When Jesus arrived, he noticed Zacchaeus in the tree and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." This made Zacchaeus very joyful but the crowd...
What was Jesus response to Zacchaeus?
Jesus response was, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”(NRSV, Matthew 19:9-10) Jesus accepted Zacchaeus' repentance and his self-imposed penitence as signs of his salvation.
How did Jesus forgive Zacchaeus?
Zacchaeus said that he would give back FOUR times the money he'd taken unfairly and HALF of all he had to the poor. Jesus forgave Zacchaeus for the wrong things he'd done. Some of us are planners. We neatly file all records, regularly balance the books and use spreadsheets to cal- culate our debts and assets.
What did Jesus say to the tax collector?
The Pharisee prayed about how good he was, but the tax collector asked for God's mercy as he was a sinner. Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home justified before God. He concluded, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
What lessons do we learn from the story of Zacchaeus?
Zacchaeus teaches us that when you make a solid effort to experience Jesus, you are rewarded. It means seeking him with all your heart and doing everything he would have you do!
How did Jesus change Zacchaeus life?
Zacchaeus showed he was willing to change by offering half of his belongings to the poor and paying back four times as much to anyone he had cheated. This amount was what the Old Testament law demanded as a repayment for dishonesty.
Why did God Forgive Zacchaeus?
Half of what he had, he gave to the poor. He also promised to repay anyone he stole extra tax money from - four times as much! We know something changed in Zacchaeus by what he did after meeting Jesus. Because of Jesus' love and forgiveness, Zacchaeus was able to start a fresh, new life.
What is the meaning of Zacchaeus the tax collector?
'Zacchaeus' means "pure" or "innocent" in Greek. The story of Zacchaeus became a popular teaching lesson in early Christianity. He exemplified the idea that a sinner (even a tax collector) could turn (repent) and change his life through the preaching of Jesus.
What does take up your cross mean?
To "take up our cross," however, means to lay our strengths aside. It means to lay our "ego strength" aside. Taking up our cross means, instead, picking up those weaknesses that we so often try to run away from in life.
Is Zacchaeus and Matthew the same person?
Matthew was the tax collector who became a disciple of Jesus. Zacchaeus was the man who had to climb a tree to see Jesus. From Zacchaeus we can learn that when you make a solid effort to experience Jesus, you are rewarded. From Matthew we can learn that God can use anyone to help him in his work.
Why do you think Zacchaeus changed?
Zacchaeus overcame a barrier Since he was short and there was a crowd, Zacchaeus knew that if he stayed where he was- he would not be able to see Jesus. Instead of letting his height affect his desire to see Jesus- he found a way anyways. He found a tree he could climb in an area he knew Jesus would be stopping by.
What was Zacchaeus problem?
societal fears of disability often warp how we read the Bible. But the Zacchaeus story challenges the normate assumption that disability is a problem needing to be fixed or eliminated. All human beings can be accepted as children of Abraham regardless of their physical characteristics or capabilities.
Zacchaeus Is Curious About Jesus
Say:Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.Zacchaeus want...
Zacchaeus Is called by Name
Say:Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” So Zacchaeu...
Zacchaeus Becomes A New Creation
Say:But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out o...
Why did the people grumble when Jesus said "Hurry down Zacchaeus"?
The people started grumbling because Jesus was going to the home of a sinner. However, Zacchaeus promised to give half his belongings to the poor and pay back four times as much to anyone he had cheated.
Why was Zacchaeus so unpopular?
Zacchaeus was especially unpopular as he was a chief tax collector in Jericho and a wealthy man . However, he must have realised that his life needed to change and he was determined to see Jesus – even though this meant climbing a tree.
Who did Jesus meet in the Bible?
Jesus meets Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) Jesus was passing through Jericho. There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. Zacchaeus was a little man, and wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed a sycamore tree.
Who were tax collectors in Jesus' day?
