Full Sermon: Luke 19:1-10, Sept 28th 2025.
Also Revelation 14.
After the Alpha Course, people have been asked ‘’what difference has Jesus made?’’
Here are some of the answers that are given:
‘’My life is completely changed. I now look at the world through different eyes… I feel love for everyone and an inner peace that I never imagined could exist.’’
‘’I have been living my life in a dark hole. I was carrying a great weight on my shoulders … that burden has gone … and I am filled with great hope, joy, excitement and love and all I want to do is serve Christ in whatever form he chooses.’’
‘’I feel like I have found love and conquered death in one day.’’
A Close Look.
Let’s explore Luke’s words, and then we will come back into it, looking at what applications to take away as disciples of Jesus…
Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem – and in v28 of this chapter, he enters Jerusalem and Holy Week begins. Now he is passing through Jericho.
Jericho. A city rebuilt since Joshua’s taking of that city. Herod the Great – the king when Jesus was born – had built there aqueducts, a winter palace, fortresses, and even a chariot race course. It had a tropical climate, it had the water it needed for agriculture and it was a major toll collection point for goods moving east and west. That’s the city.
Zaccheus. He was a chief tax collector and he was wealthy is what we are told.
Chief Tax Collector – so he had reached the top of his profession; maybe he was middle aged but he could still run and climb a tree; he was wealthy and because he was the chief collector he had people working under him. He would have been promoted various times to get to where he was.
He probably had a family – Jesus talks of visiting his house (that can mean household as well as physical house); and he was brought up in a religious home – his name Zaccheaus means ‘’the righteous one.’’
But he was not righteous. He was a collaborator – the tax collectors worked with the occupying Roman forces. He was a materialist – he has collected more money than he needed. He was a liar – you assume that when he was asked why so much tax – he needed to make up a reason – ‘’this is the new Roman rate – and he was a crook, a criminal.
A collaborator, a materialist, a liar, a crook. An outcast.
But v3 – despite all this. He wanted to see Jesus.
He couldn’t see him, he runs ahead, climbs the tree.
V5-6 -7 – there are three responses.
Response of Jesus – he sees Zaccheaus – and knows who he is – how, we do not know – I think this is again one of these moments when Jesus displays supernatural knowledge through the Spirit – Paul calls these ‘’words of knowledge.’’
Again Jesus sees a person in a crowd. There is a crowd around Jesus –yet he sees ‘’someone in the crowd’’ – Zaccheaus is in a tree – but in all that number of people, in all the noise, the movement, the busyness, he sees Zaccheaus.
Jesus says – Come down I must stay at your house – Jesus invites himself.
Zacchaeus response – climbs down, welcomes him.
And the crowd response – not – hurrah Jesus will sort out this corrupt, criminal, lying
collaborator.
Mutter – he has gone to be the guest of a sinner… What is Jesus doing going there.
I was thinking on this – and realised we can do the same – we think Jesus will go to needy people or people like us. I was thinking back to my homeland – where our communities were badly polarised – it is like Jesus walking with the Protestants and then he sees a Roman Catholic and says that he is going to have tea at his home. You’d think – why is he going there – to that place?
V8 Zaccheaus’ life is transformed. Again, earlier, in Luke 18, we read about a rich young ruler – who asked what he had to do to be saved, who refused to sell what he had because money had a hold on his life;
Jesus says – how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. …
What is impossible with man, is possible with God.’’
And yet here, a rich man is saved! The impossible has happened! God has made it possible.
Zaccheaus. Saved.
His new faith – salvation – changes his life. He will give half of his belongings – not half of his salary – half of all he has. And if he has cheated anyone – he will pay them back 4 times –4 times was the max level stated in the OT Law.
His life’s focus has changed. It has moved, as someone said – from ‘’how much can I get?’’ to ‘’how much can I give?’’ Transformation comes to him and to his family – salvation has come to this house, Jesus says – others are affected by his salvation.
And his transformation flows into the local community or society – a wealthy man gives 50% to the poor. Benefits came to the poor in that city; and justice came to those who had been cheated.
V10 the final line – The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. The sentence we are left with – as he approaches Jerusalem. The sentence we hear – lived out – for Zaccheaus was lost – and now he is found, saved. Heaven’s angels rejoicing as Luke 15 says. And in Luke 15 Jesus had said in the parables of the lost coin – someone seeks it; lost sheep someone seeks it – Jesus does not only talk about seeking and saving the lost – here he does it… We have done some theology. Now let’s do some application.
WWJD
The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost.
Years ago, there was a wristband – called WWJD – What would Jesus do? The idea was the wristband reminded you to be faithful to him, and to do what he would do if he was in your shoes. It still remains a good question to ask ourselves a way to check if we are truly on track.
WWJD – what would Jesus do – he seeks the lost.
The Church is God’s primary missional agency – we serve his great purpose, to work with him, to draw lost people back into a relationship with him…
The one who standing under that sycamore tree is God among us – the Word made Flesh. God out of love for lost humanity – he enters our time and space in human form. The creator – of that tree – becomes part of his creation. He leaves the splendor of the Father’s presence, and becomes human – showing the lengths to which God will go to bring us back to himself.
Our God is a missional God.
