Now with your Bibles open, I
want to show you a few things here. The introductory verse
of any Bible story is often passed over and not considered very
important, but in this case, especially, uh, not only is it
important, but it states the whole story. One concise statement, seven
words, and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. The city of Jericho was a beautiful
place located in the Jordan Valley, not too far from the Jordan River,
not too far on up to Jerusalem. A very pleasant climate there
in the Jordan Valley, sometimes called the City of Palm Trees.
And it was noted for its botanical gardens and balsams
and very fragrant, beautiful place. And it was what we would
call an upscale community, mostly inhabited by The wealthy and
the well-to-do, many of the priests and businessmen, influential
people lived at Jericho. It was a perfect place to live.
But going back to the Old Testament, we learned something very unpleasant.
It was in a cursed city, an accursed city. We can compare this to
this world. There's so much beauty, as we
just sung about in the song, God's creation and all the things
that we really enjoy in life. But with all the beauty, with
all the pleasantness of our lives, we live in a world that's under
the curse of sin. That's why there's trouble on
every hand. So in that respect, Jericho is
likened to the world we live in and a cursed city. That's the city. When God destroyed
this city back in the book of Joshua chapter six, you remember
that story? The walls fell down flat. They didn't fall over. They fell
down flat. And they, verse 17, that chapter
said, this city shall be accursed, even it and all that are therein,
except of course, the harlot rehab, which is, was, was pointed
out there. And then in that same chapter. Verse 18, And ye in any wise
keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves
accursed. When you take of the accursed
thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it, the people
of Israel, when God calls that city to fall, we're not to take
anything out of it. We're not to take any goods. for themselves. It's a cursed
place. Later in the chapter, verse 26,
and Joshua adjured them at that time saying, cursed be the man
before the Lord that rises up and buildeth this city, Jericho. Don't build it back. The man
that does it, he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn
and in his youngest son, shall he set up the gates of it." In
other words, the man who takes it on himself to rebuild this
cursed city will do so at the expense of burying his eldest
son when he lays the foundation. And when he finishes it, when
he sets up the gate, he will have done so at the expense of
his youngest son. And of course, sometime later,
that's exactly what happened. Exactly what happened. So the
mention of Jericho here in Luke 19.1 represents the curse. In Adam, every single one of
us entered Jericho. We're part of a Race under the
curse of sin. Like David, we were all conceived
in sin, shapen in iniquity, and born speaking lies from our mother's
womb. We entered Jericho, the cursed
place. All the children of Adam have
entered Jericho. Not one of Adam's race has ever
managed to leave Jericho in his or her own ability. We're stuck here under the curse
of sin. We've all entered Jericho, but
not one of us has passed through it. I said, verse one tells the story.
We read here of God's son, not Adam's son, but God's son. Jesus entered Jericho and he
passed through it. He, he wasn't stuck like we are. He passed through it. He entered
Jericho. He was made sin for us. He bore and conquered the curse
of sin. Entered Jericho, came into this
world, hung on a cross. Paul wrote, Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse. Cursed is everyone that hangeth
on a tree. He bore the curse. He took our
sin upon himself. He endured the cross, despising
the shame, and he Cried from the cross, it is finished. Not
I am finished. That's what the crowd was saying.
But he said, it is finished. And he died and the veil of the
temple was entwined from the top to the bottom. He opened
up the way. Not just that the Old Testament
Levitical priest could enter. but that all believers could
enter the very presence of God. He bore the curse. He bore the
curse. He was buried. I mean, he died
or he was buried. He rose again. He ascended back
to glory and he seated this morning on high. He entered and passed
through Jericho. So when you consider that, you
see that verse one tells the whole story. And entering and passing through
Jericho, he did exactly what he came there to do. Nothing
more, nothing less. Religion today has got all kinds
of ideas, but about how much more God would like to do, then
he's able to get done. And it's our job to help him.
What book do you read that out of? No, no. He entered Jericho, passed through,
went on his way and did everything he came there to do. That's him. That's him. A crowd gathered
as he passed through, called in verse three, the press. And
they followed him through town. And guess what? They're heard
from no more. That's the end of them. They was just playing religion.
