The Day Salvation Came
Sermon
Together In Christ
Sermons and Prayers For the Christian Year
I wish everyone who loves the Bible could visit Jericho: the place where Joshua fought his famous battle, the city Mark Antony gave to Cleopatra as a love offering, the very city whose streets Jesus walked.
I tried to put myself back in time as I walked into Jericho one clear, sunny afternoon. In my imagination, I tried to hear the crowds calling out Jesus' name as they lined the road. I looked up into the bright blue sky at a sycamore tree and tried to see Zacchaeus sitting there. The Bible says Zacchaeus was too short to see Jesus through the crowd, so he climbed up into a tree to get a glimpse of the Man whom all the town had come out to cheer.
Today, we might put ourselves in Zacchaeus' place and follow his story from beginning to end, because Zacchaeus received what all of us are longing for. He passed the test of stewardship, but more than that, Zacchaeus received a blessed assurance for all eternity. Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house," and He wants to say the same to us today.
The story of how salvation came to Zacchaeus begins with the man's own restlessness. He was rich and had a very powerful job, but he was restless and unsatisfied. There was something missing in his life and he knew it. God was looking for him as Jesus came into town, but Zacchaeus was also looking for God. In fact, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a better view.
Some of us have known the feeling. It is a thirst of the spirit, a hunger of the soul. You know you can't live by bread alone, so you look at your life and ask, "Is this all there is?"
A man felt just that way as he sat at his kitchen table with his head in his hands, moping and moaning. His wife came in and when she saw him, a disgusted look came across her face. "Honey," she said, "You're not being at all logical about this. Now, think about it! The house isn't paid for, the car isn't paid for, the dishwasher isn't paid for, the freezer and the microwave aren't paid for, even the television isn't paid for, so how can you say you have nothing to live for?"
Zacchaeus wondered what he was living for and that's why he went looking for Jesus. That's also how it is with us. Many things have to happen before Jesus can declare our salvation as He did for Zacchaeus; the first is that we must be restless and ready to receive. We have to be unsatisfied with ourselves before we can be satisfied in Jesus. We need to have doubts about our living so we can gain convictions about our life.
The second step in Zacchaeus' journey to salvation was Jesus issuing an invitation to him. Our Lord looked up into the tree where Zacchaeus was and called out to him by name: "Zacchaeus! Come down from there quickly! I must stay at your house today!"
Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus' home, as He invites Himself into our hearts today. We don't have to ask and plead with Him all the time to come into our lives - He has already invited Himself in! That's how much He wants us. That's how much He wants to call each of us by name.
When He invited Zacchaeus down from the tree, Jesus invited him out of a life of bondage into a new life of freedom. You see, Zacchaeus was a prisoner of his position, his reputation, his "life style." He thought that what he was is what he always had to be. Jesus' invitation to him would change everything forever.
I recently heard about a man who wishes he had accepted that invitation to freedom. He felt trapped in his life, to the point where every decision he made was dictated by his last decision and he saw no way out. Finally, he ended up in bankruptcy court, explaining to the judge what had happened.
"Your honor," he said, "my entire life has been ruined by a sofa. I bought a sofa for my living room that was too fine for where I was living and that was the beginning of my downfall."
"The new sofa made my chairs look bad, so I had to buy new chairs. Then I needed new curtains, because the old curtains just didn't look good in the living room any more.
"After that, I needed a new dining room set because the old set looked bad next to the living room. Then I had to redo all the other rooms. Before long, I saw that my house wasn't nice enough for all my new furniture, so I bought a bigger house. Now, here I am bankrupt - and all because of that sofa."
There are many ways to be enslaved in this world and we can be bankrupt in spirit as in material things. Paul says that by the good news, "every one who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed [before]" (Acts 13:39). Everyone is freed, by invitation of Jesus Christ.
What kind of bondage is keeping you trapped and dictating life's choices to you and keeping you from being all that you spiritually can be? Are you governed, like the man in bankruptcy court, by the things you own and your material ambitions? Are you trapped by your reputation, or an image in life you want to maintain? Are you in bondage to bitterness, or hateful relationships, or to things which torment you from the past?
