Main Idea: Salvation will change you. When God comes into your house, it changes everything.
Text: “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 NIV).
Message: Who was Zacchaeus? Today we might call him Zach for short. The first thing we notice about Zacchaeus is that he was short. He was “vertically challenged.” He had a handicap. His entire life people made fun of him because of his short stature. The school boys shouted, “Hey shorty!” He was picked last for all the sports teams. He is a small man who can teach us a big lesson.
The second thing that we notice is that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Nobody likes a tax collector. Not only is Zacchaeus a tax collector, he is a chief tax collector. Zacchaeus had a very important position. In America, people hate April 15 because it is “tax day.” Imagine how you would feel if a short little man knocked on your door on April 15th and demanded 20-30% of your income.
The third thing we notice is that Zacchaeus is rich. The Bible says he was “very wealthy.” Jericho was a rich city, the Jewish historian Josephus called it “a divine region.” All the caravans passed through his town. He was using his position to skim money off the top by cheating people.
Zacchaeus was a sinner. He cheated people for a living. He overcharged them on their taxes and pocketed the difference. There was a certain amount he was required to collect but he collected extra and put it in his own pocket. He misused and abused his authority. Because of this, he was rich in money but he had no friends.
To show you how bad tax collectors are I want to point out that eight times in the New Testament, “tax collectors and sinners” are mentioned together and two times, “tax collectors and harlots” are mentioned in the same breath.
Even worse in the eyes of his neighbors, Zacchaeus was a Jew. His name is an abbreviation of the Hebrew name, ‘Zachariah’, meaning ‘the righteous one.’ His names means “righteous” but he was far from righteous and everyone knew it. He was living in sin and focused only on growing his wealth. The land of Israel was occupied by the Roman army. Zacchaeus was not collecting taxes for his own people, he was sending their money to Rome. His neighbors considered him a collaborator with the enemy. He was excommunicated from the synagogue. He was unclean from fellowshipping with Gentiles.
Who was Zacchaeus?
1. Zacchaeus was short.
2. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector.
3. Zacchaeus was rich.
4. Zacchaeus was a Jew.
5. Zacchaeus was a sinner.
But one day, Zacchaeus heard about Jesus. He heard about how Jesus healed the sick and loved the sinners. He heard about how Jesus was even friends with tax collectors. He was curious about this man named Jesus and so he decided to go see him. Little did he know that his life was going to change forever. When you hear about Jesus, your life is sure to change.
When Zacchaeus got near to Jesus there was a problem. Surrounding Jesus was a huge crowd of people. Zacchaeus tried to push his way through the crowd to get close to Jesus but no one would let him through. He tried to stand on his tippy toes but that did not work.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so much that he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a Sycamore tree. He was so anxious to see Jesus that he shed his dignity and he climbed that tree like a little boy. He was probably wearing some expensive clothes but he did not care. It did not matter if he got a rip in his robe, he wanted to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus went out on a limb to see Jesus. He was a sinner in a sycamore. He wanted to see Jesus. He refused to allow anything to prevent him from seeing Jesus. Not people. Not his height. Not his social status. Not his sinful life. Today I encourage you, don’t let anything get in the way of you seeing Jesus.
When Jesus arrived at the tree, He looked up at Zacchaeus and met his eyes.
The people breathlessly waited to hear what Jesus would say. Would Jesus call down fire on the sinner? Would Jesus rebuke the chief tax collector, the Roman snitch, the cheating thief? Would Jesus call upon him to repent?
Jesus said none of these things. What he did say shocked the crowd. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
First, how did Jesus know his name? Was he so famous that Jesus had heard of the short tax collector? Or was Jesus operating in the word of knowledge? We don’t know for sure, but it is significant that Jesus knew his name.
Did you know that Jesus knows your name too? Jesus knows your name. He’s got your number. Jesus knows you are and where you live and He wants to come visit you today.
Zacchaeus was no dummy. He immediately slid down the trunk of the tree and led Jesus to his house.
All the people began to mummer and complain. They wanted Jesus to rebuke the man and instead Jesus is going to visit him at his house. They began to criticize Jesus and said, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” They simply could not believe that Jesus would associate with such a horrible person. The people felt that Zacchaeus was a dirty tax collector and to eat with him was to risk becoming unclean.
Do you know how significant it was that Jesus ate with Zacchaeus? I travel to foreign countries often and I have found that meals in the Middle East are extremely important. Sometimes they can take hours. People sit and talk and fellowship and eat course after course. Jesus was not asking to eat and run, He was asking to spend four or five hours with Zacchaeus. For a man with no friends, this was priceless.
Zacchaeus fed Jesus a delicious meal. The entire time, Zacchaeus was amazed that the good teacher would visit his house. At the end of the meal, Zacchaeus stands up to make an announcement. He says to Jesus, “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.”
This is an amazing event. First, it is amazing because he called Jesus “Lord.” Zacchaeus was a servant of Rome and all the citizens of Rome were required to call Ceaser “Lord” but now Zacchaeus uses the title for Jesus. He is switching alliances from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. That is what happens in our lives too when we call Jesus “Lord.”
Second, he pledges to give away his wealth. For years, his entire focus was on accumulating wealth. He had lied, and cheated, and stolen to make his money. Now he is going to give it away. Leviticus 5:16 and Numbers 5:7 command full restitution plus twenty percent extra. Exodus 22:1 told sheep thieves to give back four sheep. Zacchaeus applied the higher penalty to his sins because he was truly sorry. Jewish law said 20% but he decided to give 400%
The math behind his statement is amazing. If he had restored fourfold what he had stolen and then given half away of what was left, it would have been less. But that is not what he does. First he gives away half, then he restores fourfold.
