That was Jericho, in a sense. Jericho was home of one of the three main Palestinian tax offices, and Zacchaeus was the chief over the whole works. He was the chief tax collector over all of the tax agents, those who actually went out and did the collecting. And he was a wealthy man. He had absolutely everything he could ever want. And in the eyes of society, there is nothing that this Jesus could possibly give him that he didn't already have. And of course, the source of his wealth is the fact that Jericho was located on a major trade route. We know that when Israel entered Canaan many, many years before, that Jericho was the first city that they had come to. It was the gateway, as it were, to Palestine. The doorway, also, as it were, leaving. And there were many goods that passed through Jericho on this trade route, and along with Jericho and the vicinity's own produce, for example, balm from the balsam trees, which was fragrant, it was soothing, it had healing qualities. It was worth something. These things were the source of many dollars in tax revenue and customs duties on imports and exports. And of course, with Zacchaeus being the chief tax collector over the other tax agents, quite a pyramid scheme, and of course he was rich. And we also know from our understanding of Scripture that the reputation of tax collectors wasn't very good. Tax collectors were hated and despised because they overcharged the people. They took what Rome said was owed and they added to it and they sent to Rome what Rome required, but they kept the rest, whatever they could get, and they got rich at the expense of their own countrymen. But notice that Zacchaeus' wealth came at a cost. This one who had everything also was one who had nothing. He was hated by his fellow Jews. Zacchaeus was a Jew. He was a physical son of Abraham. Yet he was possibly the most despised individual in Jericho because of his occupation, taking advantage of rich and poor Jews alike, and therefore he was cut off from his countrymen. His fellow Jews looked at him as more like being a Roman than a Jew, because he worked for Rome. He was a traitor. He had traded allegiances. He had given up on the Jewish nation, as it were, and his allegiance was with Rome. And the people saw him, as the text says, as a sinner. And not just one who sinned once in a while. But the worst of sinners. And we know that tax collectors were considered in the same breath as sinners. They were synonymous. Our Lord was criticized earlier for dining with tax collectors and sinners. But the thing is, Zacchaeus truly was a sinner. Boys and girls, Zacchaeus, the name means pure. It means righteous one. But by his own admission a little bit later on, he had cheated others. He was a sinner. He was truly lost. He was in need of a Savior like all of mankind. And on this day, Zacchaeus was also one who desired to see Jesus. He desired to see Jesus along with a crowd that a crowd had gathered like a parade route. When someone famous was coming to town, no one stayed in their homes or in their shops or in the fields. They all came to see. They wanted to get a glimpse. He came with the crowd to see this one about whom news had preceded him. Indeed, it was a parade. Jesus came with his twelve disciples and an entourage of many other followers, and news had no doubt reached Jericho ahead of time that this one is coming. This one about whom his reputation, his name, his works, his teaching had preceded him, even the fact that he was hated by the scribes and Pharisees. All of this was known to the people of Jericho. Maybe some of them even experienced His mighty works and heard His teaching firsthand. No doubt news had already arrived there that Lazarus had been raised from the dead. Many, many people gathered that day, but most of them, if not all of them, gathered out of curiosity alone. A famous person was coming to town. They just wanted to see Him and touch Him and maybe even, if by chance, be blessed by him or have their children blessed by him so that they could boast for years to come about this experience. Kind of like when we have our picture taken with the President of the United States or with a professional athlete or a movie star. And we hang on to that. And that's a little bit of our claim to fame for many, many years. A number of years ago, when my wife and I and a few of our children were living in Los Angeles area, We lived right down the road from, still today, a famous movie star and actor. I won't say his name. When we moved there, he was living right up the street. He was building a mansion. Beautiful home it was. And I must admit, sometimes when I would visit my customers, and they'd say, where do you live? And I would say, well, I live right down the street from this movie star. But guess how many times we saw him? Not once. Not once. Zacchaeus. Jesus truly desired to see Jesus along with the crowd. Yet he was different than the crowd. He was not simply curious like those in 1994 who flooded to the Los Angeles freeways to get a glimpse of O.J. Simpson as he drove slowly down the freeway. Verses 3 and 4 says, He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man, he could not because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see Him since Jesus was coming that way. You see, even though Zacchaeus was hated, his actions, I believe, do not fit with