Originally Posted on August 10, 2017
In Luke 19:1-10 we read the beautiful and poignant story of the Lord Jesus reaching out to Zacchaeus, a despicable tax collector. We can clearly see how the heart of Almighty God beats for a lost world. Jesus was determined to be Zacchaeus’ Savior and Lord. This is the only place in all the gospels where Jesus invited Himself to be someone’s guest. Zacchaeus gladly received Jesus into his home, as well as into his heart. By making restitution for his sins, Zacchaeus publicly wanted the people to know that his time with Jesus had changed his life. Jesus publicly affirmed Zacchaeus’ decision by stating: “This day is salvation come to this house.” Then, the Lord Jesus announced His purpose in living in verse 10: “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The Greek word for seek is zeteite (dzay-the-ee-the). It means to go after, to strive, to pursue, to desire, to aim at, to search for, to endeavor to get, to make that which is most important your primary concern. The primary concern of Jesus is to save a lost soul. Why should we win people to Jesus? (1) Jesus commands us to do so, (2) Jesus tells us that Heaven is a real place, and (3) Jesus tells us that Hell is a real place.
Jeff Harvel 