2013.01.27 Zacchaeus
Luke 19: 1-10
Here at Calvary Chapel Wiesbaden we go through the
Scriptures one verse at a time….. and we
are currently going through this amazing history of the Lord Jesus Christ
called the gospel of Luke……. Jesus came preaching the kingdom……. The people were
waiting for the long promised kingdom…..
We're nearing the end of the ministry of Jesus…… He's headed toward the cross……
Jesus´ message is always a call to repentance……. It's
a call to come to Him….. to come into the kingdom of God……. to receive the
forgiveness and redemption that He brings…..
His message is a call to the crowd…… Repent the Kingdom
of heaven is at hand…… Jesus invited the people to embrace Him as
Messiah….. and receive forgiveness of
sins and eternal life…..
He is calling people to follow Him…… to become His
disciples….. And in paragraph after paragraph we hear the words of Jesus……..
We return in our Bibles to Luke chapter 19 to another
familiar story, the story of the tax
collector named Zacchaeus….. It is one of the great Sunday School stories……
It is full of great word pictures…. It
is full of grace and Good news…..
Let´s read the story of Jesus encounter with
Zaccheaus…. Luke 19…… beginning at verse
1…..
Luke 19: 1-
10 NKJV
1 Then Jesus entered and passed through
Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax
collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not
because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and
climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, [fn1] and said to
him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your
house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when
they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man
who is a sinner.”
8 Then
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I
restore fourfold.”
9 And Jesus
said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son
of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
Luke 19: 1- 10 Schlachter 2000
1 Und er kam nach Jericho hinein und
zog hindurch.
2 Und siehe, da war ein Mann, genannt
Zachäus, ein Oberzöllner, und dieser war reich.
3 Und er wollte gerne Jesus sehen,
wer er sei, und konnte es nicht wegen der Volksmenge; denn er war von kleiner
Gestalt.
4 Da lief er voraus und stieg auf
einen Maulbeerbaum, um ihn zu sehen; denn dort sollte er vorbeikommen.
5 Und als Jesus an den Ort kam,
blickte er auf und sah ihn und sprach zu ihm: Zachäus, steige schnell herab;
denn heute muß ich in deinem Haus einkehren!
6 Und er stieg schnell herab und nahm
ihn auf mit Freuden.
7 Als sie es aber sahen, murrten sie
alle und sprachen: Er ist bei einem sündigen Mann eingekehrt, um Herberge zu
nehmen!
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu
dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn
ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
9 Und Jesus sprach zu ihm: Heute ist
diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist
gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.
Verse 10 tells us this most important truth…… the
Son of man is come to seek and to save the lost…..
The universe exists so that God might for His own eternal joy and glory….. seek and save lost
sinners……. This reminds us that God is by nature a saving
God…… In the New Testament we read over
and over again the phrase…… God our Savior……
God is our
Savior…… It´s good
news because we cannot save ourselves…. God has reconcilied us to himself…..
When we talk about the ministry of reconciliation…… we
are reminded of the text in 2 Corinthians chapter 5…. Turn with me to in 2 Corinthians 5……..
2 Corinthians
5: 18- 21 KJV
18 And all
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath
given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you
in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.
Corinthians 5: 18- 21 Schlachter 2000
18 Das alles aber [kommt] von Gott,
der uns mit sich selbst versöhnt hat durch Jesus Christus und uns den Dienst
der Versöhnung gegeben hat;
19 weil nämlich Gott in Christus war
und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte, indem er ihnen ihre Sünden nicht
anrechnete und das Wort der Versöhnung in uns legte.
20 So sind wir nun Botschafter für
Christus, und zwar so, daß Gott selbst durch uns ermahnt; so bitten wir nun
stellvertretend für Christus: Laßt euch versöhnen mit Gott!