the dignity of his wealth and position. Even though he was hated, yet he was so rich that that commanded a certain amount of dignity. But notice, he was not afraid to be a part of a crowd that hated him. And his continual effort, his tireless effort to see Jesus in spite of his short stature was uncharacteristic of a rich man. Many of us would have probably said, you know what, it's not worth it. I hate crowds anyway. And this man simply can't be that important. It's not worth it. But notice also, Zacchaeus became like a child. He humbled himself, climbing that tree just to get a glimpse, never expecting to be noticed by Jesus. Jesus had just taught his disciples in chapter 18, verse 17, I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he says regarding the rich young ruler in verses 24 and 25, Jesus looked at him and said how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus had just taught his disciples these two things, and then he gives them a real-life example of one who did become like a child. And a real-life demonstration of what he says in chapter 18, verse 27, what is impossible with men is possible with God. The Savior was drawing Zacchaeus to himself, you see, by the working of the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit was inspiring Zacchaeus. It's the only explanation for his tireless, intense, and unstoppable desire to see Jesus. In John 6, verse 44, Jesus says, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. I know as we have said on another occasion, maybe a few years ago, the idea there is to draw irresistibly like drawing water out of a well in a bucket with a rope. that water is being drawn up against its will, really. It's being drawn irresistibly. And for those who want to talk about seekers in the church, true seekers, even before they come to know Jesus Christ as the only Savior, are already moved by the Holy Spirit. It must be that way. Because apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, one is dead and won't even lift their eyes to look. Zacchaeus could later sing with confidence, I saw the Lord, and afterward I knew. He moved my soul to seek Him seeking me. The Savior was drawing Zacchaeus by the working of the Holy Spirit, even though he was hindered by the crowd, a crowd that was larger in size than him, a crowd that blocked his view. And that's how Satan works, doesn't he? Satan tries to hinder those who are being drawn to the Savior as long as one is dead. Satan doesn't have to worry about that one, but the moment that the Holy Spirit begins to work in the heart of a person, Satan has to get to work to try to hinder that one from looking to Jesus. For Zacchaeus, Jesus demonstrates that he is never sought in vain by those moved by the Holy Spirit to know him. as the Savior's purpose is demonstrated in the second place by claiming him. He draws him, and then he claims him out of the crowd, verses 5 and 6. 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. What a beautiful picture of the shepherd that Jesus had told about finding a lost sheep. Indeed, Zacchaeus did not expect to be seen. This sycamore fig tree was really a fig mulberry type of tree with large leaves, easy one to climb. Easy one to hide in. Yet still be able to see everything below you. Zacchaeus did not expect to be seen. He would be embarrassed if he were to be noticed. But Jesus said, I know my sheep. And Paul says in 2 Timothy 2, verse 19, the Lord knows those who are His. And we have a demonstration here of the Savior's omniscience. boys and girls, the fact that Jesus knows all things. God knows all things. You see, boys and girls, even with all of the commotion going on, and no doubt there was a lot of people shouting at Jesus, Oh, look at me! Oh, help me! Oh, take notice of my child! Even with all the commotion that no doubt was going on, and with nothing to draw His attention above the crowd up into this tree, Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was there. He knew his name. He knew his need. And you see, our Savior is not naive to, and He is not unfamiliar with our sin. And that we were against Him. Yet He calls His own by name. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, He calls His own by name to come to Him and find eternal rest. Here he's claiming Zacchaeus out of a crowd to be his guest for Jesus to be Zacchaeus' guest. Jesus is inviting himself to Zacchaeus' house that represents fellowship and intimacy. And what kindness our Savior shows to one from whom many others recoiled and pulled back and wanted nothing to do with because Zacchaeus had hurt them or stole from them or turned against them at some point in time. But really, by inviting himself to Zacchaeus' house, he was really inviting Zacchaeus to him. Jesus is the real inviter. Jesus is the true host. And this was a call for Zacchaeus to receive Jesus into his life, into his very heart. And to clean up his life. And to realize who Jesus is and what Zacchaeus needs. And to respond through repentance and faith. It was a sincere but an urgent call. Jesus commands, come down. And Zacchaeus is expected to respond, which he does. In Acts 17, verse 30, Paul says, But now he that is God commands all people everywhere to repent. And all those to whom the call to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ goes out, God expects them to respond to