Jesus is the Hope for the Sinner
Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Reflection
Zacchaeus was an evil man in his society. He was a thief and a liar. He overtaxed his friends to benefit himself. So, when all the people saw that Jesus, the holy Messiah, chose to dine with him, and not the religious leaders or even the kind people in the town, they were upset. They didn’t believe that Zacchaeus was worthy of the opportunity.
But Jesus chose him. Why?
Because that was the purpose of His coming to earth. Just like it says in verse 10, He came to seek and save the lost. He came to eat dinner with the sinners.
We are all Zacchaeus. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the perfection and holiness we desire. We lie, cheat, and steal.
But because we have a God who is full of grace and love, we have the opportunity to not only eat dinner with Him but also to live our lives walking side by side with Him. He came to this earth so that, despite the sinful things that we do, we will be able to enjoy a relationship with Him. When we turn those over to Him in repentance, He meets us with forgiveness.
We have a God who loves and cares for us so deeply that He didn’t come to this earth just to establish dominance or earn the recognition He deserves, though He would have been justified in doing so. But instead, He came to find us at our lowest, scoop us up in His arms, and forgive us of all our sins. He came to give us hope and grace.
Action Steps
Spend some time in prayer. Release the sins of your life to God and thank Him for His never-ending grace and love.
Prayer
God, thank You so much for the grace that You extend over and over. I don’t deserve it, yet You still give it. Thank You. You know the sins of my heart and love me anyway. I release those to You, asking that You meet me with grace and forgiveness. Help me live a life that honors and glorifies You. It’s in Your name I pray, Amen.
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Reflection
Zacchaeus was an evil man in his society. He was a thief and a liar. He overtaxed his friends to benefit himself. So, when all the people saw that Jesus, the holy Messiah, chose to dine with him, and not the religious leaders or even the kind people in the town, they were upset. They didn’t believe that Zacchaeus was worthy of the opportunity.
But Jesus chose him. Why?
Because that was the purpose of His coming to earth. Just like it says in verse 10, He came to seek and save the lost. He came to eat dinner with the sinners.
We are all Zacchaeus. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the perfection and holiness we desire. We lie, cheat, and steal.
But because we have a God who is full of grace and love, we have the opportunity to not only eat dinner with Him but also to live our lives walking side by side with Him. He came to this earth so that, despite the sinful things that we do, we will be able to enjoy a relationship with Him. When we turn those over to Him in repentance, He meets us with forgiveness.
We have a God who loves and cares for us so deeply that He didn’t come to this earth just to establish dominance or earn the recognition He deserves, though He would have been justified in doing so. But instead, He came to find us at our lowest, scoop us up in His arms, and forgive us of all our sins. He came to give us hope and grace.
Action Steps
Spend some time in prayer. Release the sins of your life to God and thank Him for His never-ending grace and love.
Prayer
God, thank You so much for the grace that You extend over and over. I don’t deserve it, yet You still give it. Thank You. You know the sins of my heart and love me anyway. I release those to You, asking that You meet me with grace and forgiveness. Help me live a life that honors and glorifies You. It’s in Your name I pray, Amen.
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