Zacchaeus

ZacchaeusThe story of Zacchaeus, occurring in Luke 19:1-10, is one of the best loved stories in all of the Bible. All of us seem to identify with Zacchaeus in some way. The sheer drama of the story quickly captures our imagination. Luke places the story essentially at the end of Jesus’ ministry, immediately before He begins the Passion Week or final week of His life before the crucifixion. The strategic location of the story points to its significance. This story will remind the reader that this has been the motivating factor for Jesus throughout His ministry and especially now as He moves toward the cross (about a week later); Jesus “has come to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10).

Jesus Was on His Way to Jerusalem

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the final time. Just a few verses earlier (Luke 18:31-33), Jesus had told His disciples, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked, insulted, spit on; and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day.” Luke makes it clear that Jesus knew that He would soon face the cross. Just two verses later, Luke records a story of Jesus healing a blind man “as He drew near Jericho.” Jericho was just a few miles outside of Jerusalem. In other words, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to die and He is getting close to the city! Everything that follows must be read in light of this announcement.

Jesus Was Moving with Purpose and Speed

The first verse of chapter 19 tells us Jesus “entered Jericho and was passing through.” Luke is careful to point out that Jesus is moving with speed and purpose. But why? Yes, Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to die, but why was he in a hurry? As the story unfolds we will discover that it was Jesus’ intention to die on Passover. Luke 22:1-2 says, “the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was drawing near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.” Jesus would become the final Passover sacrifice. He would have to manage the coming chain of events carefully so He would be crucified on precisely the right day. The story underscores the importance of time in Luke 19:5 when Jesus says, “Zacchaeus, HURRY and come down…” And again in verse 6… “So he QUICKLY came down…” Jesus is moving with purpose and speed because of the divine timetable of the coming Passover.

Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus was a hated tax collector. In fact, he was “a chief tax collector” (v. 2). This simply means that he had other tax collectors working for him. It’s no wonder, then, that “he was rich” (v. 2). And this wealth had come at the expense of his fellow Jews. It was bad enough for a fellow Jew to represent Rome (pagan rulers) in taxing the people. But, we also know that tax collectors often collected more than what was required. Zacchaeus even confesses that he was guilty of “extorting” the people (v. 8). His status as tax collector would have effectively excluded Zacchaeus from the fellowship of God’s people and, therefore, from God Himself. We shouldn’t be surprised that when Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ home, “all who saw it began to complain, ‘He’s gone to lodge with a sinful man!'” (v. 7).

Like others, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but Zacchaeus was not very tall and couldn’t see over the crowd. So, he ran ahead and “climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus” (v. 4). We don’t know if Zacchaeus was moved by simple curiosity or whether he felt a need to lay his eyes on Jesus for some reason. Whatever the case, Jesus knows Zacchaeus and sees the condition of his heart. He calls for Zacchaeus to come down “because today I must stay at your house” (v. 5). Zacchaeus complied and “welcomed Him joyfully” (v. 6). Whatever was going on in Zacchaeus’ heart, he was glad to hear and respond to Jesus’ invitation.

A Son of Abraham

We know nothing of Jesus’ actual visit in Zacchaeus’ home. But whatever happened, Zacchaeus was changed. So much so that he declares, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much” (v. 8). Zacchaeus’ repentance went well beyond the intent to do better in the future. He intended to make restitution for past sins. This is the kind of repentance Jesus calls for; it recognizes the impact of sin on the lives of people around us and it does something about it.

When Jesus encounters people, He calls for a complete change, especially when it comes to understanding that our sin hurts other people. This is why Jesus makes the point that Zacchaeus’ “salvation” (v. 9) isn’t purely personal. It has implications for the community “because he too is a son of Abraham” (v. 9). With this declaration, Jesus effectively removed any restriction that had been placed on Zacchaeus related to the fellowship of God’s people. It’s this kind of thing that drove the “chief priests and the scribes, with the elders” to later ask, “tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?” (Luke 20:2). Jesus was announcing the arrival of God’s Kingdom and that involved restoring people like Zacchaeus to a proper status as “a Son of Abraham” (v. 9). Jesus concludes His comments to the crowd with a declaration of His purpose… “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10). And this simple statement ends this brief, but important story.

Zacchaeus Was “One Sinner Who Repents”

Zacchaeus was a good example of the kind of person who had pursued wealth and self-gratification at the expense of his fellow Jews. Everybody knew he was profiting by collecting more taxes than required and this effectively excluded Zacchaeus from the fellowship of God’s people. In the Jewish culture of that day, being ostracized from the community of faith would be the same as being separated from God Himself. Consequently, Zacchaeus was experiencing the kind of “death” that comes from social and spiritual isolation even while enjoying the comforts of a lavish lifestyle. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:7). Zacchaeus was a good example of the “one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7).

“Who Gave You The Right?”

After Zacchaeus announced his changed lifestyle, Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house… because he too is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9). Such a declaration would have angered the religious leaders. “What right does Jesus have to declare who has salvation and who is a son of Abraham?” Soon after that Jesus would enter and cleanse the temple. The religious leaders confronted Him and asked, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority” (Luke 20:2)?

Declaring salvation. Restoring fellowship with God. Cleansing the temple. Jesus was doing things that only God had the authority to do. The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates that Jesus has God’s authority and He is using it to restore the lives of broken people like Zacchaeus.

The Cross Is Coming

The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates that Jesus carried God’s authority, but in the context of what happens in the final chapters of Luke, this story also interprets what is about to happen. Jesus was going to challenge the religious system and become the Passover sacrifice. This would truly change everything. Centuries of sacrifice had always pointed forward to this particular Passover. Jesus had to die and the story of Zacchaeus makes it clear that Jesus would do this for people just like Zacchaeus. He was the reason Jesus would have to die. We are the reason Jesus would go to the cross.

Kids Love the Story of Zacchaeus

Children can identify with being unable to see because they’re surrounded by tall adults! In this story Jesus singles out Zacchaeus and goes to his home. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus was hated and used his power to rob from people. Because Jesus took the time to speak with this man, Zacchaeus changed his ways and became a new person. But it’s also important for kids to understand that the story of Zacchaeus points forward to the cross. Jesus would “save the lost” (v. 10) by going to the cross. Zacchaeus’ personal encounter was significant, but without the cross, it was just another encounter with a religious leader. The story of Zacchaeus will teach children that Jesus died for all people, no matter what they have done.

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