Luke 19:1-27

19:1-5 | A tax collector was not typically the kind of person who went out of his way to see who Jesus was. Yet Zacchaeus shows that every person ultimately desires to know God – even if the outward expression of their life reflects otherwise. Like Zacchaeus, everyone has the opportunity for a defining encounter with Jesus. When He calls and people respond (Make haste and come) lives will be changed.

19:8 | True repentance and a genuine relationship with God change a person’s behavior. For Zacchaeus to merely feel sorry for his sins or say he felt cleansed of his sin was not enough; the natural response of Spirit-generated repentance is to make right what one has done wrong. Zacchaeus’ offer to repay fourfold went beyond the restitution required in the OT (Lev. 5:16; Num. 5:7).

19:9 | Zacchaeus did not earn his salvation by pledging to right his wrongs. Instead, his repentant actions evidenced that God was already at work in his heart. This rich tax collector did what the rich young ruler refused to do – giving his money to the poor as a public indication of his decision to follow Jesus.

19:10 | This may be the key verse for the Book of Luke. Jeus came to this earth to seek and save men and women estranged from God (5:32; Matt. 18:11). He did exactly that with Zacchaeus.

19:11 | For several chapters Jesus has been approaching Jerusalem, where His earthly ministry would find its painful fulfillment. By this time, Jesus was near Jerusalem, and once again He had to correct misconceptions about His kingdom.

19:12-27 | Jesus’ parable taught two primary lessons. First, while the kingdom of God would certainly come in all its power and glory, it would not come right away. A long period of time would elapse between Jesus’ first coming and His final coming. Second, in that intermediate time, Jesus’ followers are expected to use whatever gifts they have for the advancement of the kingdom. The number of gifts is not nearly as critical as their faithful use.