Zacchaeus, Come Down!
Month 9: The Road to Jerusalem · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Luke 19:1–10
1 Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. 7 And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” 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.”
Memory Verse
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””— Luke 19:10 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Daniel 2–4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 262 of 365 — Daniel reads the dreams God alone can explain.)The Heart of It
Jericho was the last big stop before Jerusalem, and the whole town was buzzing because Jesus was passing through. One man could not see over the crowd. His name was Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector. People hated tax collectors. They worked for Rome, and they often cheated their own neighbors to get rich. Zacchaeus was short, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse. He never imagined being noticed. But Jesus stopped right under that tree, looked up, and called him by name: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." Of all the houses in Jericho, Jesus chose the home of the man nobody wanted near them.
The crowd grumbled. Jesus had gone to be the guest of a "sinner." But that is exactly the point. Zacchaeus came down joyfully, and his heart melted in Jesus' kindness. He stood up and promised to give half his goods to the poor. He promised to pay back four times anyone he had cheated. Real change had happened inside him. Then Jesus said the words that crown the whole story: "Today salvation has come to this house… for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus did not wait for Zacchaeus to clean himself up first. He sought him out and loved him, and that love changed him. That is how Jesus still works today.
Around the Table
A short man named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus — and Jesus saw him and went to his house! Jesus loves to find people.
Let's do it: Stretch up tall on your tiptoes like Zacchaeus looking for Jesus, then cheer, "Jesus sees me!"
Lots of people thought Zacchaeus was too bad for Jesus. Jesus picked his house on purpose.
Let's talk: Is anyone ever "too bad" for Jesus to love? Why not?
Jesus came to seek the lost. He took the first step toward a man everyone else avoided. Salvation came as Zacchaeus responded with a changed life.
Let's go deeper: How do you see both God's reaching and Zacchaeus's free response in this story?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever felt left out of a crowd? How would it feel if the most important person there called you by name?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some say Christianity is only for "good people." But Jesus said the exact opposite. He came for the lost, the cheaters, the overlooked (). The gospel is good news precisely because none of us earn it. Jesus seeks us first.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Notice the order in this story. Jesus seeks. