Mar 22, 2009 44 min

Who's Seeking Who?

Text: Luke 19:1-10 Who was the man called Zacchaeus who climbed a tree so that he could see the Lord Jesus? Is there more to this familiar story than what you might think with a casual reading of the story? This week and next week Pastor Thad takes a closer look at this man called Zacchaeus and his calling out by Jesus. Notes: * Jericho - known as "Little Paradise", was a crossroads city. * Zacchaeus - means: clean, innocent, pure. * Occupation - Chief Tax Collector - an occupation known for corruption and theft. * His Desire - He wanted to see Jesus. This was an ongoing process, not just a one time or spontaneous action. * His short stature (height) forced him to climb a tree in order to see over the crowd. * Jesus also wanted to see him * Lack of an introduction - Jesus called him by name because of his omniscience. He had known Zacchaeus before he was even formed. See also John 1:43-50 and Jerimiah 1:5. * In Psalm 139 we see that God does not have to observe us to get to know us but rather he knows us completely. He knows what we are going to say before we utter the words. He knows the number of our days. * Jesus knew that Zacchaeus would be in the tree that day.