Where the Saviour and the Sinner Meet
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
1. A sinner seeking to see the Saviour. The fame of Jesus had swept into all the regions about. Great crowds continually thronged Him. He was constantly teaching and preaching, healing and helping. Many thought that it would be He who would immediately rescue Israel from the curse of Roman tyranny. Others, stirred up by the rulers and leaders of the Jews, swarmed against Christ, to entangle Him in His talk that they might have whereof to accuse Him.
We boldly declare that Zacchaeus was a sinner, seeking a Saviour. We believe that Christ's treatment of him supports us in so doing. Let us now look at the other side of our story.
2. A Saviour seeking to save a sinner. Once more let us watch the throng, and, particularly, watch the Lord as He approaches the man up the tree. Jesus knew all things. He knew that all men thought He would immediately set up His Kingdom; and yet He knew that He would not do so. He knew the ass was tied at another tree further on, awaiting His coming. He knew how soon the cries of the about to be uttered "Hosannahs," would be changed into the louder cries of "Crucify Him!"
The Saviour who was always alert as a seeker of those sinners who sigh and cry, lifted up His face and said; "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house."
Christ, without hesitation, said, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a soul of Abraham."
3. The far-flung prophecy of the salvation of Zacchaeus. When Christ said; "Forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham," He seemed to be saying, beforehand, the very words that soon after fell from His lips; "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, * * how often would I * * but ye would not." What we mean is this. When Christ said to Zacchaeus, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham"; and when He said these other words, that followed: "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost," His mind and heart was leaping from the one man to the greater multitude even to the whole nation of Israel. Thus in Zacchaeus' redemption Christ gave prophecy of Israel's future hope.
I. THE THREE TREES (Luke 19:4)
1. There is the man under the tree the sinner. Our mind goes back to the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve hid themselves from God under the trees of the garden. Our first parents, in this, are not at all unlike their descendants.
The garden scene is the picture of God seeking the sinner, and the sinner hiding away from God. Alas! Alas! this is too often true in the life of the wicked. The Lord seems to be saying, "How oft would I, but ye would not." All day long He is calling as He holds out His hands to a disobedient and a gainsaying people.
2. There is the man up the tree the seeker. Zacchaeus wanted to see Christ. God had evidently been working in his heart. We do not know what it was, but there must have been something which led this publican to seek his Lord.
We trust that there are many today who will be looking for the Master. If there is one who is now seeking" Him, we can truly say, "Ye shall find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."
3. There is the man on the tree the Saviour. Our mind now goes to the Lord Jesus Christ as He hangs upon the Cross, dying for us. We have read how He, Himself, once said, "And I, if I be lifted up * * will draw all men unto Me."
It was when the bitten Israelites turned their faces to the uplifted brazen serpent that they were healed. It is when we, who are sinners, turn our faces to the uplifted Christ, that we are healed. In Him we see a sacrifice sufficient for all, but efficient only to those who believe.
II. MAY SINNERS SEEK THE SAVIOUR? (Luke 19:1-2)
Let us look at Zacchaeus.
1. He was a publican. The publicans were reckoned by the religionists of that day as chief among sinners. Nevertheless, one publican at least was saved. Zacchaeus found mercy. There was another publican, who would not so much as lift his eyes up to Heaven, but who, beating upon his breast, prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." He also obtained mercy.
God has said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."
2. He was a rich man. Even Christ said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!" And yet, Zacchaeus, the rich man was saved. Zacchaeus, moreover, was rich through false dealings. He knew how to drive a close bargain. He could legally rob men. He pressed his way over the cry of the impoverished and the needy, and yet, he found mercy. With men it would have been impossible, but with God all things are possible.
3. He was a small man. Of course a man's height has nothing to do with his becoming saved.
Zacchaeus was more than small physically. We take it that he was "small" in his dealings. He was mean and miserly, and yet, Zacchaeus was saved. Certainly if this chief of publicans and of sinners could be saved, all other sinners may safely seek the Saviour.
III. HOW SINNERS MAY SEEK THE SAVIOUR (Luke 19:3-4)
We would not suggest that the sinner seeks the Saviour before the Saviour seeks the sinner. God must have been working on the heart of Zacchaeus, or else he would not have sought as he sought.
1. Zacchaeus surmounted obstacles. He was but a little man, and he couldn't see because of the press of the crowd: therefore, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. Obstacles may hinder the halfhearted and discouraged the weak-willed, but they only give zest to those who are dead in earnest.
2. Zacchaeus brooked no delay. We read that he ran before and climbed up into the tree. His opportunity to see Christ would not have tarried. The Lord was passing by and would soon be gone upon His way. Zacchaeus, therefore, redeemed the time; bought up his chance, and did it in a hurry.
3. Zacchaeus was energetic. He climbed the tree. He was in earnest. Have you not read: "Ye shall find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart"? The halfhearted never get anywhere. Gideon and his men were faint, yet pursuing.