Background. Tax collectors were not popular in Jesus’ day and were commonly regarded as sinners . Tax collectors worked for the Romans, the occupying force in Palestine at the time. They collected taxes from people to give to the Romans and were regarded as traitors.
What did Jesus see in Zacchaeus?
What Jesus Saw in Zacchaeus. And he entered and was passing through Jericho. And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature. And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: ...
What is Zacchaeus famous for?
Zacchaeus is famous for being a “wee little man,” a character that small children learn about in Bible classes. Yet there is much that grownups can learn from Zacchaeus and his interaction with Jesus. When the Jews saw Zacchaeus, they saw a little weasel who sided with the oppressor against them. As a publican, or tax-collector, he was equivalent ...
How did Jesus rebuke the crowd?
Jesus gently rebukes the crowd by demonstrating how salvation has come and that Zacchaeus is a child of Abraham, even if the people saw him as “too sinful” to “deserve” that status. And we see how Jesus’ ultimate purpose was fulfilled: He came to seek and save the lost. There is a lot that we can learn from this story.
What can we learn from Jesus?
You also can change your ways and begin serving the Lord and be saved, no matter what you have done ( 1 Timothy 1:12-16 ). All of us, however, can learn from Jesus and what He saw in Zacchaeus. If we are honest with ourselves, we will recognize that we have played the part of the people of Jericho far too often.
Who was vindicated by Jesus' response?
Jesus is vindicated by Za ccha eus’ response. Since Jesus was willing to show Zacchaeus love, compassion, and mercy, and to give him a chance, even if entirely undeserved, Zacchaeus responded with repentance. Jesus gently rebukes the crowd by demonstrating how salvation has come and that Zacchaeus is a child of Abraham, ...
Why do we pray?
The only reason that any of us have a prayer is because God showed us love, compassion, and mercy, and that despite ourselves ( Romans 5:5-11, Titus 3:3-8 ). Those “terrible sinners” have just as much right to obtain God’s grace, repent of their sins, and be obedient as any of the rest of us do.
What does the name Zacchaeus mean?
The name Zacchaeus means ‘pure’ or ‘innocent’. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus didn’t live up to his name. It was no secret that his wealth was gained on the backs of his neighbors and countrymen. Yet, John the Baptist says that these tax collectors can make things right by simply being honest in their business.
Why did Zacchaeus climb up the tree?
Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore tree to have a better view of Jesus. When Jesus arrived, he noticed Zacchaeus in the tree and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.". This made Zacchaeus very joyful but the crowd "grumbled," ...
How did Zacchaeus become rich?
Zacchaeus became rich by using his position to take as much as he wanted. This left the people overtaxed and resentful of this man who was stealing from them. And since he had the full support of the Roman authorities, the people were powerless to stop him.
Why is the story of Zacchaeus climbing a tree so fun?
The story of Zacchaeus climbing a tree is fun to share with young children; especially because they are also ‘wee little’ people. Yet there is so much to learn about him beyond the fact that he was a short guy who hung out in trees, and Zacchaeus is someone that we adults can relate to as well.
What was Zacchaeus' career?
Besides his small stature, the thing that defined Zacchaeus was his career as the chief tax collector in Jericho. Those who collect taxes are not popular in any time period, but the dislike was even deeper in 1 st century Jewish culture. Not only was Zacchaeus the IRS agent of his time, but he was also a traitor to his nation.
Who was Jesus speaking to in the Bible?
How shocking it must have been when Jesus spoke directly to Zacchaeus in the midst of this large crowd. Zacchaeus was not a tall man and had to climb a tree to see Jesus. Yet, in a certain respect, Zacchaeus already knew who Jesus was and that he was worth seeing. We too, through the word of God, have full access to the complete truth of who God is.
Who climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord?
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…”. Who was Zacchaeus? His Story from the Bible. Zacchaeus was a tax collector of the city Jericho and learned that Jesus the prophet was passing through the city. Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore tree to have ...