21 Denn er hat den, der von keiner
Sünde wußte, für uns zur Sünde gemacht, damit wir in ihm [zur] Gerechtigkeit
Gottes1 würden
There is no truth more wonderful than this……
2 Cor 5: 19 NKJV
Schlachter 2000
19 To wit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself
19 weil nämlich Gott in Christus war
und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte
1. God
himself seeks the lost
2. God
himself saves us And reconciles us to himself (through Jesus Christ)
This ministry
of reconciliation was initiated by God because of who He is…… He is a saving God…… He sent
Jesus….. And Jesus has redeemed us…… In
the perfect plan of God the Father……. Jesus is the Lamb of God slain from
before the foundations of the World….. Revelation 13: 8….
The story of Zacchaeus is proof of God´s unfailing
love……. His purpose is seen in everything that Jesus said and did…. Jesus came
exactly for the least…. Like the blind beggar from last week and The worst…..
Like Zaccheaus….. He was a hated and condemned tax collector…. Jesus came to
redeem and reconcile those who have no hope in this world….
The one who is lost, in this case, is a man named
Zacchaeus. He lives in Jericho….. Jericho one of the three regional tax centers
in the land of Israel……. So here was the man who was the chief tax gatherer……. he was the administrator of taxation under the
Romans and because of that, he was very rich…….. Some of his money came from
his legal tax work….. He received a commission on what he collectd…… But some
of his money was really stolen from the people as he overcharged them….. He had
become very rich…… He had also become despised because he was working for the
Romans and he was a thief…. He can't go
to the synagogue….. he can't interact with normal people, he can't go into the
home of a self-respecting Jew……. And No self-respecting Jew would ever enter
into his house…….
He is isolated….. from all normal society….. In the eyes of godly people…. He is a
terrible sinner…..
Jesus spent so much of His time with people like this
that in Luke 7:34…… they called Him
"the friend of tax collectors and
sinners."
In Luke chapter 5 He says He didn't come to call the
righteous, but He came to call sinners to repentance……. It was the so called
righteous….. really the self-righteous who wanted nothing to do with Jesus……..
They wouldn't listen to His message…… It was the lowly….. the outcasts….. and the
forsaken that listened to Him…….
So on this visit to Jericho….. Jesus has already
healed and saved a blind beggar named Bartimeaus….. as we saw back in chapter 18……. the Theology
of the day was that if you're blind and you're a beggar……. it's because you're
sinful and God is judging you……. That was an old, old, old theology……. It went
all the way back to the friends of Job….. All the adversity in Job's life came because
God was punishing him for his sin…..
But below the blind and the beggars were the tax collectors…… They were even worse…..
So here comes Jesus into a respectable town and saves these people….. the least
and lowest of the low….. It is a perfect reminder of the purpose of God….. turn
to 1 Corinthians chapter 1…..
1 Corinthians
1:26- 31 NKJV
26 For you
see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of
the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of
the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things
which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should
glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us
wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that,
as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26- 31 Schlachter 2000
26 Seht doch eure Berufung an, ihr
Brüder! Da sind nicht viele Weise nach dem Fleisch, nicht viele Mächtige, nicht
viele Vornehme;
27 sondern das Törichte der Welt hat
Gott erwählt, um die Weisen zuschanden zu machen, und das Schwache der Welt hat
Gott erwählt, um das Starke zuschanden zu machen;
28 und das Unedle der Welt und das
Verachtete hat Gott erwählt, und das, was nichts ist, damit er zunichte mache,
was etwas ist,
29 damit sich vor ihm kein Fleisch8
rühme.
30 Durch ihn aber seid ihr in
Christus Jesus, der uns von Gott gemacht worden ist zur Weisheit, zur
Gerechtigkeit, zur Heiligung und zur Erlösung,
31 damit [es geschehe], wie
geschrieben steht: »Wer sich rühmen will, der rühme sich des Herrn
You can unpack these verses for yourselves in your own
times of Bible study….. but these verses show us…. V 26-28… The foolish
according to this world….. and It shows us Jesus…
v 30….. Jesus is our wisdom and righteousness and our
sanctification…
Jesus has always majored on outcasts and lowly people…….
