The Biggest Loser

"The Biggest Loser"
Luke 19:1-10

All too often people have invented gods that meet certain needs, but fail to come to know the true God that can meet all their needs. The truth is that God seeks out the lost, and He always has His heart tuned into the soul that desires to find Him. So often in our modern world our attention is drawn to so many things that we don't have the time to even think about our soul. The truth is that nothing in this world can satisfy the spiritual needs of our soul except God.

The Bible teaches us that the hungry heart to know God will find Christ. If you really desire to know God He will come and find you.

(1) The biggest loser.
Verses 1-3a "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was..."

-Zacchaeus was the biggest loser of his day.
a. He was hated by his own people because the Jews saw tax collectors who worked for Rome as both crooks and traitors to their own kind. They often disowned their own when they became tax collectors.
b. The Romans didn't care much for him either, but they tolerated Jews like him if they collected money for Caesar!

c. He got rich by overcharging people, so he had few if any friends.

d. He was short physically, thus he bullied people by his money since he couldn't stand up to them physically.

-Money had been his god, but had not brought him happiness.

Zacchaeus was curious about spiritual things too, just as the rich young ruler that turned away from Jesus sadly because he was so rich and unwilling to change from his god of money to the God of the Universe.

-God is not all that interested in wealth by this world's standards and so Zacchaeus would need to see the God he needed rather than the god of wealth he had served until now.

-His soul was at stake, and somehow Zacchaeus realized this.
a. Jesus was passing through, so it was an opportunity to explore a greater meaning in life than wealth.
b. He would have to overcome all the barriers in his life to get to God.

(2) Going out on a limb.
Verses 3b-4 "and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way."

-Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus desperately.
a. The hunger in his heart must have been great.

b. He was willing to risk being out in a crowd that despised him.

c. He was willing to climb a tree if necessary to see Jesus since he was too short to see over the crowd.

d. He was willing to search for Chris.

-Zacchaeus was on his way to discovering the greatest joy of his life.

-Zacchaeus had discovered that wealth had not brought him joy in life, it had not fulfilled him, it was not the answer to life's needs.
a. So often the rich only discover this so late and never change.
b. Unlike the other rich young man who had come to Jesus however Zacchaeus was searching for Jesus at any cost.

-Zacchaeus had gotten rich by being resourceful, and since he can't see Jesus through the crowd because of his height he simply climbs a sycamore-fig tree so that he can see Him.

-Zacchaeus had finally realized what few rich people discover, real wealth is not found in money, the things that make a man rich are free and available and found in Christ.
a. It doesn't take money to discover real joy and peace.

b. It doesn't take wealth to give you a sense of purpose, it takes God.

-Ask yourself this question: Was Jesus just passing by or was Jesus passing through the crowd to find the one heart that was yearning for Him?
a. The language here implies Jesus did not plan on stopping, He was just passing through Jericho.

b. Yet, Jesus cannot pass by a hungry soul and He will stop right at the tree where Zacchaeus is sitting. God will never miss the hungry heart, even in a crowd.

(3) Making a lifestyle change.
Verses 5, 6 "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully."

-As soon as Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was He stopped and looked right up at Zacchaeus.
a. Jesus even calls him by name.

b. God knows who you are.

-Imagine the amazement Zacchaeus felt when Jesus stopped and addressed him by name. Though Zacchaeus was a man with everything most people would want, money, power, prestige, he was also a man with an empty heart in need of God.

-Jesus' speaking to him indicates a divine appointment - "Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today."
a. This has the unmistakable ring of divine appointment.

b. Jesus passed the entire crowd to touch one man's soul.

c. God can still do this today.

-The reaction of Zacchaeus is quite clear, "he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly."
a. There is no way to miss the joy that Zacchaeus felt immediately.

b. Christ's desire to come to his home was all that he could have hoped for.

c. It is certain no Jewish leader of any reputation would have even stepped foot in a tax collector's home, that Jesus would ask to come shows the love of God in Christ which was far greater than the world's love or religious love.

(4) When everybody else says, "It's impossible."
Verses 7, 8 "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."

-Notice the crowd's reaction to Jesus' public declaration that He must go to Zacchaeus' home that very moment: "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"
a. The crowd cared nothing about Zacchaeus' soul, it may be that many of these people had been taken by the large taxes Zacchaeus had imposed on them.

b. It is certain that they only despised him, no one had compassion on his soul - hence all their muttering here.

c. Why would Jesus even want to go to this man's house? To save him of course!

-Yet notice the reaction of Zacchaeus to the crowd-he "stands up."
a. The language here indicates a short man who now squares back his shoulders to take a stand for his new found faith.

b. Zacchaeus the outcast is becoming Zacchaeus the outspoken man of faith.

-Zacchaeus now proclaims the commitment of his new found faith, it takes action that is consistent with being saved by grace.
a. Zacchaeus declares, "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."

b. What a statement that reflected a new heart.
c. There is no question as to the sincerity of his faith in Christ. This commitment is made in front of the entire crowd, not in secret.

-The depth of his commitment to Christ is also shown in the fact that the Old Testament law required for fraud that the amount be paid back plus 20% interest. (see Lev. 6:5 and Num. 5:6) The fact that Zacchaeus was willing to give back 4 times the amount shows a heart willing to go well beyond the law's requirement.
a. He is not only going to give to the poor half of everything he has, but pay back 4 times the amount he had taken by fraud from others.

b. The Old Tesament law required for theft four times the amount returned according to Exodus 22:1. This would indicate that Zacchaeus considered his actions beyond fraud and more like outright theft. He makes no effort to hide his sin or put a softer spin on his previous actions.

c. He wants to obey the Word of God as proof of his sincerity. This should still be the case today when someone gets saved, a desire to obey the Word of God!

-While the crowd mutters because their ideals of keeping pure from wicked sinners by not interacting with them is shot by Jesus' actions to show this man concern, a heart is transformed right before their eyes!
a. They were concerned about legalistic purity - "don't be in a sinner's home."

b. Jesus was concerned about getting into that home and changing a man.

-Real faith has real actions to them.

-The real test of being a believer is a changed life, one whose behavior actually reflects the character of Christ.
a. There is little doubt that Zacchaeus' confession of faith is genuine.

b. Unlike the other rich young man who left Jesus very sad, this rich young man finds Jesus in his home and in his heart and with it, much joy.

c. Christ can make all the difference in the world in the human heart.

(5) A true son of Abraham.
Verses 9, 10 "And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

-Jesus not only declares Zacchaeus a believer, but also declares him to a true son of Abraham.
a. The significance of this statement is clear, Jews disowned their own kind who became tax collectors, no longer thinking of them as sons of Abraham.

b. Jesus makes clear that no one could be MORE a son of Abraham than this man Zacchaeus who like Abraham "believed God."

c. Jesus thus not only healed his soul, but his standing in society also. Jesus ministers to his need of belonging.

-For the first time in his life Zacchaeus lived up to his name now - "Zacchaeus" means "pure."

-While the crowd may not have liked Zacchaeus' new found status before God it was precisely why the Lord had come, "to seek and save that which was lost."

-Zacchaeus had discovered what few wealthy people discover, which is that real happiness and joy does not come from what one has, but what one gives.

-No doubt Zacchaeus' whole life changed, and so did that of those around him, from now on he was a man of character and integrity, helping the poor and not just getting rich at other people's expense.
a. The power of God's love is so great it can transform the hardest heart into a heart of tenderness and joy.

b. It wasn't hours and hours of counseling that turned Zacchaeus' life around, it was an encounter with Jesus that turned it around in a moment.