Believe we'll walk along with him. Here we are. Look at us. We're walking with
Jesus. But like the religious world
today, what they really did was hindered any crippled, lame,
blind, handicapped person that would get to Jesus and needed
to get to Jesus. They were just in the way. Their
religious parade forbid that anyone who really need to get
to Jesus, they couldn't. You see that now verse two, we
read and behold, when you read that word, behold in the new
Testament, it's important to stop because it means look at
this. Look, behold, don't miss this. Behold, there was a man named
Zacchaeus. This is not fiction. There was
a man. Just like there was a man sent
from God whose name was John. Just like there was a man whose
name was Job. This is real. There was a man
named Zacchaeus. This is not a fairy tale. It's
not fiction. The key to this whole passage,
the why of this is in verse nine, the last statement for as much meaning, here's why this is the
reason for as much as he also is a son of Abraham. Now this
is not talking about natural descent. He might've been a Jew. His name indicates he was, but
some publicans, tax collectors were Romans. Some were Jews,
some Gentiles. It's not his nationality that's
referred to here, but rather the child of Abraham by promise,
one given the faith of Abraham to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, one of God's elect, if you please, one for whom Christ
came to die and to save. I can remember as a child, actually,
as long as I can remember the story of Zacchaeus. in the card class in Sunday school. They'd give out a little card
every Sunday, and there would be a picture on it about whatever
the lesson was about. And I remember the one about
Zacchaeus, a fella up in a tree. And we even sang the song. Zacchaeus
was a wee little man. And a wee little man was he,
you remember that? He climbed up in the sycamore
tree for the Lord he wanted to see. See? Well, there was the implication and
still is today that Zacchaeus was the hero. He climbed a tree. Well, He probably got me beat.
I'd have to climb a tree now. He climbed a tree to see Jesus.
Wanted to see who he was. He wanted to see him so much,
he climbed a tree. Well, that's true. But this story
is much bigger than that. Consider who this man was. He was of the upper class. He
was the chief among the publicans, tax collectors. He was the top
executive of the IRS in Jericho. He was rich, had a good life,
successful life. Why should he have any interest
in seeing this so-called prophet from Nazareth that hung around
a bunch of losers and homeless fellows and walked around the
country. Why would this man long to see
Jesus? The scripture makes some statements
that would seem to exclude this man. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1.26,
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble
were called. Zacchaeus was in that class. But I'm glad Paul never said
not any. He said not many, not many. Most politicians have no interest
in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless it's close to election time.
They don't come to church and then they're going to go to a
big church where they get a lot more votes than they'd get here.
So we don't have much to worry about. Then in James chapter two and
verse five, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich
in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them
that love him. This rich tax collector, he wouldn't
appear to be in that company. And then there's Matthew 19,
24. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. No sinner by nature wants anything
to do with the son of God. Paul wrote that in Romans 3,
there is none that seeketh after God. They're all together, gone astray. No sinner by nature wants anything
to do with God, including you and I. So-called free will is not the
issue. There is no such. Because of
sin, man's nature is bent toward running from God, not to Him. That's why all the people that
you know and love and would like to see their lives changed, they
don't have it in themselves to do that. And we spend our time running
and pulling and pleading and begging and whining after them
instead of talking to the only one about them who can do anything
about it. Oh my. So the hero in this story,
is not Zacchaeus, it's the Lord Jesus. And we need to see that. One writer said this, the sweet
hounds of heaven treed Zacchaeus, put him up a tree. Some of you
men have been coon hunting in your time at night. And I still
know some fellas that do. I never been big on it, but They
take their dogs and go out that way after dark, take a flashlight,
stay half the night, freeze half to death to hear them dogs run
and tree a coon. And the dogs follow that scent
and that track, barking about every breath or two. And when
that coon goes up a tree, The dogs stop and they look up and
they have a different bark. Then they'll bark every breath
and it's called a tree bark. They're looking up a tree and
the hunter knows the dogs have treed. That comment, this writer made
the sweet hounds of heaven named goodness and mercy. have treed Zacchaeus. They put
him up a tree. Yes, he climbed the tree. But what could make a man of
his position and reputation want to climb a tree? Only God. Only God. Listen to this quote from our
friend Brother Don Fortner with the Lord now. He said, when poor
sinners like this publican feel a desire to see Christ, to hear
his word as he passes by, though they may be completely unaware
of it, it is their savior working upon their minds, creating the
desire in them. predisposing them to hear his
