Jesus transforms lives
Luke 19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He was a chief among tax collectors
He would thus be very important to the Romans, and very much despised by the Jews
He would also be very, very wealthy
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
A few weeks ago I spoke on the topic...how to turn your frustration into a celebration. I spoke about:
How we can trust Jesus to transform circumstances that are contrary to his promises through prayer and faith in Him.
That he can take what the enemy means for evil and turn it around for our good.
He can turn your sorrow into joy.
Your water into wine.
Your bitter life-destroying waters of Marah into sweet, life-giving streams.
But even more amazing than that is the fact that Jesus can change lives...that he can change YOUR life
This is by far THE most important thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He can change us into sons and daughters...
He can make us new creatures in Christ Jesus...
He makes us:
Useful
Fruitful, and
Joyful
Being useful is a great blessing...
It gives you a sense of purpose, achievement, and value...and that’s great!
But being useful is not the epitome of our Christian experience.
The thing that is most important is becoming like him.
Jesus said: Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father.
We have to be Obedient to his will...
And this requires love...
Jesus said: If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
Some people get their sense of significance from what they do...how much they do...and all they accomplish and achieve.
They rejoice in what God does THROUGH them.
But our true significance comes from what He has done IN us.
Some glory in how much they amass in life. They look to their Material possessions. But a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions.
Jesus said: Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Your true treasure is what He does in you.
Your true treasure is having a heart of love for God...which is seen in obedience.
Your true treasure is having a heart of Compassion for others...which is expressed seen in your willingness to serve them.
Isaiah 61 speaking of Jesus, says:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.
Oaks of righteousness...is a vital part of God’s plan for our lives, because...
The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking...but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost
Righteousness means that we are Right with God, and Right with others.
That We have Peace with God...and others.
In Genesis, In creation we see God turning Darkness to light, Chaos...to order.
We see Him doing the same in redemption. 2 Cor 5:17
He turns our Darkness to light. And our Chaos to order.
Jesus said: for the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Paul: This is a faithful saying and worthy of full acceptance: Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.
For Paul, this happened on the Damascus Road....
He saw a great light....he was knocked off his high horse....
He could not eat for three days
He did not say the “sinners prayer”....but he got a changed life that day....
He met with God. He submitted to the Lordship of Christ. He was saved.
He turned from being a Murderer...to becoming a messenger.
From someone who was a Persecutor...to becoming a preacher.
From being a Hater of Jesus...to becoming a martyr for Jesus.
That day, A misguided religious fanatic....become a man led by the Holy Spirit.
A man Fuelled by poison from hell....became filled with a passion from heaven.
Someone who was Driven to destroy His followers....to someone who desired to die to all so he could know him and to make him known.
In our text, A traitorous and corrupt publican....Zacchaeus....turned his life around
Zacchaeus was a Thief, a Liar and a Traitor.
But Jesus came for him! And Jesus called out to him!
Jesus' call to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree Symbolised the divine call of God to humanity...and of God’s call for humility
Zacchaeus climbed a tree: this speaks of mankind.
Mankind always tries to elevate himself
Before God and others we try to appear better that we are
But Jesus calls us down from those things
Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd; he pushed himself forward, he always wanted to be ahead of the pack
Jesus called him by name!
He knows your name; you are not just a number
You were made to know him, as he knows you.
Zacchaeus means "pure", "innocent"
I believe Jesus was speaking prophetically
Jesus was speaking into his destiny
Jesus changes a man’s history and his destiny
We all have a History...of sin...but it is washed away by His blood.
We all have Destiny to hell....but Christ through the cross is able to change it to heaven
This man was very wealthy.
Because the lucrative production and export of balsam was centred in Jericho, his position would have carried both importance and wealth.
But The kingdom of God...is not about food, clothing, money, but Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost.
When Jesus comes into our lives...He Effects our attitudes And our actions.
Our Attitude toward money changes. Our Attitude towards people changes.
And our Attitude toward sin changes.
Zacchaeus in this passage becomes a contrast of character with the Rich Young Ruler Luke 18:18-23. Both Zacchaeus and the Rich Young Ruler were wealthy men, but one was self-righteous and would not give up his possessions, while the other gave half his possessions to feed the poor.
Jesus changes the way we speak. What we talk about. Who we talk about. Why we talk about. How we talk about our past.
He changes everything!
Let me give you some related information by a town we know as Caesarea.
Caesarea Maritima also known as Caesarea Palestinae, is an ancient town in the Sharon plain on the coast of the Mediterranean, now in ruins and included in an Israeli national park. It Was once a bustling, highly populated town.
In the year AD 6, Caesarea became the civilian and military capital of Iudaea Province and the official residence of the Roman procurator Antonius Felix, and prefect Pontius Pilatus. Caesarea grew rapidly, becoming the largest city in Judea,
According to the Acts of the Apostles, Caesarea was first introduced to Christianity by Philip the Deacon, who later had a house there in which he gave hospitality to Paul the Apostle. It was there that Peter the Apostle came and baptised Cornelius the Centurion and his household, the first time Christian baptism was conferred on Gentiles.
When newly converted Paul the Apostle was in danger in Jerusalem, the Christians there accompanied him to Caesarea and sent him off to his native Tarsus. He visited Caesarea between his second and third missionary journeys, and later, as mentioned, stayed several days there with Philip the Deacon. Later still, he was a prisoner there for two years before being sent to Rome.
In the 3rd century, Origen wrote his Hexapla and other exegetical and theological works while living in Caesarea. The Nicene Creed may have originated in Caesarea.
The Apostolic Constitutions says that the first Bishop of Caesarea was Zacchaeus the Publican, followed by Cornelius (possibly Cornelius the Centurion) and Theophilus (possibly the address of the Gospel of Luke).
Zacchaeus was transformed that day he met Jesus. And he continued in this renewed life, serving the Body of Christ.
How does he transform us?
Through the Holy Spirit. And Through the Word.
See Rom 12:1
Through the Body of believers.
Through the trials of life.
See James 1:2
Trials test. Tests produce perseverance. Perseverance produces character.
The goldsmith places the gold in fire.
Keeps removing the dross...the impurities that rise to the surface.
The only time he knows the gold is ready...is when he looks down at the gold in the fire And instead of seeing dross...he sees his reflection.
Christ wants to see his reflection in us.
He is transforming us from glory to glory.
Perhaps, someone here has been desiring change. You’ve been feeling God calling you to change your life. I want to give you the opportunity today.
You can have a changed life, by coming to Christ. By surrendering completely to him.
If that’s you and you want prayer, raise you hand right where you are.
