I always enjoy reading accounts
of how God's pleased to save various people in the scriptures.
I read about the conversion of the Samaritan woman in John 4,
Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9, Philemon in the book of Philemon, and
I tend to find my heart saying, that's just what God has done
for me, don't you? I think maybe that's the reason
the stories are recorded, or at least one reason. In Luke
19, come with me there if you will, we read the story of Zacchaeus'
conversion. Let's read the story together,
just hold your Bibles open in verses 1 through 10, and see
what the Lord did for Zacchaeus and what He does for us. What
He did for Zacchaeus, He still does for His own elect today. Our Savior never changes. The
key to understanding this passage and the events recorded in these
first 10 verses of Luke 19 is found in verses 9 and 10. Our
Lord tells us that salvation came to Zacchaeus because he
also is a son of Abraham. He was saved by God's omnipotent
grace because the Lord Jesus came down here to seek and to
save that which is lost. Now, let's not forget the context. It always helps to see the context
in which something is found. And as I've told you many times,
this book is not only written by divine inspiration. It is
put together in the order in which it is put together by the
purpose of God in his providence. Back in Luke chapter 18, in verses
18 through 25, we read that story of the rich young ruler who came
to the Lord Jesus. And in verses 24 through 26,
when Jesus saw that this man had turned and walked away, would
not bow to him, he was very sorrowful. And he said, how hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. For it is
easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God. Then in verse 26, the
disciples asked, who then can be saved? And look at our Savior's
response, verse 27. The things which are impossible
with men are possible with God. And beginning right here, he
proceeds to demonstrate the fact that he is that God with whom
all things are possible, even the salvation of sinners. He
and he alone is able to save all who come to God by him because
he is God who came here to seek and to save that which was lost.
Then in verse 30 of chapter 18, he tells us that the salvation
he brings is in the world to come life everlasting. In verses 31 through 33, he prophesies
of his death and shows us how that this salvation, this life
everlasting, comes to our souls by the merit and efficacy of
his finished work of redemption as our substitute. Then in verses
35 through 43, he shows us that the sure result of his finished
work is the salvation of sinners by His omnipotent grace, giving
sight and salvation to the blind man as he approached Jericho.
Now, look at verse 1 of our text, Luke 19, verse 1. This chapter
opens with solemn, solemn words we ought to lay to heart. Jesus
entered and passed through Jericho. He passed through Jericho. Now, as you read the gospel narratives,
this is what took place. Our Lord Jesus is on his way
to Jerusalem. And as he approaches Jericho,
he saved Bartimaeus. We read about Bartimaeus' conversion
in Mark 10. And he saved the blind man that
we saw in Luke 18. As he's going out of Jericho,
he saved two blind men sitting by the wayside, described in
Matthew 20. And just a short distance, a
little further out of Jericho, he comes to save Zacchaeus. But as he goes through Jericho,
he just passed through Jericho. No indication of any wondrous
work of grace performed as he goes through Jericho. There was,
many years earlier, one of the crown jewels of the Son of God
saved in Jericho by the name of Rahab. Indeed, there were
many of his jewels gathered out of Jericho, as you read the Old
Testament. But now, it appears that there
are no sheep to be called in Jericho, and he passed through
Jericho. He finds the jewels for his crown
now among the poor. the despised, the blind, the
publican, the outcast of the city of Jericho. With those words,
in verse 1, Luke seems to be saying to us, let us never cease
to adore and give thanks to our God and Savior for his sovereign,
distinguishing grace. He who has mercy on whom he will
have mercy has not left us to ourselves, but rather he has
come to where we are and called us by his grace. What shall I
render to the Lord for all his mercies toward me? All right,
now let me show you some lessons from these 10 verses here in
Luke 19. First, Zacchaeus' conversion
tells us that the grace of God that brings salvation is omnipotent,
irresistible grace. None are too sinful, too base,
too vile, too far gone for Christ to save. His arm is not short
that he cannot save. Indeed, his mighty, omnipotent
arm is stretched out in the operations of his grace so that none are
beyond the reach of his matchless mercy. Here is a notorious publican,
Zacchaeus, one of the most well-known of all the despised tax collectors
dwelling near Jericho, and he's transformed instantly into a
child of God. Here is a rich man who, by God's
omnipotent mercy, is graciously made to pass through the needle's
eye into the kingdom of God, into the Jerusalem which is above.
Here is a covetous man, a man who had made his living by theft. in his covetousness, now turned
into a self-sacrificing philanthropist, giving away that which God had
put in his hands. Our all-glorious, ever-gracious
Savior is able to save to the uttermost. Here is a physician
before whom there is no such thing as one who is incurable. Jesus Christ saves whom he will. I love that hymn Chapa wrote,
he still makes the lame to walk and causes the blind to see.