First came the restlessness and then the invitation to climb down from the sycamore tree - the invitation to shed the chains which shackle us in life and to accept a new life which is free from everything save the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Next came the crowd's reaction, and it was hostile. They didn't think Zacchaeus was worthy of having Jesus in his home. In fact, Zacchaeus was the last man they would have picked for the honor! He was the chief tax collector for the city. He taxed his own Jewish people, kept enough for himself to get filthy rich and then sent the rest on to Rome, making the people pay for their own oppression. It's hard to think of a more despicable character in the eyes of the good people of Jericho.
Think of the most despicable person you know, the one man or woman in the world who seems most evil and most unrepentant of his or her sins. It's as if our Lord seeks that person out especially and says, "Take me to your house; I'd like to have dinner with you tonight." Meanwhile, you and I and all the other "good" people are complaining: "Why does that person get the honor of fellowship with God? Why should God even bother with someone like that?" Jesus turns and says, as He said of Zacchaeus, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
But people can complain for other reasons when any of us accept Jesus' invitation. For example, they might complain about the changes we make when we adopt the Christian way of life.
"What do you mean, you're not partying with us tonight? So what if you've got something to do for the church; that never stopped you before! Aren't you any fun any more?"
Or, they might complain, "What do you mean, you're not buying that new luxury car? You're giving more to the church? We all bought one; do you think you're better than us now? Do you think we're too selfish; are you trying to make us feel bad?"
They shake their heads. "What about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" they ask. And you who are following Jesus can answer, "No, I'm looking for something even better than happiness, I'm looking for joy!" Your friends walk away in disbelief. There's a kind of perversity in this world which wants to tear down anything that is noble and good.
After the restlessness, after Jesus' invitation and after the complaints from other people, the next step to salvation was Zacchaeus' giving. He said to Jesus, "Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I shall restore it fourfold."
Zacchaeus is following the Old Testament law (Exodus 22:1) when he makes this promise. The law says that when you defraud someone or steal something, you shall repay four times what you stole. Would that we followed this Biblical precept today, with the mugger who robs on the street and the executive who robs from the corporate suite!
In Zacchaeus' case, this four-fold restitution is more than
a stiff penalty. It is an example of stewardship. It is a sign - a proof - that Zacchaeus had changed his life. Where once he lived to accumulate wealth, now he was living to give his wealth to the service of the Lord, since it all belongs to the Lord anyway.
Who among us can say that our possessions and our wealth really belong to us? We ourselves belong to the Lord, do we not? When we learned the 100th Psalm years ago in Sunday School, did we not learn to say, "It is He that made us and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (100:3)? As we make our pledges to Christ's church today, it is well to remember that good stewardship merely returns to the Lord what is His own.
Finally, after Zacchaeus' restlessness, Jesus' invitation, the crowd's criticism and Zacchaeus' stewardship, Jesus declares that, "Today, salvation has come to this house."
The sweetest words the human ear can hear: "Today, salvation has come ... to this house! Here in this person; here in this church! Salvation has come to you today!"
It came to Zacchaeus: a short, despicable man with a fat bank account and a thin sense of morality. It can come to us, by way of Him who looks upon us and calls us each by name.
Maybe you've known that restlessness of spirit which leaves you hungry and looking for something more. Maybe you need to hear that Jesus has already asked Himself into your home and into your heart. Maybe you need to be encouraged to withstand the criticisms and complaints about your Christian commitment.
Maybe you need to be free as Zacchaeus became free, by giving more of yourself in faithful stewardship to the Lord, by giving more of your time, your talent and your treasure to Him.