They're the ones who in their desperation and in their alienation cry out to him……. They
are without hope….. There is nothing for them in this life….. This tax
collector was one of those….. He had money and power, lots of it……. But he had
nothing in his heart…… nothing that satisfied his deepest needs….. He has heard of the miracles….. He has heard
about this great teacher……… He knew that he was kind and gracious…..
He wants to see Jesus…… back to Luke 19…… verse 2……
He had two big problems…….. this big crowd that
followed Jesus….. but he was a very small man…….
He can't see over them…….. . Remember there was a
huge crowd moving through Jericho on the road to Jerusalem…... It's Passover
season…… Lots and lots of people…. But this crowd would have been far bigger
than any other group of pilgrims coming to the Passover because in the middle
of this crowd was Jesus of Nazareth……..
He wanted to see who Jesus was, so He ran ahead of the
crowd…….. He knows the direction they're going to travel as they move toward
the city of Jerusalem…… When He gets there, verse 4 says, he climbs into a
sycamore tree…… Think of the picture here…… a dignified tax collector sitting up in a tree looking through the leaves
trying to see Jesus…. He's already hated and despised…… He wouldn't want to put
himself in the middle of the crowd anyway…..
Look at verse
5….. and with this verse we move our focus from the sinner to the Savior…….
from the lost to the seeker……
Luke
19:5 NKJV Schlachter 2000
5 And when
Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, [fn1] and said to him,
“Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
5 Und als Jesus an den Ort kam,
blickte er auf und sah ihn und sprach zu ihm: Zachäus, steige schnell herab;
denn heute muß ich in deinem Haus einkehren!
Jesus comes to the place……. He reaches the place and
it says, "He looked up and said to
him, 'Zacchaeus,'"
What a shock……
He had never met Jesus….. He was a perfect stranger to Jesus…… How could he
know his name?
Jesus knew his
name….. he looked him in the eye and said….. Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your
house.”
Jesus is commanding Him here…… He says, "I
must," dei, in the greek it is used of divine necessity……. It is
necessary, It is repeatedly used in the book of Luke for things that Jesus must
do……. Why? Because it's a matter of divine sovereign purpose, divine timing.
"I must stay at your house today."
As far as God's concerned…. We could say….. ,
Zacchaeus, you are the man and this is your day……. Come on down!
Hurry and
come down for today I must stay at your house. Jesus said that publicly……. and Jesus knew that that
was a serious problem for the strict Pharisees…..…… If they thought maybe He
was the Messiah…… if they thought He was holy and righteous……. A man of God….. this
would shock them because you didn't go to the house of a man like that……. and
you didn't say overnight at the house of a man like that…... That´s the
implication of the words in the language there…... And you didn't eat a meal
with a man like that because it was sharing in his corruption……. It was as if
Jesus was giving a stamp of approval of the man and his deeds…..
Luke 19:
6,7 NKJV Schlachter 2000
6 So he made
haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they
all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
6 Und er stieg schnell herab und nahm
ihn auf mit Freuden.
7 Als sie es aber sahen, murrten sie
alle und sprachen: Er ist bei einem sündigen Mann eingekehrt, um Herberge zu
nehmen!
And so they were stunned…… and they complained and grumbled…… but Zacchaeus received Him gladly….. rejoicing…..
Zaccheaus responds with joy because he's
got some things going on his heart……
Now remember …….
He has no relationships with anybody that matters….. His only companions are the worst of the worst, the scumbags……
People like himself…. People like us before we knew the LORD….. Zaccheaus is a
thief and a robber….. He has abused and hurt people and stolen from them…… And he
feels the guilt of that……
He is rich but he is lost…… He can't worship….. He
can't go to the temple….. He can't have an atonement sacrifice offered for him…..
Jesus often ministered to tax collectors and sinners……
Remember back to Luke 15….. v1… says the
tax collectors and sinners gathered near to Him to hear Him….. Sure!...