voice in the call of the gospel. Though they are like Zacchaeus
of little stature, little in knowledge, little in the apprehension
of their sins, and even little in desire for Christ, yet neither
the press of the world, the press of time, or the press of a multitude
can keep them from Christ when the time of love has come. When, by some event of providence,
a sinner is caused to be in the place where Christ comes in saving
power, though he may have come with the most base motives imaginable,
if the sinner is one of God's elect and the time of love has
come, he will then and there hear the shepherd's voice and
follow him. How true, how true. Psalm 110
verse 3, the psalmist says, the father said to the son, thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. That's the only time
any sinner comes to Christ is in the day of God's power
for that hour. that moment, that place. And so this morning, my message
is the same as always. If He, in sovereign grace, does
not arrest you and run you up a tree inescapably,
bring you to the end of yourself, all that's left for you is to
play religion 50 years and to die in your sins. He makes the difference. Verse
5, And when Jesus came to the place, this was a place known to him
from eternity. Folks today are saying, well,
a man can be saved anytime. That's what the Bible says. Man
can be saved anywhere. No, no, no. The time is in the
day of his power. And the place is an appointed
place. And when Jesus came to the place, this was a place known to him
from eternity. He who created the earth. every
hill and every valley and knows everything about everything. Everybody, he knew this place. And so many years earlier than
this, he planted a tree that should grow in this place. He knew all about this place. When he came to the place, He
walked along with a crowd of people all around him, pressing
against him. He's got so much going on around
him, it's not likely that a fellow would look up. Bumping you on this side, bumping
you on this side. Boy, a lot going on here. Why would he look up? But when he came to the place,
He looked up. The sweet hounds of heaven, goodness
and mercy, who belong to the Lord Jesus, had a man treed. He couldn't come down. He wouldn't
come down until the Lord told him to. Now, if you could imagine
the embarrassment, the humiliation, Zacchaeus wouldn't
count on anybody looking up. But guess what? When Jesus looked
up, everybody looked up. If Jesus hadn't looked up, they
wouldn't have. He'd have gotten by. No man would have ever known
he was there. People get by with their hiding
and their excuses and their hypocrisy until Christ comes to the place and says, I'm here for you. I'm
here for you. We note in the story. The Lord
Jesus spoke first. He always does. So much for the religious idea
that you can do something to get God's attention. If he don't
get your attention, you'll never be interested in his attention. Zacchaeus is trapped in this
tree. He can't go anywhere. He is shut up. The Psalmist said,
Psalm 88, 8, I am shut up. I cannot come forth. Zacchaeus, he couldn't speak.
He, he couldn't bring himself to say, Oh, don't bother with
me. Y'all just go on now. Don't, no, no, no. Don't bother
me. Jesus would have said, I'm here
to bother with you. You're why I'm here. This moment has been on my agenda
from eternity. So Jesus spake and his first
word is this, Zacchaeus, John 10 verse 3, he calleth his
own sheep by name. Zacchaeus had no idea that Jesus
knew his name. Oh, but he did. He knows your
name. Then the Lord said, come down, not just come down out of the
tree, but come down in your spirit. Lay down your pride. See, the
Lord's got him in this place where he's humiliated, embarrassed. Ain't nothing to do but come
down. Come down. Lay aside your pride. Acknowledge
the nothingness of the sinner you are. Come down. Jesus is not calling a chief
tax collector. He's not calling a respectable,
proud, moral man. Jesus is calling a sinner. Preacher Caldwell said one time
he went to a meeting. The pastor said, I want to introduce
you to a Christian doctor. Caldwell said, God don't save
doctors. He might save a sinner who happens
to be a doctor. He don't save doctors. He saves
sinners. That was the order. That was
the order. He saves sinners. Jesus said,
come down. And he said, don't be long about
it. We're not saying in 16 verses
to get you to cooperate. You make haste. It means get
on with it, bud. Come down in a hurry right now. For today, I must abide at thy
house. That word abide, the Greek word
is to stay, to remain and continue. Now we know physically Christ
was just going to his house for the day. But in Zacchaeus heart,
Christ would stay. He would abide, remain, continue. It's the same word used of the
Holy Ghost in John 14, 16. I will pray the father and he
shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. He's going to remain. He's going
to stay. He's going to continue. You may grieve him, but you won't
grieve him away. If you're God's child, you can
never be anybody else's child. Well, Zacchaeus did not say,
not today, maybe later. No, no. This is, this is a doctrine known
as effectual calling. God worketh all things according
to the pleasure of his own will. How effectual was it? Verse six,
and he made haste and came down. That's exactly what Jesus told
him to do. He could not do otherwise. And he received him joyfully. Now that's a type of Christianity
that we don't know much about. Shame, shame, shame on us. Why don't you go play golf with
us today, brother? I can't, I got to go to church.
