Is Jesus Christ a welcomed guest in your house this year?

Part 2

Yesterday:
“And when Jesus came to the place.”
Jesus had a “divine appointment” with the sinner named Zacchaeus in an out of the way town called Jericho.  Jesus is “seeking and saving sinners.”

Today:
In these next phrases of our verse, we will look at what Zacchaeus might have thought.[1]

“He looked up and saw him.”
Jesus looked up into the limbs of the tree where Zacchaeus was, and He looked him in the eye.  Zacchaeus might have thought, “He sees me!”  Have you ever been seen by someone “important?”  Here Jesus spotted Zacchaeus, the sinner He was looking for.

“And said unto him, Zacchaeus.”
Not only had Jesus seen him, but He called him by name.  What do you think Zacchaeus thought?  “He knows me!”  It’s one thing to be seen by a famous person, but Jesus spoke his name.  They had never met, and yet Jesus already knew who he was.  Jesus knew his need and specifically looked for him.

“Make haste, and come down; for today, I must abide at thy house.”
I can imagine that it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to Zacchaeus kindly.  And Jesus surprised him by inviting himself to his home.  No doubt, Zacchaeus thought, “He wants me!”

We read in the text that Zacchaeus “received Him joyfully!” (v. 6).  Zacchaeus met Jesus Christ as his personal Savior that day.  We read of the instant life change he made.  Where once he was cheating people, now he was compassionate toward them and willing to make restitution with them.  Only the Lord Jesus can melt the heart of stone and take a vile sinner and make him a saint.

Dear friend, have you met the Savior?  Has He forgiven your sin, and changed your life from the inside out?  If you have not met Him yet, please know that He is looking for you (v. 10).  Turn to Him and call on Him to save you today!

[1] These simple statements I have heard from several different sources, and I have used them in sermons as well.  I really do not know who to credit these “thoughts” to.