Jesus had the Words of life…..They were outcasts…… If
a tax collector or another well known sinner went to the temple…… and they were
discovered…. They would be thrown out through the Eastern gate…..
Zaccheaus was isolated from all hope…… And now
to hear that a holy prophet of God…… with miracle power……. who may well be the
Messiah of Israel was going to come to his house?
WOW! Of
course he rejoiced…..
It was the unbelievable
joy of lost and empty heart…….
verse 7, they all began to grumble saying, "He's gone to be the guest of a man who is a
sinner." This is what the Pharisees said whenever Jesus ministered to
the ones who knew that they needed Him…..
Please notice "When they saw it, they all began to grumble." Everyone in this
crowd was certain the Jesus has made a huge mistake…. No Jew with any sense of
purity would ever go to his house, stay and eat…… But Jesus says, "I'm coming to your house." He hurried
and came down and received Him gladly.
verse 8….
Luke 19:
8 NKJV Schlachter 2000
8 Then
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I
restore fourfold.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu
dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn
ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
Wow, something dramatic has just happened…... You've
got a man who is a professional thief…… who has now become an instant philanthropist……. You've
got a man who spent his whole life taking from others….. who now wants to give?
Zaccheaus was a man who was defined by greed and selfishness……
now he is acting in an absolutely unselfish way……. Something dramatic has
happened here…... The text doesn´t tell us what jesus talked to him about that
day….. But it doesn't need to….. We know what the conversation was…….
We know the many conversations Jesus has had about
repentance and salvation….. Jesus always preached the Kingdom of Heaven and
called all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel…..
Jesus recognized the conviction of sin in his heart…..
the emptiness, the isolation, the
lostness…… And Zaccheaus with all of his heart repented and responded to
Jesus…… He is one of the lost which Jesus seeks…… It is true that he knows he
has no eternal life, no relationship with God, no forgiveness of sin…..
Zaccheaus bears a tremendous weight of guilt……
Jesus talks to
him about forgiveness, about repentance, about the Kingdom, and he embraces
it……. by the power of God at work in his heart……. We know that he heard and
repented and believed….. How do we know
that? Verse 9, 10
Luke 19: 9,
10 NKJV Schlachter 2000
9 And Jesus
said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son
of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
9 Und Jesus sprach zu
ihm: Heute ist diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams
ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist
gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.
verse 9 Jesus
said to him, "Today salvation
has come to this house."
Jesus knows when salvation comes…... We might not when
or even if someone is truly saved…….. know but Jesus knows…... In fact, verse
10 He says, "The Son of Man has
come to seek and to save that which was lost, and here's an illustration of
saving one who is lost……..
Today salvation has come to this house."
Jesus passes by the spoken conversations and goes
right to the proof in Zaccheaus life….. Jesus moves right to the evidence of his
transformation……..
Look at verse 8 again…….
Luke 19:
8 NKJV Schlachter 2000
8 Then
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I
restore fourfold.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu
dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn
ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
Zacchaeus, stopped…… stethos, stothas(?) in the Greek. It really
means he took a stand....... It could be used for a formal act……. It is
really saying this, Zacchaeustakes a stand and makes this confession……. That's
the idea…..
And so he rises, takes his stand and said "Behold, Lord," that's enough right
there…… He's confessing Jesus as Lord……
This is very important……
If you from your heart confess Jesus as Lord, you're
saved, Romans 10:9 and 10……..
. "Behold,
Lord,"
This is an exclamation…….
a way to say something that speaks of the dramatic transformation that has
taken place in this man's life……. First thing he says when he takes his stand
is, "You're my Lord." Second
thing, "Half of my possessions I will give to the poor." Wow that is
a change……. This is self-denial……
Zaccheaus is responding to Jesus exactly as he said we
all should……. Turn back to Luke 9….v 23
Luke 9: 23 NKJV
Schlachter 2000
23 Then He
said to [them] all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, [fn] and follow Me.