Let’s pretend that he had $100 and that he had stolen $10 of it. To restore fourfold he would give away $40. Then imagine that he gave away half of what was left. Of the $60 left he would give away half $30 and still have $30 left. But that is not what he does. First, he gives away half ($50), and then he restores fourfold what he has stolen $40. Simply by changing the order of what he said he could have kept $20 extra. Instead, he only kept $10 out of his original $100. He was a sharp businessman who did math in his head every single day. He knew what he was giving away and he chose to give away the majority of his wealth.
In response to this amazing act of repentance and generosity, Jesus says “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham…”
Jesus disciples were still wondering why Jesus was eating with a sinner so Jesus explained, “…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” In Luke chapter 15, Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. In each story, the lost item is found. In this story about Zacchaeus, Jesus is now finding a man who was lost.
How are we like Zacchaeus? He never really measured up to people’s expectations because he was short in stature. In the same way, we fall short of God’s commands. Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fallen “short” of the kingdom of God.” Zacchaeus was short. We all fall short of God’s standards.
But even though we are sinners just like Zacchaeus, Jesus is calling us by name. Jesus is looking for you. He came to seek and save the lost. Jesus knows who you are. Isaiah 43:1 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”
Jesus did not condemn Zacchaeus, instead Jesus visited with him in his house. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus could have given him a sermon about how bad it is to steal money or to lie to people. But, Jesus knew that this type of sermon would have driven Zacchaeus away from God. Instead, Jesus loved him and the same Jesus loves you. Jesus approached him from a position of grace, not from a position of law.
Jesus is not looking at your past, He is looking at your future. Jesus did not see Zacchaeus as an evil tax collector, He saw him as a man who had a wonderful destiny. Do you remember that Zacchaeus’ name means “righteous?” Jesus did not see him as a sinner, Jesus saw him as righteous. Jesus wanted to be friends with him.
The Bible says, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham…” This could be translated as “salvation as been given to this house” or “this house has received salvation.” In other words, Zacchaeus and his whole family was saved that day.
Altar Call for the Lost
Salvation changed Zacchaeus from a taker to a giver. Salvation will change you. When God comes into your house, He changes everything.
Jeremiah 13:23 asks, “Can a leopard change his spots?” Can meeting Jesus completely change a person’s life? According to this story, the answer is “yes.” One tradition says that Zacchaeus became the bishop at Caesarea.
Jesus does not just change people, he also forgives them. Notice how Zacchaeus decided to make restitution for his cheating and stealing. Because of his repentance and his restitution, he was filled with great joy. Repentance + Restitution = Rejoicing .
Will you repent of your sins? Will you make restitution to those whom you have hurt? When you meet Jesus, you are going to want to change you life. We don’t make restitution in order to be saved, we make restitution because we are saved.
The end of this story explains Jesus’ motivation, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” This was the reason that Jesus came to earth, to seek and save those who are lost. Every person who has sinned is lost. We have all lied, cheated, stolen, and had hate in our heart toward a brother. These actions are sins. You might say, “But, I’m not a bad sinner like Zacchaeus who stole from his countrymen” but the truth is that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The price for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for your sin. But he did not stay dead on the cross. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead. Acts 2:21 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus wants to save you the same way that He saved Zacchaeus. Jesus did not condemn Zacchaeus and He is not condemning you.
Nobody is too small for Jesus. Jesus knew his name. Jesus knew his sin. Jesus knows your name. He knows what you need. Jesus sees you, not as you are, but as you can become.
Zacchaeus was short but:
He was big enough to climb a tree.
He was big enough to invite Jesus into his house.
He was big enough to repent and make a new start in his life.
Are you big enough? Are you big enough to come to Jesus? Are you big enough to repent? Are you big enough to come foreword and meet Jesus here at the altar? Right now, if you want Jesus to save you from your sins, I invite you to come to the front.
Altar Call for Believers
For those who are here that are already saved, I have a challenge for you. There are two different roles you could play in this story. First, you could be like the crowd that was following Jesus. They were excited to be around Him, but they did not have the time or the inclination to let Zacchaeus through the crowd. When Jesus announced that he was going to Zacchaeus’ house, the crowd complained that Jesus was spending time with sinners. Some people in church today act like this crowd. They don’t really care about the lost. They actually make it hard for the lost to come to Jesus and when a sinner actually comes into the church, they look down their noses at them and tell them not to get the nice church pews dirty.
The second role you could play is that of the sycamore tree. What did the tree do? It lifted Zacchaeus above the crowd so that he could see Jesus? Would you be like the sycamore tree today and lift people up so that they can see Jesus?
The people were surrounding Jesus. They were actually preventing Zacchaeus from reaching Jesus. Many churches act the same way, they are so inward focused that they keep people from getting to Jesus. As a believer, you have a choice. You can be like the crowd and keep people from reaching Jesus, or you can be like the Sycamore tree and lift people up so they can see Jesus.
Challenge for Believers: After hearing the sermon today, I want to challenge you to eat a meal with someone who needs Jesus within the next thirty days. You do not have to preach to them, but you do need to spend time with them and allow the Holy Spirit to show you how to minister to their needs.
