Conversion of a Sinner

Luke 19:1-10

INTRODUCTION: The Savior of the Lost. What a human story this is—a well known, well-to-do, public man climbing a tree to get a look at Jesus who was passing by! (a) It is the record of a sudden conversion (b) It is the story of the conversion of an unlikely man. (c) This man’s conversion was thorough. How did the miracle happen? This study might well be entitled: “How To Be Saved and Know It.” How can one be saved and know it?

Luke 19 teaches us that Jesus is the Savior of the lost. Because the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, is the Savior of the world, he certainly finds whomever he searches for. Since he finds the ones he seeks, the Lord leaves us with two things: an imperative to do everything to see Jesus and, if we have seen him and love him, to do everything to serve Jesus.

I. FIRST, YOU MUST MEAN BUSINESS AND SEEK THE LORD WITH DETERMINATION.
Look at verses 2 and 3. Was Zacchaeus simply curious to see who Jesus was? He was tremendously earnest, for he “sought Jesus,” but what he did not realize was that Jesus was seeking him. Here, then, we have a seeking Saviour and a seeking sinner, and the two are bound to meet.

2. YOU MUST OVERCOME SOME OBSTACLES.
Look at verses 2, 3, and 4. Consider the valid reasons that Zacchaeus could have given for not seeking Christ. But Zacchaeus overcame all these objections. He even overcame his pride, the greatest hindrance of all; and if you are not saved you will have to overcome certain obstacles before you can come into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. YOU MUST RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR.
Look at verses 5-6. A Christian, a believer, one who is “saved,” is one who has received the Lord Jesus. No-one is a Christian who has not received the Lord Jesus. This is a very personal matter, as verse 6 indicated—”He (Zacchaeus) received Him (Jesus).”

4. YOU MUST EXPECT AND BE READY FOR MISUNDERSTANDING AND OPPOSITION.
Look at verse 7. This opposition was directed against the Lord, but Zacchaeus was at the center of it. The people “murmured,” but Zacchaeus took his stand with Christ, although it meant being a target for the criticism and misunderstanding of the crowd around. If you are going to be saved you must be prepared for this. Are you prepared?

5. YOU MUST CONFESS THE LORD TO OTHERS.
Look at the first five words in verse 8. Zacchaeus did not go and hide. He had no intention of being a secret disciple. He at once identified himself with the Lord. If you are going to be a real Christian and have the assurance of salvation, open confession of faith in Christ is absolutely essential.

Conclusion:
Sinner, Jesus is looking for you. He still seeks and saves the lost. Don’t let the crowds keep you from him. Do everything you can to see him. Don’t let your pride drive you deeper into lostness. Instead, receive the love of God through Jesus Christ his Son. The Son gave his life on the cross to pay the penalty of your sins. Three days later God raised him from the dead for your justification. Put your faith in Christ, repent of sin, and follow the Lord home to glory.

A converted man is a just man. We see two forms of justice in Luke 19:8. First, there is justice in the form of redistribution of wealth. Zacchaeus gives half his goods to the poor. This deed is free and voluntary. It’s the opposite of the rich man in Luke 18. Not everyone everywhere is commanded to do exactly as Zacchaeus does here. But it’s a great example. Some people somewhere sometimes ought to do this because it’s how God cares for the poor—through the just redistribution of wealth that we call giving, charity, or alms. Genuine conversion produces generosity in the converted.

There’s another kind of justice here too. It’s restitution to the victim. When Zacchaeus says he will give fourfold to anyone he has defrauded, he goes from lawbreaker to lawkeeper. Repentance isn’t complete until there is justice given to those we’ve sinned against. Repentance includes restitution and reconciliation.
We talk a lot about justice in our day, but the right way to see justice among men is to see men converted and to teach them to live as God requires.

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