23 Er sprach aber zu allen: Wenn
jemand mir nachkommen will, so verleugne er sich selbst und nehme sein Kreuz
auf sich täglich und folge mir nach.
He has affirmed that Jesus is his Lord and he says
immediately…….
"I'm going to give half of everything
that I possess to the poor."
Now he possessed a lot. Remember back in verse 2......
The text says he was rich….. he was really very rich……. In one day he was so
totally transformed that he went from being selfish to being unselfish……….. that he went
from being a taker to being a giver…………. It's stunning…….
Zaccheaus is
not at all like the rich young ruler back in chapter 18 verse 22……..
remember..?
Luke 18:
22-24 NKJV
22 So when
Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all
that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow Me.”
23 But when
he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
24 And when
Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who
have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Luke 18: 22-24 Schlachter 2000
22 Als Jesus dies hörte, sprach er zu
ihm: Eins fehlt dir noch: Verkaufe alles, was du hast, und verteile es an die
Armen, so wirst du einen Schatz im Himmel haben, und komm, folge mir nach!
23 Als er aber dies hörte, wurde er
ganz traurig; denn er war sehr reich.
24 Als aber Jesus ihn so sah, daß er
ganz traurig geworden war, sprach er: Wie schwer werden die Reichen ins Reich
Gottes hineinkommen!
There was a man who wasn't about to give away his
riches…… It's impossible, Jesus says, for rich men to give up their riches on
their own…… Verse 24
How hard is it? "It's
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter into the Kingdom of God."
Wow, that sounds impossible….. and it is impossible
unless the Lord has transformed you life……. It is God himself who takes out our
hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh….. Verse 27 says…. "Things impossible with men are possible with
God." Here's an illustration in the very next chapter of a rich man
who immediately gave up his riches……. Why? Because he was sought and saved by a
sovereign Lord…... True righteousness results in a transformed heart and a
transformed heart produces new attitudes and actions….……
And so, immediately that transformation showed
itself….. He became like the wonderful and generous Macedonians…… They were generous even
though they were poor….. They gave joyfully to others…….. Note takers….that´s 2
Corinthians 8…..
The Apostle
John writes about this in 1 John in about five different places, "Don't say you love God and then
withhold what your brother needs." True righteousness that comes from
a redeemed life…… results in
unselfishness and self-denial……. Back to Luke 19…v8
Luke 19:
8 NKJV Schlachter 2000
8 Then
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I
restore fourfold.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu
dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn
ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
So he says, "I'm
going to give half of it to the poor." Half of all of his money…..
You remember that James wrote, "Faith without works is dead."
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: 10 that we were saved by
grace through faith so that we can do the good works that God has planned for
us….
Ephesians
2:10 NLT Neues
Leben
10 For we are
God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the
good things he planned for us long ago.
10 Denn wir sind Gottes Schöpfung. Er
hat uns in Christus Jesus neu geschaffen, damit wir zu guten Taten fähig sind,
wie er es für unser Leben schon immer vorgesehen hat.
That is a natural consequence of a supernatural
transformation……. And here you see it…….
This
is the kind of obedience that marks the one who has denied himself……. taken up
his cross and followed Christ……
Well what does this tell us? That here is a transformed heart and life….
This is transformation that is staggering…… a totally transformed heart……
Back to Luke 19… v 9
Luke
19:9,10 NKJV Schlachter 2000
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has
come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man
has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
9 Und Jesus sprach zu ihm: Heute ist
diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist
gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.
Look at 2nd part of v 9….. because he also is a son of Abraham This
is a very important statement……… Zaccheaus is showing himself to be a true son
of Abraham…… What does Paul say in
Romans 2:28? A Jew is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but is one inwardly……..
It is not about circumcision, and religion on the outside, it's about the heart……..
Here is a true son of Abraham…...
In Galatians 3, it would be worth a moment to look at
it because this is an important subject,
Galatians 3:6. "Abraham believed God," quoting Genesis 15:6,
"Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,"
that's justification by faith……..