Today, salvation has come. Today, Jesus has already invited Himself here. He awaits only our faithful response. "You there! Up in the sycamore tree! You who imagine yourself unworthy of God's grace! You who have so much you really want to give! Come down from there and hurry up about it! I'd like to come and stay with you today." Amen
Pastoral Prayer
Heavenly God, we pray that You will inspire us to be better stewards of all You've given us in life. Inspire us to use our talents for Your good and the good of Your church. Make us more generous with our time and our treasure. Bring us face to face with our Lord and make us like Zacchaeus of old, that our Lord may call each of us by name and declare to us our salvation today. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
I tried to put myself back in time as I walked into Jericho one clear, sunny afternoon. In my imagination, I tried to hear the crowds calling out Jesus' name as they lined the road. I looked up into the bright blue sky at a sycamore tree and tried to see Zacchaeus sitting there. The Bible says Zacchaeus was too short to see Jesus through the crowd, so he climbed up into a tree to get a glimpse of the Man whom all the town had come out to cheer.
Today, we might put ourselves in Zacchaeus' place and follow his story from beginning to end, because Zacchaeus received what all of us are longing for. He passed the test of stewardship, but more than that, Zacchaeus received a blessed assurance for all eternity. Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house," and He wants to say the same to us today.
The story of how salvation came to Zacchaeus begins with the man's own restlessness. He was rich and had a very powerful job, but he was restless and unsatisfied. There was something missing in his life and he knew it. God was looking for him as Jesus came into town, but Zacchaeus was also looking for God. In fact, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a better view.
Some of us have known the feeling. It is a thirst of the spirit, a hunger of the soul. You know you can't live by bread alone, so you look at your life and ask, "Is this all there is?"
A man felt just that way as he sat at his kitchen table with his head in his hands, moping and moaning. His wife came in and when she saw him, a disgusted look came across her face. "Honey," she said, "You're not being at all logical about this. Now, think about it! The house isn't paid for, the car isn't paid for, the dishwasher isn't paid for, the freezer and the microwave aren't paid for, even the television isn't paid for, so how can you say you have nothing to live for?"
Zacchaeus wondered what he was living for and that's why he went looking for Jesus. That's also how it is with us. Many things have to happen before Jesus can declare our salvation as He did for Zacchaeus; the first is that we must be restless and ready to receive. We have to be unsatisfied with ourselves before we can be satisfied in Jesus. We need to have doubts about our living so we can gain convictions about our life.
The second step in Zacchaeus' journey to salvation was Jesus issuing an invitation to him. Our Lord looked up into the tree where Zacchaeus was and called out to him by name: "Zacchaeus! Come down from there quickly! I must stay at your house today!"
Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus' home, as He invites Himself into our hearts today. We don't have to ask and plead with Him all the time to come into our lives - He has already invited Himself in! That's how much He wants us. That's how much He wants to call each of us by name.
When He invited Zacchaeus down from the tree, Jesus invited him out of a life of bondage into a new life of freedom. You see, Zacchaeus was a prisoner of his position, his reputation, his "life style." He thought that what he was is what he always had to be. Jesus' invitation to him would change everything forever.
I recently heard about a man who wishes he had accepted that invitation to freedom. He felt trapped in his life, to the point where every decision he made was dictated by his last decision and he saw no way out. Finally, he ended up in bankruptcy court, explaining to the judge what had happened.
"Your honor," he said, "my entire life has been ruined by a sofa. I bought a sofa for my living room that was too fine for where I was living and that was the beginning of my downfall."
"The new sofa made my chairs look bad, so I had to buy new chairs. Then I needed new curtains, because the old curtains just didn't look good in the living room any more.
"After that, I needed a new dining room set because the old set looked bad next to the living room. Then I had to redo all the other rooms. Before long, I saw that my house wasn't nice enough for all my new furniture, so I bought a bigger house. Now, here I am bankrupt - and all because of that sofa."
There are many ways to be enslaved in this world and we can be bankrupt in spirit as in material things. Paul says that by the good news, "every one who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed [before]" (Acts 13:39). Everyone is freed, by invitation of Jesus Christ.
What kind of bondage is keeping you trapped and dictating life's choices to you and keeping you from being all that you spiritually can be? Are you governed, like the man in bankruptcy court, by the things you own and your material ambitions? Are you trapped by your reputation, or an image in life you want to maintain? Are you in bondage to bitterness, or hateful relationships, or to things which torment you from the past?