What did Jesus say about Zacchaeus?
After His meeting with Zacchaeus, Jesus proclaimed that he was a “son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9) and said that Zacchaeus’ faith had saved him. Jesus knew the desires of Zacchaeus’ heart, and knew that he really would change – and He knows the same of us too.
What did Zacchaeus do when he heard Jesus coming?
But when Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming, he ran ahead of the crowds and climbed a tree just to catch a glimpse of Him (Luke 19:4). He did what was necessary to get to God, regardless of what others thought.
What does Zacchaeus promise?
Zacchaeus promises to take drastic measures to right the wrongs he has done, and to live his life in a better and more righteous way: he promises to give much of his wealth to the poor and to go above and beyond in repaying what he took illegally from others (Luke 19:8). Such actions would have depleted much, if not all, of Zacchaeus’ wealth.
What does Zacchaeus mean by "Lord"?
This is the critical first step in beginning a relationship with God: acknowledging Jesus as the Lord of your life. No other person or thing or priority should ever come close to the influence and lordship of Jesus Christ. Yes, it is true that He saves us, but the point of His salvation is that we can use our redeemed and restored lives yielding to His will over our own.
How did Zacchaeus prove he was ready to hear Jesus?
Zacchaeus proved that he was ready to hear Jesus through his actions: he no doubt had to leave his taxing tables, his livelihood and a symbol of his ill-gotten gains, in order to seek Jesus out. He had broken every social norm to get close to Him, and when Jesus finally did speak to Him Zacchaeus responded immediately.
Why was Zacchaeus moved by Jesus' love?
But the bottom line is, we should be obedient to whatever God tells us to do in order to follow Him. Zacchaeus was moved by Jesus’ love to do the things he promised. For him, those were necessary steps to proving that he had fully submitted the rest of his life to God.
Why did the crowd look down on Jesus?
They looked down on Zacchaeus because they thought that he was beyond saving – he had made his choices and turned his back on his people, and so they refused to seek his good to try to reach out to him themselves.
What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus?
In response to Jesus' s question in verse 5, we see the second action of Zacchaeus. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house.” Zacchaeus' response in verse 6, "So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly". Again I believe, for Jesus, this is an outward expression of an inward reality. There are many texts in the gospels that express that there is a prerequisite to having a relationship with Him and that is accepting/receiving of Jesus/the gospel. Here is one:
What does Zacchaeus mean by accepting Jesus?
By Zacchaeus accepting / receiving Jesus into the place he lives, is expressing the fact that Zacchaeus has nothing to hide and in fact “glad ly” receives Jesus into the most intimate place of his life. The home is the place the family lives and the most intimate place of our lives.
What does it mean when Zacchaeus comes down from the tree?
Once Zacchaeus has come down out of the tree the text states that he received Jesus joyfully. The timeline in this story becomes a bit ambiguous. ὑπεδέξατο (“received”) is an aorist verb which denotes an indefinite amount of time.
Why did Jesus bring salvation to Zacchaeus?
("He also is a son of Abraham.") Salvation came to Zacchaeus because Jesus had called him down from the tree and gone with him to his house.
What did Jesus say about salvation?
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. Jesus is making this statement regarding salvation as a reference to his statement previously to Zacchaeus when he was in the tree, "make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Why did salvation come to Zaccheus?
Salvation had come to that house because Zaccheus had exercised saving faith and had thereby proved to be a genuine descendant of Abraham, the spiritual father of all believers. His faith and works proved that he was a spiritual son of Abraham and not just one of his physical descendants (cf. Gen. 15:6; 22:1-19).
How did Zacchaeus overcome the crowd?
1-4 Since Zacchaeus is small he is overwhelmed by the crowd in his attempts to see Jesus. He overcomes this by climbing up into a sycamore tree to get a better view. Sycamores are common in the area and their branches are long, plentiful, and grow close to the ground.