that call. but sadly we know that many fail to at their own eternal peril. But Zacchaeus responded immediately with joy, gladly, the text says. And this is evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. We know that because Luke uses that word, which is translated here as gladly. He uses it nine times, including this passage, and every time it points to an attitude of joy that accompanies faith and salvation. He responded gladly, joyfully, rejoicing in faith. Beloved, Jesus claims Zacchaeus showing the greatest love for his own. The crowds often wanted to see Jesus do some great wonder or miracle. And here, Jesus does the greatest work ever to be done. Seeking and saving one who is lost. But it was missed. The crowd missed it. As Jesus claims Him in the midst of discontentment, verse 7, all the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner. The crowd was filled with discontentment because their expectations were unfulfilled. They thought maybe Jesus would do some spectacular miracle or that He would grace some deserving priest or some Jericho family with His presence. They had high expectations for this Jesus. He was to be a revolutionary. He was to lead them, free them from Rome. But this, this was unexpected. This was a waste of time. This drew anger from the crowd, grumbling throughout the crowd. we can almost hear it as grumbling starts and gets a little bit louder and all of a sudden it's throughout the whole crowd riling each other up. But that's easy to do, isn't it? When we think that one is beyond all hope, like Zacchaeus, that their crimes, his crimes were unforgivable. You see, beloved, the crowd was blind. The crowd was blind. The crowd should have seen, should have rejoiced at Christ's kindness reaching out to this wretched man. They should have rejoiced to see Christ's kindness in rescuing this one from destruction and removing him to salvation. This crowd was blind as what this crowd should have seen is what is possible with God. And that if there is hope for one like Zacchaeus, then there's hope for me too. Because all sin, beloved, is undeserving of the grace of God. You see, the Savior's purpose was to seek and to save the lost, period. Not only those who are a little bit lost, not only those whom we or someone else determines are not as terrible as some others, but all those whom God has chosen to be his own, Those who are all beyond hope in themselves, like you and me, yet are not beyond the saving power of Jesus Christ, whose purpose was demonstrated with Zacchaeus, drawing him, claiming him, but also by assuring him, giving him assurance in the face of repentance. Verse 8, 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've cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. Now, we need to understand that what takes us about 30 seconds to read, no doubt, was a several-hour visit. And we have no idea what Jesus said to Zacchaeus in that house. No doubt it was awesome. And this is Zacchaeus' response. Notice his confession, if I have cheated anybody. Now, we need to understand that that is not a statement of doubt on Zacchaeus' part, as if to say, I don't think I have. But if anybody can prove that I did, well then I'll do this. It's a statement of reality, if I have, and I know that I have. And he treats himself as a thief. He imposes upon himself the most severe penalty of the law. Normally, if we look back in Numbers, we read that if someone is found to have taken something that didn't belong to them, They were to give it back and give 20% above that. But in Exodus 22, verse 1, we read, If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. If you can't give back what you took, you've got to replace four or fivefold. Zacchaeus imposes the strict penalty upon himself. I will give back fourfold. And this is tangible evidence. of Zacchaeus' conversion. Conversion begins in the heart, we know, but repentance and conversion is always evidenced by the fruit of good works. It has to be. Those who are made one with the vine, Jesus Christ, cannot help but bring forth good fruit of righteousness. Paul says in Ephesians 4.28, He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work doing something useful with his own hands that he may have something to share with those in need. This change in Zacchaeus' heart was evidenced by a change in his way of life. He's not talking here about his past practices. Oh, I have given half of my possessions, and when I have stolen something, I have restored four... No. He's talking about future practice. A lifestyle change. By faith, he had recognized the selflessness of Jesus and the grace of God in not holding sin against those who humbly look to Jesus Christ in faith. And beloved, the regenerating effect of the Word of God resulted in Zacchaeus no longer storing up treasures on earth, but storing up treasures in heaven. No longer being fixed upon getting and getting and getting a little more, but upon giving and giving and giving as much as he could. No longer being selfish, but being selfless. And Zacchaeus is not making a case here for why he believes he deserves Christ's presence with him. Not at all. He knew that he didn't deserve it. He's not giving a reason why his guilt ought to be wiped out. He knew too that that was up to this man. who would give his life a ransom for many. He's given evidence of a