Here's a second thing. Do you remember how the Lord
told us back in Zechariah chapter 4 that we must not despise the
day of small things? Well, there's a reason for that.
It proves remarkable throughout history, even in a ordinary sense,
that great events often turn on very small, seemingly insignificant
things. Great works often are accomplished
by small things. And our God uses even the smallest
things, the most insignificant things, to bring his elect to
faith in Jesus Christ. Look in verses two and three.
Behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief
among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus,
who he was, and could not for the press, the thronging crowd,
because he was little of stature. It was curiosity. nothing but
curiosity on Zacchaeus' part that brought him to this place,
to the place ordained by God from eternity, to be the place
where Christ would find him. His curiosity and that alone
seems to have caused this grown man. Now, look at his behavior. He's out here in a crowd. He's
a man well-known, and he scampers up a tree like a schoolboy. to
see who this man is who's got such attention. Verse four, he
ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for
he was to pass that way. Truly, God moves in a mysterious
way his wonders to perform. Zacchaeus was curious, but Christ
had come here to be gracious. It was Christ who was secretly
working to accomplish his purpose of grace towards Zacchaeus. His
curiosity was but a part of the Lord's secret work by which the
Lord would be pleased to bring Zacchaeus to himself and perform
his gracious work. Let me show you. And this is
the third thing here. Salvation comes to chosen sinners
because of God's secret purpose of grace in eternal election. As I told you before, Zacchaeus
was saved because, our Lord said, he is the son of Abraham. We
don't know that Zacchaeus was a Jew physically, in a natural
sense. He may or may not have been.
The publicans were oftentimes Jews who were employed by the
Roman government to raise taxes, but often the publicans were
Gentiles as well. But this publican, Zacchaeus,
was a child of Abraham. He was a child of promise. He
was an heir of the covenant. He was one of Abraham's spiritual
seed, one of Christ's seed, whom he came to save, one of those
of whom the psalmist spoke when asked, who shall serve him? And
the answer is given, a generation shall serve him. A seed shall
serve him in a generation to come. Zacchaeus, like you and
me, was a sinner by nature, a sinner by choice, and a sinner by practice. But he was distinguished from
all others in that crowd that day because he was distinguished
from them by God's everlasting choice of him. How we ought to
give thanks to God for his electing love. God, from the beginning,
had chosen him to salvation, and now the time of love had
come. And here's the fourth thing. Zacchaeus' conversion gives us
another of those many, many, many clear displays of God's
prevenient grace. Yes, Zacchaeus sought to see
Jesus who he was. He was curious to see the man
about whom so much commotion was being made. But Zacchaeus
was not the one who caused the commotion. And Zacchaeus was
not the one who caused the curiosity it aroused. That was Christ. Zacchaeus sought to see him,
but he sought to see Zacchaeus long before Zacchaeus thought
of him. Our Savior purposefully directed, purposefully directed,
all his steps through Jericho because the hour had come to
call Zacchaeus. This was the day appointed from
eternity in which salvation must come to Zacchaeus' house, and
nothing's going to stop it. All the steps leading to that
purposed end were marked out, ruled, and overruled, and made
to serve that end. I can't tell you how precious
the thought of God's prevenient grace is to me, that which the
world cannot see, that which is just confusion to the unbelieving. When we are taught by God the
Holy Spirit, we look upon as a huge volume to be read throughout
the days of our lives and read on through the ages of eternity. When God the Holy Spirit shows
us something of His mighty operations of grace just for us, just for
us. I look back over the days of
my life before God saved me and since then. And there are things
that I have seen brought to pass. At the time, there was no way
to explain them, no way to give any sense of them. They came
to pass just to accomplish some specific good for me. And I'm telling you that everything
that comes to pass in this world, distinctly and particularly,
my brothers and sisters, everything that comes to pass in our lives
is arranged by our God for our everlasting good. As Jude puts
it, these things come to pass because we are sanctified by
God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and now called. Goodness and mercy have followed
us all the days of our lives, chasing us to the appointed place
of love at the appointed time of love. And that same goodness
and mercy will continue to follow us all the days of our lives
yet to come until these blessed hounds of heaven have chased
us at last into eternal glory. Now look back. Look back over
the days of your life and see how God's preserving grace in
Christ kept you until His saving grace called you, and now His
grace continues to keep you according to His eternal purpose. The Apostle
Paul puts it this way. Turn there and look at it, if
you will, Romans 8. Look at it one more time. It'll do you good. Verse 28, this is the meaning
of what Paul's telling us here. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose, for whom he did forego. Then
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Verse 33
of chapter 11. after he finishes describing
God's purpose of grace accomplished in the history of Israel, both
in the establishing of that nation and in the casting away of that
nation, so that he might gather his elect, all the Israel of
God, out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue. Paul says