IV. HOW THE SAVIOUR RECEIVES THE SINNER (Luke 19:5)
1. Christ came to where Zacchaeus was. Our verse says, "And when Jesus came to the place." Is not this true today? Has Jesus not come down from Heaven seeking to save that which was lost? Does He not even stand at this moment at the sinner's heart, asking for admission?
The one who is searching for Christ could not go to Heaven to find Christ if he wanted to. Thank God, Christ came to him!
2. Christ looked up and saw Zacchaeus. It is all right for the sinner to see the Saviour, and to see in Him the Man of Calvary, the Christ of the empty tomb, and the Lord at the Father's throne. It is, however, just as true that Christ sees the sinner. He sees his need. He sees his desires. He looketh upon the heart.
3. Christ invited Zacchaeus to come down. With what joy must Zacchaeus, the sinner, have heard the words of Christ, the Saviour, as He said, "Make haste, and come down." The invitations of the Lord are many, and they are as sincere and urgent as they are true.
V. HOW THE SINNER RECEIVED THE SAVIOUR (Luke 19:6)
1. Zacchaeus made haste and came down. We would like, just now, to impress the obedience of faith. We do not think for one moment that Zacchaeus was saved merely by obedience. We believe that back of his prompt action and his readiness to obey, there lay an unmovable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is by faith, and not of works; and yet, the faith that saves is a working faith, or a faith that works. The lame, the halt, the blind, the leper, the demoniac; all believed, all were saved by faith; and yet, in no instance was their faith a dead faith. It was a living, moving, responsive, acting faith.
2. Zacchaeus received Christ joyfully. There are some who have forgotten that with joy we should drink of the waters of salvation. A sinner may weep and mourn over his sin; but, why should he weep when by faith he sees his sins nailed to the Tree, and knows that salvation is his by accepting the Saviour?
We read that on the Day of Pentecost, "they that gladly received his word were baptized." Why not be glad about it? We fear that the one who professes salvation without a thrill of joy, or a sense of peace, has not really comprehended the scope of his redemption.
VI. WHAT CHRIST DID FOR ZACCHAEUS (Luke 19:5, l.c., 9)
1. Christ saved him. He said, "This day is salvation come to this house." During the past years of his life Zacchaeus had obtained many financial laurels through much labor and strain: on this day he obtained something worth more than all that he had ever secured through years of toil. In one moment he received salvation, the gift of God. That salvation made him an heir of God, and an inheritor of a city whose streets are of gold; whose walls are of every precious stone; and whose gates are each a several pearl.
2. Christ went to his house. How significant are the words, "I must abide at thy house"!
This is true in the life of every believer. When we are saved the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, takes up His abode with us. Christ not only comes in, but He conies in to abide. We may grieve the Lord; we may cause Him to hide His face for a moment; but He will never leave us, nor forsake us.
Not only will Christ abide in our heart, but He will gladly dwell with us in our home. The Lord said, "This day is salvation come to this house."
VII. WHAT ZACCHAEUS DID FOR CHRIST (Luke 19:8)
There are two outstanding things which this verse suggests.
1. Zacchaeus called Jesus, Lord. There is a Scripture which says: "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." With Zacchaeus the word "Lord" was not used in a perfunctory way. Zacchaeus truly recognized Christ's Lordship, His authority, and His power.
The only real position of any Christian is that of worshipful obedience to a sovereign Lord. There may be many who seek to say, Lord, Lord, but who never do the things which He commands them. What we all need to do is to bend the head and take His yoke upon us.
2. Zacchaeus proved his sincerity by his deeds. He said, "The half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have tak-en any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."
A large profession of faith and of fidelity to Christ is worthless unless it is followed by faithful living. The new life of the believer should manifest itself, first of all, in loyalty to God, and secondly, in loyalty to his fellow man.
The New Testament as well as the Old proclaims that grace teaches us how to live.
AN ILLUSTRATION
"Once, a young soldier from Glasgow, Scotland, who was a Christian, was talking to a comrade about accepting Christ as his Saviour. In their ears was the muffled sound of a funeral march being played as a comrade was being carried to his last resting place. The young Highlander, listening to the sounds of the funeral march and to the voice of his friend pleading with him to come to Christ, was greatly impressed. He said, 'Jack, I will not be a Christian now, but I promise I will become one when I leave the army.' He had only nine months longer to serve in the army. What a fateful decision he had made! Next week, there came orders for his regiment to embark to Egypt for duty. The two friends were in march side by side, going across the sands of the desert toward the Arab encampment the one with Christ in his heart, the other putting off salvation until his service was over when suddenly there came an attack from the Arabs and bullets poured in on all sides from the rifles of the enemy. After the attack, there, dead and cold, lay the body of the man who had put off accepting Christ until he should leave the service.
"There are many who know that they are sinners, who know that they need a Saviour, and who know that they should accept Christ as their Saviour. They think that some day they will accept Christ, but each day they put the deed off. What a dangerous thing it is to do! Why not accept Christ now? 'Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.'