Blake Allen, Student Pastor, LHBC

Luke 19:1-10

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

Easter Sunday has just passed us and I hope it was a good one for you. After all, it was Resurrection Sunday! We celebrated the resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ. But if we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we can treat resurrection Sunday as an event rather than a reality. But the reality is, Jesus is still alive today! Everyday is resurrection Sunday!

Our God is alive. He is at work in our lives. He is risen today as well! After preaching through Luke 19, one phrase continually sticks out for me: “hurry and come.” The call Jesus gave to Zacchaeus was to leave the sycamore tree where he was and come to Jesus. He may have seen the shadow of Jesus passing by in the crowd. He looked upon Jesus from a distance in the tree. But it was time for him to leave the place where he was and come meet Jesus personally. 

You’ve probably heard the stories of Jesus. You may have read about Him in the good book. But has there every been a time in your life when you encountered Jesus for yourself personally? He is waiting for you to hurry and come. 

What is blocking your view from seeing Jesus? For Zacchaeus, it was the crowd and his wealth. It may be hard to see Jesus in your current situation. It may be hard to see Jesus when you are met with financial hardships. It may be hard to see Jesus when your relationships are unstable. It may be hard to see Jesus when you are faced with the loss of a loved one. It may be hard to see Jesus when there are obstacles in your way. Oh, but Jesus is alive indeed. He is calling you to hurry and come to the cross. Bring your burdens. Bring your concerns. Bring your life. He is a guest of sinners and He welcomes you with open arms. 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, we thank you for the cross. We thank you for the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. For you have made us alive in Him. Amen. 

MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: 

Colossians 4:6:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.