No, you don't got to go to church. Get on out of here. He received the Lord joyfully. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Hey, you don't have to be ashamed
of being among the elite in this world. And that's who God's people
are. Absolutely. He abides. He abides. Now, Zacchaeus never climbed
the tree to be arrested in the tree. That wasn't his plan. He was just curious to see this
Jesus of Nazareth. But his curiosity was not really
his curiosity. His curiosity was a product of
God's grace. God created that curiosity. You can listen to all this garbage
you want to about men doing this, that, that, that, that, that,
and the other to help God out. No, no, no. Anything that keeps
you out of hell is God helping you out. That's the order. That's the order. His curiosity was one thing,
but God was doing something bigger. He intended one thing, God was
doing another. I just want to see him and go
on about my business. Jesus said, no, you're going
to see me and go on about my business. That's how it went. The Lord calls you. It's you
and him. It's not, it's not what the crowd
thinks or anything, but look at what the crowd did here. Verse
seven, of course, this is the only thing religion knows how
to do. When they saw it, they all murmured saying that he was
gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. What did they think they were? The approval of the multitude
will leave you without the Lord. And walking with the Lord will
leave you without the approval of the multitude. Now, maybe this morning they said, well, he's going to
be guest with a man that is a sinner. If he wanted a quiet place to
rest, and a good meal, he didn't have
to resort to that. Oh, yes, he did. This was a reservation
made by him, for him, long before he hung the stars. And when he came your way, if
he's come your way, it wasn't something you decided on. he
is doing. And this man is already changed
in his heart. You know, if he wasn't, his going
up the tree wouldn't make any change. It was the change God made that
put him up the tree. Oh my. Verse nine, the change comes out in Zacchaeus'
first words. He hadn't said a word yet, but in verse nine, I think I'm at verse nine. No,
I'm at verse eight, verse eight. Behold, Lord. Confession. Behold, Lord, who told him that
Jesus is the Lord? The rest of the crowd wouldn't
call him Lord. But this man did. And he says, Lord, I'm ready
to come clean. The half of my goods I give to
the poor. We read in the Old Testament
sometimes where a king would say, the half of my kingdom I'll
give to such and such. It's kind of on the same order.
The half of my goods I give to the poor. Not to get something from the
poor. But because of what you've done in my heart, I've got more
than I'll ever need. What would give this rich tax
collector this attitude about his wealth? I've got more than
I'll ever need. You ever heard a rich person
say that? I've got more than I'll ever need. No. You need just a little bit more. And of course, deny being rich. I've got millions. I wouldn't
say I'm rich. No, you're not in one sense.
But the Bible tells us, told the truth about this fellow.
He was rich. He was rich. And he brought now to confess,
I've got more than I'll ever need. What give him that attitude? Only the Lord could have given
him that. It's not natural to fall in nature
to talk like that. He becomes a giver. Half of my
wealth given to the poor. And then his desire to be honest. And if I have taken anything
from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Now, some say that he don't say
here that he has, he said if. Well, many places in the New
Testament, the word if is translated sense. He might be confessing
he has, or he might be questioning, but either way, he's ready to
make it right. And how right is he ready to make it? Four
times. Fourfold. If I've taken a dollar
wrongly, I'll give back four. Buddy, that ain't free will.
That's God. Free will to say, if I've taken
a dollar, I'll give you back a quarter. Keep you from being
totally out in the cold. But I'll give back fourfold.
God did that. God did that. Jesus said unto him, this day
is salvation. Come to this house. Forasmuch as he also is a son
of Abraham. Salvation hadn't come because
of what you've done. But you've done what you've done
because salvation has come. And salvation has come because
this man also is a son of Abraham. He's given the faith of Abraham. He believes God. He's one of
God's elect. And looking at this story, some
of you this morning, have run about every direction
there is to run. You've saved face. Most of you
have done well materially. You've kept your respect among
family and friends. You're just a good person. You
know, so-and-so, yeah, they're a good person. You know that
guy, yeah, they're good people. You've managed. to run enough
in life to be in this class. They're good folks. They're good
folks. Tried this, tried that. Here's
the bottom line. If the Lord's on your trail,
he'll get you. And if he leaves you alone, you're
sunk. You're sunk. He'll get you up a tree. or in
a corner, or in a hole, or lying in ICU, or behind bars, He'll get you up a tree one way
or another. He'll bring you to the end of yourself. And when
He does, you'll gladly cooperate and say, Lord, have it your way. Here I am at the end of the road,
whipped and defeated. And I'm going down for the last
time. Lord have mercy on me. That's how Zacchaeus was saved.
The Lord saved him. The Lord did it. I'm so sick of this generation.
I'm glad I decided to get saved when I did. You didn't get saved. If you're saved, somebody had
to save you. And that's somebody's God. A drowning person don't get rescued. Somebody has to rescue them. A person lost in the woods don't
get found. Somebody has to find them. So sinners don't get saved. God
saves sinners. That's the order.