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Well we are going to talk tonight about the Lord Jesus and how good he is. A brief sermon. I love to read the Heidelberg Catechism. If you have not read the Heidelberg Catechism you ought to. And you can get a free app online the Heidelberg Catechism.
It was written in 1563 composed in the city of Heidelberg Germany good by a 28 year old and a 26 year old Ursinus and Olivianus. And they were trying to put together a catechism teaching tool for young children for a preaching guide.
And then to have denominational unity. It was serving those three purposes. And what I love about the Heidelberg Catechism. It's set up under 52 sections. Any guesses for why. 52 sections. So then every Lord's Day you can be reminded of this particular truth.
And so this is the first day. Two questions on Lord's Day. One that will lead us into our message tonight. Question one. Heidelberg Catechism a book that Sinclair Ferguson says is more widely circulated than any other book except the Bible.
Thomas A. Kempis' The Imitation of Christ and John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Heidelberg Catechism. Question one. What is your only comfort in life and death? I wonder what you would answer for that.
The Heidelberg answer is that I am not my own but belong body and soul in life and death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and he has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven. In fact all things must work together for my salvation because I belong to him. Christ by his Holy Spirit assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Lord's Day one. Question two. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? First how great my sin and misery are. Second how I am set free from all my sins and misery. And third directly related to tonight how I am to thank God for such deliverance.
I'm a great sinner yet Jesus is a mightier Savior. And I'm going to respond with thanks. And that's where we get those three great G's guilt, grace. And what's the third one? Say it like Baptists gratitude.
There we go. So tonight I just want to give you a brief reminder of the Lord Jesus who has purchased salvation for you so that you might be thankful Luke chapter 19 please Zacchaeus to be reminded of how Jesus saves sinners.
And this is a great picture of Jesus saving a sinner seeking and saving Zacchaeus. And in different circumstances different times in life we have all been saved but we have all been saved by the same Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is a good reminder that not only will Jesus finish what he starts but Jesus loves to save sinners. And if you're a sinner tonight and you're a Christian you could be thankful for lots of things and children and blessings and taste and fellowship and family and all that.
But they all flow from the primary blessing and that is the Lord Jesus Christ and his work for you. Luke chapter 19 verses one through 10 tonight it's not going to be a 50 minute sermon or anything like that.
It will be longer. No it'll be shorter and we're gonna just work through. It'll be a wee bit shorter since this is just a wee little man right? How many people remember that song Zacchaeus? I can remember singing that with my kids so fun.
And that's a good reminder of who Jesus is. To thank our Lord Jesus Christ tonight. A mini picture of everyone's salvation because this is the Savior the Lord Jesus. J .C. Ryle said the story of Zacchaeus should be frequently studied by Christians.
Isn't that good? We should regularly go back and see how Jesus dealt with this man named Zacchaeus. And we parachute into Luke chapter 19. Of course Luke is a book written so that you might understand who Jesus is that you don't buy into some myth or fable or he's some kind of legend but this is a historical account.
It's written in such a way that it would be perceived as history not just theology but a theological history. And of course Zacchaeus we have a very short swindler of a man but a very strong Savior. All right.
Let's go to Luke 19 verse 1. He entered Jericho and was passing through just to give you a quick update. Jericho was a very beautiful city. Who's been to Jericho? Some have been to Jericho. Okay it's still kind of known for dates.
It's known for palm trees. It's known for Arafat's casino. But back in these days they didn't have Arafat's casino but they had a lot of palm trees. It was called a divine region by Josephus because there were so many wonderful things there.
One called it the fattest in Palestine just because of the balsam wood and how wonderful it was. And you can imagine if they had dates and balsam and other things there would be commerce going on. And if there's commerce someplace and if there's a roadway that connects cities that would be a perfect place for a toll booth.
Would it not? They would love to tax people there and so that's exactly what's happening. You have a Roman regional tax center and behold verse 2 there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and of course because of that he was rich.
Zacchaeus is a Hebrew word and it means what? The derivation is pure or righteous. Here we have the tax collector named pure or righteous. I don't know what your tax collector's name but his was named pure or righteous.