First came the restlessness and then the invitation to climb down from the sycamore tree - the invitation to shed the chains which shackle us in life and to accept a new life which is free from everything save the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Next came the crowd's reaction, and it was hostile. They didn't think Zacchaeus was worthy of having Jesus in his home. In fact, Zacchaeus was the last man they would have picked for the honor! He was the chief tax collector for the city. He taxed his own Jewish people, kept enough for himself to get filthy rich and then sent the rest on to Rome, making the people pay for their own oppression. It's hard to think of a more despicable character in the eyes of the good people of Jericho.
Think of the most despicable person you know, the one man or woman in the world who seems most evil and most unrepentant of his or her sins. It's as if our Lord seeks that person out especially and says, "Take me to your house; I'd like to have dinner with you tonight." Meanwhile, you and I and all the other "good" people are complaining: "Why does that person get the honor of fellowship with God? Why should God even bother with someone like that?" Jesus turns and says, as He said of Zacchaeus, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
But people can complain for other reasons when any of us accept Jesus' invitation. For example, they might complain about the changes we make when we adopt the Christian way of life.
"What do you mean, you're not partying with us tonight? So what if you've got something to do for the church; that never stopped you before! Aren't you any fun any more?"
Or, they might complain, "What do you mean, you're not buying that new luxury car? You're giving more to the church? We all bought one; do you think you're better than us now? Do you think we're too selfish; are you trying to make us feel bad?"
They shake their heads. "What about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" they ask. And you who are following Jesus can answer, "No, I'm looking for something even better than happiness, I'm looking for joy!" Your friends walk away in disbelief. There's a kind of perversity in this world which wants to tear down anything that is noble and good.
After the restlessness, after Jesus' invitation and after the complaints from other people, the next step to salvation was Zacchaeus' giving. He said to Jesus, "Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I shall restore it fourfold."
Zacchaeus is following the Old Testament law (Exodus 22:1) when he makes this promise. The law says that when you defraud someone or steal something, you shall repay four times what you stole. Would that we followed this Biblical precept today, with the mugger who robs on the street and the executive who robs from the corporate suite!
In Zacchaeus' case, this four-fold restitution is more than
a stiff penalty. It is an example of stewardship. It is a sign - a proof - that Zacchaeus had changed his life. Where once he lived to accumulate wealth, now he was living to give his wealth to the service of the Lord, since it all belongs to the Lord anyway.
Who among us can say that our possessions and our wealth really belong to us? We ourselves belong to the Lord, do we not? When we learned the 100th Psalm years ago in Sunday School, did we not learn to say, "It is He that made us and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (100:3)? As we make our pledges to Christ's church today, it is well to remember that good stewardship merely returns to the Lord what is His own.
Finally, after Zacchaeus' restlessness, Jesus' invitation, the crowd's criticism and Zacchaeus' stewardship, Jesus declares that, "Today, salvation has come to this house."
The sweetest words the human ear can hear: "Today, salvation has come ... to this house! Here in this person; here in this church! Salvation has come to you today!"
It came to Zacchaeus: a short, despicable man with a fat bank account and a thin sense of morality. It can come to us, by way of Him who looks upon us and calls us each by name.
Maybe you've known that restlessness of spirit which leaves you hungry and looking for something more. Maybe you need to hear that Jesus has already asked Himself into your home and into your heart. Maybe you need to be encouraged to withstand the criticisms and complaints about your Christian commitment.
Maybe you need to be free as Zacchaeus became free, by giving more of yourself in faithful stewardship to the Lord, by giving more of your time, your talent and your treasure to Him.
Today, salvation has come. Today, Jesus has already invited Himself here. He awaits only our faithful response. "You there! Up in the sycamore tree! You who imagine yourself unworthy of God's grace! You who have so much you really want to give! Come down from there and hurry up about it! I'd like to come and stay with you today." Amen
Pastoral Prayer
Heavenly God, we pray that You will inspire us to be better stewards of all You've given us in life. Inspire us to use our talents for Your good and the good of Your church. Make us more generous with our time and our treasure. Bring us face to face with our Lord and make us like Zacchaeus of old, that our Lord may call each of us by name and declare to us our salvation today. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
