"Today Salvation Has Come to this House"
INTRODUCTION
In Jesus’ day, “sinner” was a title for people who were considered irreligious, corrupt, compromised, and far from God. “Sinners” were people like tax collectors who betrayed their nation to get rich, prostitutes who sold their bodies to the highest bidders, drunkards stuck in the chains of addiction, and even lepers who were considered ritually unclean and unfit to worship God in the temple.
Though the religious Jews of Jesus’ day took pains to avoid sinners, Jesus consistently went out of his way to get close to them. He spent time with them, ate with them, announced the gospel to them, and invited them to follow him. In fact, Jesus spent so much time with these “outcasts” that the religious leaders gave him the pejorative nickname “friend of sinners” (Lk 7:34).
Through examining Jesus’ interaction with “sinners” in the Gospel of Luke, this series aims to highlight several important truths: (1) All of us are sinners in need of grace, (2) Nobody is too sinful for the grace and forgiveness of Christ, (3) Jesus loves sinners AND calls them to repent of their sin, (4) Christians are called to emulate Jesus’ pursuit of sinners.
OPENING DISCUSSION
Have you ever experienced the joy of making something right after realizing you made a mistake? How did it feel to take that step, and what impact did it have on you and others?
BIG IDEA
In our passage today, we meet a man named Zacchaeus, whose story shows us that true repentance is marked by a glad willingness to not only turn from our sins but also to make things right, inasmuch as we are able.
Though the religious Jews of Jesus’ day took pains to avoid sinners, Jesus consistently went out of his way to get close to them. He spent time with them, ate with them, announced the gospel to them, and invited them to follow him. In fact, Jesus spent so much time with these “outcasts” that the religious leaders gave him the pejorative nickname “friend of sinners” (Lk 7:34).
Through examining Jesus’ interaction with “sinners” in the Gospel of Luke, this series aims to highlight several important truths: (1) All of us are sinners in need of grace, (2) Nobody is too sinful for the grace and forgiveness of Christ, (3) Jesus loves sinners AND calls them to repent of their sin, (4) Christians are called to emulate Jesus’ pursuit of sinners.
OPENING DISCUSSION
Have you ever experienced the joy of making something right after realizing you made a mistake? How did it feel to take that step, and what impact did it have on you and others?
BIG IDEA
In our passage today, we meet a man named Zacchaeus, whose story shows us that true repentance is marked by a glad willingness to not only turn from our sins but also to make things right, inasmuch as we are able.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Luke 19:1-10
- Luke tells us that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. What do you know about tax collectors in Jesus’ day? How might verse 8 give insight into how Zaccheaus became rich?
- In our passage, Zacchaeus pledged to give half his possessions to the poor and make fourfold restitution to anyone he defrauded during his career. What do Zacchaeus’ actions after meeting Jesus teach us about the nature of true repentance?
- Why do you think Zacchaeus was so joyful in his repentance? How might joy and repentance be connected in our own lives?
- This story highlights how Jesus and the religious leaders of the day viewed Zacchaeus differently. How does this give us insight into what Jesus truly values?
- Like Zacchaeus, all of us have sinned against and wronged other people. Is there anywhere in your life right now that Jesus might be inviting you to repent and make it right? What would this look like specifically?