Well Zacchaeus became a true Jew, part of the Israel
of God, the Jew who was one inwardly…….
Not just the son of Abraham by race……. but a son of Abraham by faith in that he
followed the same pattern of Abraham's faith…... He that day was justified. …..He
who was lost was saved, delivered from sin and death and hell……. The Lord
sought him…… the Lord convicted him of sin…... The Lord proclaimed to him the
truth…… The Lord opened his heart to believe and repent…… and a miracle
transformed his life….. and the transformation was massive......... I can
imagine a very long line of people coming to visit Zaccheaus and receive their
money back from this transformed man…… I think some of the became believers
when they heard Zaccheaus tell the Good news that had transformed his life…..
V 10…..
This is the very reason Jesus came…… to seek and save
that which was lost……. I'm come to seek and save the lost……. To the religious and devout Pharisees……. to
include this man in the community of salvation was outrageous…….. Remember they
trusted in themselves that they were righteous….. They didn´t need or want a
Savior….. especially one that demaned repentance and self denial…. But for us
who have repented and believed….. it is
the most magnificent expression of the redeeming grace and love of God. ……Jesus
came to seek and save sinners…… and then to totally transform them by giving
them a new heart…..
We were all in
the same state that this man was……. spiritually dead, slaves of sin…….. full of
guilt, living in sin and shame and darkness…….. We need a savior to redeem us…. To save us….. because we cannot ever
save ourselves….
Close
Ezekiel
36:25, 26 NLT
25 “Then I
will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be
washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new
heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn
heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ezekiel 36:25, 26 Neues Leben
25 Dann gieße ich reines Wasser über
euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen euren Unreinheiten und von allen
euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.
26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz
geben und euch einen neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus
eurem Körper nehmen und euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.
Zaccheaus gave away a fortune but The significant thing is not what he did…. It´s
why he did it…….. he wanted more….. He found Jesus!
As Zaccheaus
repented and believed the Good News…… God gave him a new heart…… And
with it …. The joy and peace and forgiveness that he so desparately needed…..
It was easy to let go of his money then….. It´s always the heart that is the
issue…….
The Lord
Jesus Christ makes men alive……. cleanses them and frees them from sin…… All of
this is for the great Joy of The Father…..
Maybe there are some Zacchaeus' sitting in the trees
here today and you're curious enough to be here….. and you're trying to get a
look at Jesus…… But just like Zaccheaus….. there are obstacles in the way……..
maybe it´s people….. maybe it´s career….. maybe it´s money…… Jesus is saying to
you today……. Come here! I´m coming to your house today…… and you will never be
the same again….. I´ll give you a new heart and a new spirit…. Today we will take communion together……. It
is also totally about our hearts….. It´s our hearts and our sin and pride that
the Lord wants to wash away….. The power of communion is not here in these
things… the bread and the wine…juice…. It´s in the work of the Holy Spirit
working in our hearts….. we examine ourselves and let Jesus wash our feet…..
Communion
1 Cor 11: 23-
26 NKJV
23 For I
received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus
on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given
thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c]
for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the
cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do,
as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat
this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
1 Cor 11: 23- 26 Schlachter 2000
23 Denn ich habe von dem Herrn
empfangen, was ich auch euch überliefert habe, nämlich daß der Herr Jesus in
der Nacht, als er verraten wurde, Brot nahm,
24 und dankte, es brach und sprach:
Nehmt, eßt! Das ist mein Leib, der für euch gebrochen wird; dies tut zu meinem
Gedächtnis!
25 Desgleichen auch den Kelch, nach
dem Mahl, indem er sprach: Dieser Kelch ist der neue Bund in meinem Blut; dies
tut, so oft ihr ihn trinkt, zu meinem Gedächtnis!
26 Denn so oft ihr dieses Brot eßt
und diesen Kelch trinkt, verkündigt ihr den Tod des Herrn, bis er kommt.
Let's pray.
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