in verse 33, oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments. and His ways past finding out. Verse 36, for of Him and through
Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. Now here is a precious
sweet thought. Join me in the prayer that it
shall come to pass as we meet in just a few minutes in this
place of public worship. Perhaps this very day we shall
see the manifestation of God's secret, prevenient grace in the
conversion of another son or daughter of Abraham. Someone wakes up this morning
prompted by something. He doesn't know what. Prompted
to come here to this place where Jesus Christ has said he will
pass by. The sweet hounds of heaven, goodness
and mercy may even get intrigued as they did Zacchaeus. And then
the Son of God comes to the spot. Behold, Zacchaeus, who though
he went to see Christ, never once thought of Christ coming
to see him. There the Lord calls him, calls him by name. bids him to come down, invites
himself to go to Zacchaeus' house, and tells him that he must today
abide with him in his house. And when he does, immediately
Zacchaeus finds his heart freely disposed to come down from the
tree to receive Christ joyfully into his house and into his heart. Why? Blessed is the man whom
thou choosest. and causes to approach unto thee. 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 may be that
their Savior is working upon their minds and their hearts,
creating the desire in them, predisposing them to hear his
word, though they are like the Zacchaeus of little stature,
little in knowledge, little in apprehension of themselves and
their sins, even little in desire for Christ. Yet, if they are
His, and the time of love has come, and the Savior is pleased
to call them, neither the press of the world, nor the press of
time, nor the press of the crowd 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 to that place with the basest
motives imaginable. If he's 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. I've told you many times. When
I first started attending public worship, hearing the Word of
God preached as a young man, I started going to church because
there was a girl there I wanted to see. And the only way her
daddy would let me see her is if I went to church. I can't even remember the girl's
name for the life of me. She's unimportant. And she became
unimportant in a moment, like that. Because the time came,
though I came just to sit and hold a girl's hand, the Son of
God came to take me by the hand of His grace and bring me into
His heavenly kingdom. The Lord Jesus came to that place. to save Zacchaeus and graciously
through all the thoughts of his heart and the motives of his heart,
through all the events of his life, he calls Zacchaeus to be
right there at that time in that tree. Why? because he made that
tree, planted it in that place for Zacchaeus. Made Zacchaeus
a little short fellow who couldn't see above the crowd and made
the branches of the tree low enough that he could grab hold
of one and climb the tree. And he wanted to make a public
spectacle of it, and so he sets Zacchaeus in that tree, so that
when he stops and calls him, everybody around is paying attention. He shows the wonders of his grace
in seeking out his own, whose names were written in the book
of life before the world began. This is what the book says. The
flocks shall pass again under the hands of him that telleth
them, saith the Lord. I will cause you to pass under
the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant. And so
it comes to pass. Here's the fifth thing. Look
at verses five and six. Zacchaeus was in this place at
this time because the Lord put things just as he did and arranged
things just as he did. He set him up that tree to save
him by his sovereign, irresistible grace. And when Jesus came to
the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus,
make haste and come down. For today I must abide at thy
house. And you know what Zacchaeus did?
Look at verse 6. And he made haste and came down. Grace always has its way at the
appointed time in the appointed way exactly according to God's
purpose. He said today I must abide at
thy house and he must do so. Now, look at verses 7 and 8,
and learn this. The grace of God, when wrought
in the soul of a man, the grace of God, when experienced in the
heart, makes a mighty change in the life of the sinner saved
by grace. When they saw it, they all murmured,
saying that he was going to be guessed with a man that was a
sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said, he makes a public declaration
to the Son of God. He said unto the Lord, behold,
Lord, behold, my master, the half of my goods I give to the
poor. And if I've taken anything from
any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Without
any word or command, without any threat of law, without any
promise of reward, Zacchaeus did what that rich young ruler
who came running to the Savior and claimed to live by the law
could not and would not do. He sold everything he had for
this one pearl of great price and took up his cross and followed
the Master. He was willing, joyfully, to
receive Christ and to give all for Christ because he wanted
to. What was the difference between
Zacchaeus, who goes through the needle's eye, and the rich man
who could not get through the needle's eye for anything? What was the difference? The
difference is grace. That's all. The Lord Jesus did
for Zacchaeus what Zacchaeus could not do for himself. He
disposed Zacchaeus in his heart to believe and to follow him. The rich young ruler he left
to himself. And that's exactly how our Savior
explains the difference. He tells us in verses 9 and 10,
this is how it came to pass. Jesus said unto him, This day
is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son
of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to
seek and to save that which is lost. May God be pleased this
day to send our Savior this way. in His sweet manifest grace,
seeking and saving lost sinners for the glory of His name.