Or maybe you could say he was called just. And how did he get his money? He got his money by siphoning off money that was going to go elsewhere. But he would tax and tax way beyond what he was supposed to verse 3.
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was. Why would that be? Lots of reasons. I think he knows that Jesus has brought a tax collector into his inner circle who was an apostle, our disciple named Matthew, there you go.
I knew that but I was phrasing the question differently. Maybe he's curious he accepts tax collectors like Matthew. And here he was seeking to see Jesus but on account of the crowd he could not because of the crowd pressing in because he was small in stature.
I like to be tall when I go to rock concerts. In the old days I was glad to be tall and see over the crowd. I do not like to be tall when I fly 13 hours to New Zealand if you want to have a good perch to see Jesus.
It's very difficult to see over people. And so he could not see Jesus. So what does the text say? He ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree. It's the only place in the New Testament where you'll see sycamore tree by the way to see him.
For he was about to pass that way. Kind of calculate it out. This is where he seems to be going. That's the main road. You've got Jericho, you've got Jerusalem. And I'll run up ahead of time. And I would like to know about this Jesus who loves tax collectors.
Everybody hates tax collectors. Everybody else can't stand tax collectors. Why would Jesus, the Jesus that's done all kinds of miracles in chapter 18. Did he not heal a blind beggar? Was he not the Jesus who could feed the 5 ,000?
And this Jesus wants to be kind to tax collectors. I'd like to see him. And since he was not very big he could not push through or nudge through or elbow his way through. He'd have to climb up to see Jesus.
I can't miss this opportunity. You'd almost imagine the swarm of people. Have you ever been to a parade? Did any of you go to the Boston Red Sox Parade? Some did. Okay, anybody else? I see that hand. Did an Ebendroth go?
Did you skip school? Okay, I think you did. Maybe you've been to the Patriots Parade. I remember once when I lived in Los Angeles I, sorry to tell you I know I'm a New Englander now. But I saw the Lakers Parade and I actually had to climb up a tree.
Because I wanted to see Magic Johnson. I wanted to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I wanted to see James Worthy. I wanted to see Byron Scott. I wanted to see the rest of the Lakers. So this is what this guy did.
And when Jesus came to the place, verse 5 he looked up and said to him Zacchaeus, just man, pure man hurry and come down. For I must stay at your house today. Zacchaeus was obedient so he hurried came down and received him joyfully.
Now I would always tell my children to get down from trees safely slowly. He gets down very quickly. I don't know if he jumped out. If he slid down what he did but he with alacrity got out of that tree.
Did you notice. Who's in control of the situation? Who's the master? Who's putting everything together? Who's in charge? And it's the Lord Jesus. I must stay at your house today. You will regularly see in the Bible divine necessity.
I must do this. And I must do that. And I must go to Calvary. And I must stay at your house today. I don't think Zacchaeus was expecting this. Jesus is the one who initiates the relationship with Zacchaeus.
I must do this with urgency and it must be fulfilled divine necessity. And Zacchaeus receives him. The text says joyfully in verse 6. Some people have already begin to think. You know what? Maybe Zacchaeus has become a believer here.
But we don't know when he became a believer. But just that he does. That's the most important thing one reformer said. For it was a more valuable gift to dwell in his heart than to enter his house. Verse 7 of Luke 19.
And when they saw it what do you think they all did? They all grumbled. He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. If you go back to chapter 15 verse 2 you can see this kind of attitude that Jesus received birds of a feather type of mentality.
Luke 15 verse 1. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes. Luke 15 2 grumbled saying this man receives sinners and eats with them. One man said something.
I thought it was kind of interesting. This is like if Jesus went to be the guest of a mafia godfather nobody liked that. They're grumbling. They're finding fault. They're complaining. He's eating with sinners.
Sinners in the original language is emphatically placed. I mean this is partner in crime. Here's Jesus. He's a sinner. He's eating with sinners. That's what they're thinking when we think of the word sinner.
I'm a sinner. When they thought of the word sinner they said it with disdain. He's a sinner. He doesn't have any godliness at all. And verse 8 it says Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord. I wonder what his first recorded words were.
Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything which he had I restore it fourfold. I've robbed people. I've siphoned off the top. And now I want to make it right.
Because when God saves you there's a general transformation and you want to do the right thing. This is the evidence of his repentance. This is the sincerity shown of his repentance. John Calvin said the conversion of Zacchaeus is described by fruits and outward signs.
This is John the Baptist kind of language with fruits bearing repentance. Verse 9. And Jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house since he also is a son of Abraham. Verse 10 this is where we focus tonight.
For the son of man. That great description of Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Zacchaeus' salvation was not caused by his good works. But after he was saved he certainly responded with good works.
What a lovely summary of Jesus' mission on earth. Verse 10. If you understand verse 10 you probably understand all of Luke. Maybe all of the Bible. Jesus comes to seek and save the lost. We are lost sinners every one of us and we need to be rescued and saved.
J .C. Ryle said we should offer the gospel boldly to the worst and wickedest and say there is hope only repent and believe. All of the messianic mission of Jesus is summed up here as he saves this single man named Zacchaeus.
And isn't it interesting if you go back one chapter verse 18 of chapter 18 it was different with this man. Was it not? The ruler Luke 18 .18 asked him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said to him why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. If you want to get to heaven how do you get to heaven? Jesus said basically perfectly obey the law. You know the commandments.
Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. And he said all these I have kept for my youth. He was told the law by Jesus and he would not recognize that he was a sinner.
Zacchaeus on the other hand he recognized that he was a sinner. And he responded with faith. And Jesus said today salvation has come to your house. I love this passage. Why? Because it is the initiation of Jesus who seeks and saves sinners.
It is the love of Jesus and his concern for sinners where he saves them. It is Jesus who reaches out. And by the way if you think about your own life how did you get saved? Was it your work? Was it your doing?
Was it your study? What does the Bible say? I'm sure in eternity past you have the father choosing granting those people to the son. And in time then Jesus dies. But then in our own ways we have been receiving the spirit's application of the death of Christ.
And so I can just imagine and only heaven will tell when I get there who was brought into my life as people would pray for me and people would show me the Bible so that I would come to saving faith and understand who Jesus is.
But one thing is for certain Jesus seeks and saves the lost. It is not my seeking. It is not my saving. It is not my doing. Friend if you're a Christian guess who made you a Christian? Jesus what's that song say?
He sought me. And what? And bought me. And so tonight when we think about Thanksgiving you should be thinking I am a Christian because Jesus caused me to be born again. He died for me. He lived for me.
He was raised for me. He was ascended into heaven and he's coming back for me. My big problem I don't think is unrighteousness. My big problem is self-righteousness. But Jesus' death saves from both.
Spurgeon said I say that I have no need of salvation by the blood and righteousness of another. For I believe that I have kept the commands of my God from my youth up. That describes someone who says I don't need the death of Jesus because I think I've obeyed well enough.
But we know that's not true. I love Titus chapter 3 it says. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared he saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out richly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
So tonight it's very simple. We're here gathered because Jesus Christ is a great Savior. He has sought us and he has bought us and he has saved us. And our response is what? We had great guilt. Jesus is a great Savior.
And we respond with gratitude. So I hope you're thankful. The Bible says be thankful for everything in all things give thanks. It's the will of God it says to give thanks. And so today because salvation is from the Lord Jonah 2, 9 we give thanks because John 6, 65 says no one can come to me unless it's been granted from the Father.
We say to the Father thank you Jesus said nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and to whom the Son wills to reveal him. And because of that we say thank you. And if you're a Christian tonight you have much to be thankful for.
And if you're not a Christian it starts with repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. So let's pray and we will have a time of thanks Father we thank you for the Lord Jesus. We thank you that he came to seek and save the lost.
And he rescued every single one that you gave him. He wouldn't lose one. He'd never lose one because he's faithful. And tonight we're just glad to know that Jesus saves a tax collector like Zacchaeus.
And he saves policemen, prostitutes and everybody in between from self-righteous to unrighteous. And we're thankful that he has saved us. And so Father we're grateful. And we'd ask you that you would help us to be even more grateful and that we'd be thankful people.
And I pray this in Jesus name Amen.