heart changed by the grace of God. A heart that had received Jesus Christ. We know that. Because Jesus gives him assurance of salvation before doing these things. Today, Jesus says. Today, Jesus, the Savior, had come to Zacchaeus' house had sought him and saved him even before he gave one demonstration of any of these things. And as well, Zacchaeus' salvation did not rest on his future actions if he proved that he was worthy, if he actually did keep his word. No. Zacchaeus was saved at that very moment. And the Savior had proven that Zacchaeus was not only a physical son of Abraham, but he was a true spiritual son of Abraham. As Paul says in Galatians 3, verse 7, understand that those who believe are children of Abraham. And the salvation that he enjoyed was freedom from the guilt and the curse and the punishment of sin. And he enjoyed being rescued from eternal death and hell. And he enjoyed restoration. His soul was restored to favor with God and the protection of God. And this one who was hated and despised by people was loved by the only Savior of the world. Dear people of God, Zacchaeus is a demonstration, a real-life demonstration of Christ's purpose to seek and save the lost. Unless Christ does this by the Holy Spirit, it's impossible. It's impossible to happen. One is lost, and one will remain lost until Christ's saving work is applied to that one by the Holy Spirit and received by faith, and then that one is saved forever. Never to be taken away. And what a beautiful demonstration that Jesus Christ did not simply make salvation possible, and now it's up to you and me. We've got to go out and get it. We've got to go out and secure it somehow. Praise God, that's not how it is. but that He really saves His people. He gave His life as a ransom for many and He brings His people to faith to receive Him and to receive His work. And what a beautiful demonstration of hope for the worst of sinners that none is beyond the power of God. Maybe you're here this morning and you feel that way. You come to church only because, you know, I think it's maybe the right thing to do and it's better that I come than not come. But I think I'm really beyond hope. I've been too bad. If that's how you think this morning, look at this Word of God. Look at this beautiful demonstration of hope through this man Zacchaeus from our Lord Jesus Christ and understand that whoever calls on the name of the Lord in faith they will be saved not one is beyond the power of God Hezekiah is also then a representative example for you and me apart from Jesus Christ you see one only lives an empty way of life a life that is really meaningless a life that has no value busy storing of wealth maybe great wealth and all kinds of memories that will not last but in Christ one who was once lost but is now found is not the same it's impossible but that one is now transformed by the Holy Spirit he is a new creation as Paul says oh we may and we do still struggle with sin and selfishness as Paul constantly reminds his hearers. Turn from. Put off. Put on. We do still struggle with sin and selfishness in this life and even as believers in the context of the church, thinking that our way is best, that it's the only way. But more and more we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to recognize the selflessness of Jesus Christ and giving Himself as a ransom for me and not leaving me in the hell that i deserve and by the grace of god more and more we are brought to recognize that my new life in him is not an empty life but no matter what my earthly status may be before the eyes of men no matter what i may accumulate no matter how much i have or how little i have that my life in christ is filled with his love and my life is filled with the opportunity to demonstrate His love to the world. Giving of myself and all of my God-given resources in the name of Jesus Christ. Influencing the world through grateful obedience to Him who has found me and saved me. Now Zacchaeus may have been a wee little man, but God's grace transformed him into a giant of faith. And that's the power of God's grace through Jesus Christ who came for that greatest, most necessary purpose to seek and save a people like you and me for whom there was no other way of salvation. Amen. Let's pray. Our great God and Heavenly Father, so often we must confess we like to have a high estimation of ourselves. We see ourselves as being so great and wonderful and so worthy. Yet we need to be reminded, as you have this morning, of our great need. That apart from Jesus Christ, we are lost and forever will remain lost apart from Your work through Your Spirit. But we thank You too, O Lord, for the great hope that You give to Your people, to whoever humbles themselves and looks away from themselves and looks only to Jesus Christ, that indeed, even today is the day of salvation to those whom You bring to faith in Christ Jesus. And, Father, we pray, too, that you would cause us to rejoice in such a great salvation and respond in a way that gives evidence of your great work done for us in our lives. And may we, too, be those who bless others, whom you bless others with, even as we seek to be vessels of your grace and mercy to this world. Father, thank you again and again and again for your great mercy and love. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray these things. Amen.