why did zacchaeus want to see jesus

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.'". The general thought of the time was that tax collectors got money by misapplying their power and authority. The majority of people detested him and considered him to be the worst of sinners. But who would let the chief tax collector do that? WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS? Zacchaeus was probably feeling all those emotions and more. Zacchaeus must have been efficient, organized, and aggressive in his work. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view. But not Zacchaeus he was glad to give it even without being asked and was following Jesus as he said those things. But the people of Jericho were not happy with Jesus because they were not happy with Zacchaeus life. Im still able to do the hand gestures to the music. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Because of his encounter with the Son of God that day, the wee little tax collector became a new creation. According to the spirit of the Old Testament restitution requirement, he repaid four for one. But crowds were gathered around Jesus, and Zacchaeus had two things working against him: his height and . Despite the fact that the two men had never met before, Jesus was well-versed in Zacchaeuss life. Yet this rich chief tax collector is so desperate to see that he will not be deterred and humiliates himself by climbing a tree like a child in order to glimpse over the crowd and see Jesus. Say: One time a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what one thing he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus, then, for the third time, foretells his own deaththe specific reason for this journey to Jerusalem. As the Greek default tense the aorist is simply stating that this is, in fact, what happened, and no further assumptions may be made about this. Ralph Earle pass by lightly because it is one that is relevant to us short people: The gospel is not simply for those who are tall, black, and good-looking, though. that he was a spiritual son of Abraham and not just one of his redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for In that case, thank You for knowing everything about my life; really, I have nothing to hide from You. (A) He's a short man, and (B) the crowd has no love for himno one is going to make room for the tax collector. Sycamores are common in the area and their branches are long, plentiful, and grow close to the ground. In Dr. Thomas Constable's commentary (click the "Constable's Notes" tab), he posits a fourth option: Jesus assessed Zaccheus promises as an evidence of saving faith. He was a truth seeker who was on a mission. Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus, suggesting that his interest went deeper than mere curiosity. Not only was Zacchaeus the most powerful IRS agent of his day, but he was also a traitor to his own country, according to historians. By Zacchaeus accepting / receiving Jesus into the place he lives, is expressing the fact that Zacchaeus has nothing to hide and in fact gladly receives Jesus into the most intimate place of his life. Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus, suggesting that his interest went deeper than mere See Details 3.When Jesus crossed paths with Zacchaeus Author: home.snu.edu Post date: 28 yesterday Rating: 1 (297 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 3 He must have blended in nicely since he was able to make a fortune off of it. But we are told in Luke 19:7 how the CROWD felt about Jesus going to the home of a tax collector:They began to whisper among themselves. 2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 3 was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 4. It is even harder for the rich to enter Gods kingdom! (Luke 18:24-25), This worried the disciples. (NIV), Luke 19:9-10"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. Meet Zacchaeus: Short, Dishonest Tax Collector Who Found Christ. Zacchaeus encountered Jesus because He went about preaching the gospel. Say this:Zacchaeus was a guy who worked for the Roman government, collecting taxes on behalf of the people. He could have allowed his ego or peoples hatred for him to prevent him from going to see Jesus. He had a birds-eye perspective of everything that was going on. Everybody, including the high and the rich, needs Jesus Christ. Then, as Jesus passed by, he suddenly stopped, looked up and called out Zacchaeus by name. Did Jesus recover the lost tribes of Israel? His income was presumably high, but the work provided several possibilities for him to siphon off a portion of the profits for himself. Salvation came to Zacchaeus because he was generous in giving away his money and paying back those he had wronged. CHAPTER 19. Commentators and scholars see this as a fairly straightforward situation that demonstrates exemplary use of wealth and material resources. Application: According to Psalm 139:13, You formed the innermost portions of my existence. It was you who put me back together in my mothers body. Perhaps he even inquired as to if he might climb up on someones shoulders! And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. 5. Scriptures of people exposed and receiving forgiveness: John 8:1-11, John 4. By Zacchaeus actions we see his hearts motivation and by Jesus response we see Zacchaeus heart's motivation. Due of his low stature, he could not see through the thicket of people to identify Jesus. cedarministryng@gmail.com Luke 19:2 says, Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich (NKJV). At any rate, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and because he was unable to see over the heads of the people, he ran ahead (verse 4) and climbed into a sycamore tree. He did not come to praise the people that were already good. *Invite Jesus into your life. Welcome to Stack Exchange, we are glad you are here. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. Despite this, many individuals continue through life putting off responding to Gods call on their lives. Zacchaeus was a wee little man/And a wee little man was he/He climbed up in that sycamore tree/For the Lord he wanted to see. Also, all Jews prided themselves on being the sons of Abraham. The account closely follows the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30), in which Jesus declares that 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. The people following him asked, Then who can be saved? Jesus reply was that What is impossible with men is possible with God (vv. To view Jesus, Zacchaeus had to climb a tree, which he couldnt do since he was too short. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. Nobody is born saved. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Say:When Zacchaeus heard Jesus tell him to come down from the tree, what did he do? He thought he wanted to see Jesus by strategically positioning himself on the tree where Jesus was going to pass. PPT CUE is an abbreviation for PowerPoint CUE. When we believe this, repent, and follow Him, just like Zacchaeus did, Jesus will transform our life and transform us into something new and wonderful! When he worked as a major tax collector for the region around Jericho, Zacchaeus, a Jew, was an employee of the Roman Empire. I believe if you really want to know someone or be known by someone you have to go to or let them in your home. The Pharisees, without a doubt, were among those who complained (verse 7). Jesus was merely declaring what God had done by the fruit that he saw. Our lecture has various practical applications, which are as follows: The reality of the matter is that opportunities to get back on track with God do not always present themselves day after day and year after year. Zacchaeus (pure), a tax-collector near Jericho, who, being short in stature climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to obtain a sight of Jesus as he passed through that place. vv. In that case, thank You for knowing everything about my life; certainly, I can tell You everything about myself. A plastic butterfly (or picture). Ask:Who did we learn about who left everything to follow Jesus? When Jesus says to any sinner follow Me, and that sinner decides to follow Him, God forgives their sin and gives them a new life. There was a guy there by the name of Zacchaeus, who was a renowned tax collector and a wealthy man in his own right. It only takes a minute to sign up. Excited. The fact that his sinners heart was entirely repentant will be the center of our discussion today. This was visible to everyone. Jesus and Zacchaeus returned to their house the very day. Salvation is by 1-4 Since Zacchaeus is small he is overwhelmed by the crowd in his attempts to see Jesus. Zacchaeus, on the other hand, was profoundly transformed as a result of his experience with Jesus. He cheated his fellow citizens, taking advantage of their powerlessness. As a result of the large number of people gathered around the Master, he was unable to go close enough to view Him because he was both undesirable in the crowd and of little stature in comparison. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When Jesus arrived in Jericho, it was as if this was something he had planned ahead of time. This does not match the context or the tone of the narrative which is that of a shocking reconciliation of a traitor, nor does it match the immediacy of Jesus declaration that Today salvation has come. Additionally, Metzger argues for the possibility that Zacchaeus is not pledging to give half to the poor and keep half of his wealth but to give away his half of all that he owns, on the basis of an early Greek uncial that includes a possessive, genitive pronoun. 3Are you so foolish? Seeing a great crowd surrounding Jesus, Zacchaeus wanted to see for himself what this man looked like, but that was a problem because Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over. Jesus meets Zacchaeus in Jericho while on his way to Jerusalem for the last time. First, I think we need to recognize Zacchaeus' actions throughout this passage to understand what Jesus recognized from Zacchaeus' actions regarding the inward reality of Zacchaeus' heart and motivations to his actions.1. Application: Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus and wanted to see with his PHYSICAL eyes what all the commotion was about. He did this by climbing a sycamore tree. The time has arrived for something fresh! Tax collectors weren't viewed greatly among the people, so why would a man like him want to. These include: Perhaps the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about making things right in your life. He came down immediately. Your email address will not be published. 7Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith The Bible story of Zacchaeus, a leading tax-collector of Jericho, is discussed only in the Book of Luke. God, on the other hand, had a personal interest in this guy and desired for him to be rescued. Jesus didn't leave him in that tree. They were not a free nation. He collected taxes for the Romans, overseeing the customs charges on the trade routes through Jericho and levying taxes on individual citizens in that area. He ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into the biggest tree he could find. The majority of the time, those who are affluent are less likely to become disciples of someone who is impoverished and despised, as was Jesus, 5) Zacchaeus was unaware that when Jesus passed through Jericho, it was our Lords final journey to Jerusalem. Accepting his invitation leads to forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3 NKJV). He did not expect Jesus to be his guest! He worked as a tax collector, which meant that he was despised by the majority of the population. Those who are well, have no need of a physician but those who are sick. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Can I use the spell Immovable Object to create a castle which floats above the clouds? Therefore, Zacchaeus and other Jews collecting taxes for the Romans were hated and seen as sinners. The Son of Man came to seek and rescue those who had gone astray. Wow. Also, Acts 8:4 says those who were scattered (the believers) went everywhere preaching the word. Before Jesus left the earth, He told His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. They are part of the kingdom of God! How do you think Zacchaeus felt when Jesus said He wanted to stay at the little tax collectors house? Jesus said to the rich man regarding rich men in Matt 19:24, I say to you 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 then tells the man to go sell everything he has and give to the poor, and come follow me finally the concluding remarks of the writer says, when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Tax collectors were very unpopular and known for cheating taxpayers. And John 10:3, which tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His dearly loved sheep, says: The sheep listen to His voice. Zacchaeus was changed, through and through. That very day, Jesus went home with Zacchaeus. 2. Salvation should result in a new set of behavior consistent with the new faith people have received (Ephesians 4:17-24; Galatians 5:16-26; Colossians 3:3-7). Luke 19:8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Replying to His critics, He said that He, the Son of Man, had come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). In that light, I'm not sure "Zaccheus was saved because God chose him to be a type of Christ" is an answer to the question because it seems like you are there stating that God saved him ("how" unstated) so that he could be a type of Christ. During Jesus lifetime, the issue of excessive Roman taxes was a heated topic, and tax collectors were directly employed by the Roman administration. A descendant of Abraham, he was an example of Jesus 's personal, earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost. righteousness. Once saved, we are one in Christ no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. But he was a short man. Read the full story of Joseph's Coat of Many Colors in scripture text and find Articles . Once again the onlookers grumbled against Jesus. faith and had thereby proved to be a genuine descendant of Abraham, Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a natural propensity to look out for ourselves and grab whatever we can get away with, much like Zacchaeus. As a result, he raced ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, who was on his way that way. Zacchaeus must have been efficient, organized, and aggressive in his work. Good News Translation He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. In today's story from the Bible, we'll hear about Zacchaeus, a disliked tax collector. According to the story in Luke, when a crowd gathered to see Jesus near Jericho, Zacchaeus climbs into a sycamore to get a better view. He had much opportunity to abuse the system that funded the occupying Roman army. Again I believe, for Jesus, this is an outward expression of an inward reality. After reaching the tree, Jesus raised his eyes to find a guy in a nice suit perched on the branches, which he immediately recognized. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all that has been prophesied by the prophets concerning the Son of man will be fulfilled, Jesus told the twelve disciples in a private conversation (verse 31). He was in charge of collecting taxes for the Romans, supervising the customs duties on trade routes that passed through Jericho and levying taxes on individual residents living in the region under his jurisdiction. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. There is no sinner too lost to be saved. Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523 He tried standing on his tip toes, but that didnt work. We too are chosen to be types of Christ and God works in the details of our lives to make us look more like Jesus every day. Gen. 15:6; 22:1-19). Most grown ups pay taxes on the money they earn at work, on the things they buy, on their homes, on their cars. (received) is an aorist verb which denotes an indefinite amount of time. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God. +234 803 311 3523 ( Luke 19:1-10) Zacchaeus was a Jew, as may be inferred from his name and from the fact that the Saviour speaks of him expressly as "a son of Abraham."The term which designates his office -"the chief among the publicans . John 19:5 Was Pilate alluding to Jesus being the Son of Man? It was he who repented of his misdeeds and made reparation for the wrongdoing that had occurred. But he can't see above the crowds or get through them. cedarministryng@gmail.com, +234 815 574 4752 People were swarming about Jesus, and Zacchaeus, like the rest of us, was curious about what was going on around him. As Jesus and the disciples did, we must go everywhere and preach the gospel, using different means. Onesimus changed (Philemon 10-16). We may not be tax collectors, we may not be thieves or murderers, but we are all sinners. - 2 Corinthians 5:17. Make haste, come down from wherever you are, and receive Jesus joyfully into your heart. Caterpillars are very hungry. He was looking forward to seeing Jesus, who was on his way. Look, Lord! he said. The old is gone! Zacchaeus story is recorded in Luke 19:1-10. When we listen to the Shepherd calling us by name and respond to Him, our lives will be changed too! Zacchaeus is a man who wants to see Jesus but because of his short . StoryClubs. We are not informed whether or not he had defrauded anyone of anything; it is possible that he had not; but, we see him taking steps to ensure that others would perceive him in a different light at this moment and for the foreseeable future. It is unambiguous indication that Zacchaeus was a new creation when he says, The half of my property I give to the needy. 4) This is the only salvation tale in the Gospels that involves a wealthy individual. Zacchaeus was the citys principal tax collector and was known as the Tax Collector.. Application: Meeting Jesus changed Zacchaeus into a completely new person. There is no merit toward salvation in giving things away, nor by giving up his job, nor by being called down from the tree. The blood of Jesus will take care of every sin. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ezekiel 33:11). Jesus was passing through Jericho one day, but because Zacchaeus was a man of short stature, he could not see over the crowd. Also, its more than just a narrative that was used to create the letter Z for alphabet rhymes in the New England Primer of the 1700s. it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things He also represented Jesus being 'least' in stature. Jesus chose to abide in the home of a tax collector (Luke 19:1-6), 3. The Gospel of Luke informs us that when Jesus went beneath the tree, He raised His eyes and addressed Zacchaeus by his given name. Jesus, having demonstrated the capacity to know the hearts of humans, understands the eternal implications of this shift. Because Zacchaeus was a tax collector, he was "excluded from membership among the people of God." And there was some reason why tax collectors were not really accepted in the house of faith. Summary: "Zacchaeus must have been efficient, organized, and aggressive in his work. He was completely taken by surprise when the Lord addressed him by name and instructed him to come down from the tree. In Exodus 22:1, the excessive payback demanded was described as follows: If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills or sells it, he should repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep, according to the scripture in Exodus 22. So Jesus told the man to sell everything and give the money to the poor. If Jesus wasnt looking for him, how would He have known he was on the tree despite the thronging crowd? Jesus humbled himself and came to serve all men. But Zacchaeus stood up. Then who can be saved? they asked. What's the cheapest way to buy out a sibling's share of our parents house if I have no cash and want to pay less than the appraised value? Zacchaeus must have been shocked. The timeline in this story becomes a bit ambiguous. People in Israel didnt like this at all. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way. He loved his money so much that he didnt want to give it up, even to follow the Son of God. Nobody should surrender to any obstacle. Old things must pass away (2 Corinthians 5:17). 2023 Proven Way In actuality, those who seek Jesus are sought after, seen, and saved by him because he seeks them out. All sin separates us from God, because at its root it is a declaration of independence from God. We must not ignore these individuals because, after all, Jesus loves them and they are in desperate need of hearing the Gospel message. Look at Luke 10 - where the seventy are sent out. In my childhood, I spoke like a kid; I comprehended as a child; I thought as a child; but when I grew up and matured, I left childish things behind me. (1 Corinthians 13:11) The Bible states that. 10For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for Jesus notices Zacchaeus in the tree and calls him down to join him. This was the right response to the Saviours invitation. Not discouraged by that, he ran ahead to climb a sycamore tree to see Jesus. As I've been thinking through this text lately, I think the beginning half of Luke 3, particularly verses 3-14 and especially verse 8 have far more weight. My soul will be cleansed as a result of the restitution. Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Jodi is part of the Childrens Ministry team at Grace Fellowship Church, outside of Atlanta. Is Luke 15 intended as an argument for, against or to qualify the idea of irrecoverable apostasy? The reason Jesus came was to assume responsibility for the moral and spiritual flaws of the world and, via His crucifixion, to be punished as a result of those shortcomings. Zacchaeus was interested in learning more about Jesus. Jesus enters the town surrounded by crowds pushing in on Him. John the Baptist also emphasized the need for the Jews to bear fruits worthy of repentance and not say that Abraham was their father. Leonard And Louise Pickton, Articles W