I Must Save You (Luke19:1-10, John10:14-15)
Mari Ikeda (Andy Naga)
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
1. Jesus’ calling that changes our life
”When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
・“Zacchaeus”
・“Come down immediately”
・ “I must stay at your house today”
2. What is salvation?
・To go back where we should be
・The shepherd knows his sheep; His sheep also knows him
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Summary
While Zacchaeus did not know Jesus, Jesus knew that He had to save him. Because of this, He spoke to him as if he was His old friend, and as if it was agreed between them to do so. When Jesus called on him, Zacchaeus realized that Jesus had what he was seeking. Jesus also called on us so that we can know where we should be and understand that God loves us.
For Discussion
1) Why did Zacchaeus change?
2) Share your experience of being called by Jesus