Someone wrote: ‘’If God is a missional God, and if the church is in fact the Body of Christ, is it not rather a contradiction in terms, indeed complete nonsense, to contemplate a church that is not missional? ‘’ Ian Parkinson, Ignite, pg 33.
It has been said – a disciple of Jesus – is to be with him, to become like him, and to do what he would do. Jesus has come to seek and save the lost – so what type of things should we be involved in?
How Jesus does this.
Well, I can mention – divine appointments – God incidents than coincidence – Z happens to be in that tree at that time when Jesus walks by;
I can mention being open to Holy Spirit led evangelism – what is the Spirit doing / saying in that moment.
I want to focus here on the style.
Jesus seeks to spend time with Zaccheaus – I must stay at your house.
We have just finished a course on Faith Sharing Styles. The idea is that there are probably 5, maybe more faith sharing styles and these are reflected in the NT and Jesus uses all 5.
These are. Persuasion / Reason Giving; Truth Telling / Direct; Practical Service; Story telling – testimony; and friendship building – eg Matthew becomes a follower of Jesus, then invites all his friends to a meal, and puts Jesus in the middle of it, with his followers.
Some of us, the main way we share faith is – through reason debate; others we share faith through being direct, to the point; others we tell our story – how we came to believe in Jesus and what difference he makes; others it is through service – acts of kindness – people serving a person or a community out of love for Christ and neighbour – such as relief work, foodbanks or visiting AZC etc.
And others it is through friendship – you love getting to know people – and at some point in that friendship you hope and want to talk about your faith…
Assuming we have the desire to share our faith, what style fits you?
Second. Is there someone you just need to spend time with – someone who isn’t a believer – to sit down and eat with them, chat and talk about life, asking God to give you that chance to mention you are a believer or to ask him or her where they are in life? Maybe to invite them to come to Alpha in January when we run it again?
Maybe that person does not need reasons, or a testimony, or direct challenge, maybe that person needs some home made pizza, a beer and time to chat with you… Remember what we have said before – when you read particularly Luke’s Gospel, Jesus seems often to be going to a meal, coming from a meal or in a meal. By saying – I must stay at your house – that means hospitality and that means, in the Middle East, food…
Lost.
Who is lost for you at this moment?
You can say that everyone is lost without Christ – true – Ephesians 2 reminds us that without Christ we are spiritually dead – we need the resurrection Jesus offers. We all do. I became a Christian yesterday, 1993, on 27th Sept 32 years ago. I was spiritually dead and then I was alive, I was lost and then found, salvation came to me in Jesus.
But is there someone or a group you would say are truly lost – there is no hope. Z was someone – criminal, working with the wrong group, the enemy, liar, corrupt, money focused … are there other unreachables – aetheist, agnostic, New Age, other faith? Or simply your neighbour or work colleague?
Is there someone you would say – there is no way their life can change, no way they would become a Christian.
I wonder how many people in Jericho would have thought the same – who do you think will follow Jesus – not that Zaccheaus that’s for sure…
Our Gospel shares that glorious message that no one is too deep in the pit that Christ is not deeper still. No one is too lost that Christ is not going to reached out to them.
No one has gone so far that they cannot return.
No one is too lost that they cannot be found.
If you think that is you.
Then this story is for you – Jesus says – come I must stay with you and we need to talk…
I love the balance between Rev 14 and Luke 19. In Rev 14 – the angel has the eternal gospel to proclaim to all those on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people… that is the big picture. The gospel for the whole world. Yet Luke brings us back – the gospel is about one person at a time – you and Jesus…
I want to finish with that image – Zaccheaus I must stay at your home today…
so he came down and welcomed him glady.
There is a verse in Revelation 3:20 I am reminded of:
Jesus says: 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20.
The Painter Holman Hunt painted a famous work – Light of the World – illustrating this.
People pointed out that he had made a mistake. There was no handle on the outside.
He said it was no mistake.
The door has to be opened from the inside.
You see you can know about Jesus – but that is not enough. You need to open the door.
Jesus says – come I must stay at your home – you need to ‘’welcome him’’
You need to open the door, and let him in.
And how do you do that – a simple prayer.
To be honest the exact words do not matter but you want to say to God that your turn from your sins;
that you trust in Jesus as Saviour;
and you want to follow him as Lord and King.
In a moment I will use a prayer and maybe you are someone who would like to pray that.
Or perhaps you want to think more – there is a small great booklet outside – Why Jesus in
English and Dutch – to take away and read …
To finish
WWJD do – seek and save the lost
Faith sharing Styles – and particularly who do you need to spend time with, who isn’t a
Christian.
Lost – who is lost for you – but not beyond salvation in the eyes of Jesus.
And you, do you need to welcome Jesus into your life?
Shall we pray…
Lord Jesus Christ,
thank you for dying for me on the cross.
I’m sorry for the things in my life that have been wrong.
I now turn away from everything that I know is wrong.
I turn from my sins.
And I now receive your gift of forgiveness.
I put my trust in what you did on the cross for me.
You are my Saviour.
And I ask you, please, to come into my life,
and fill me with your Holy Spirit, and give me strength,
I want to follow you as my Lord and King this day and forever more.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen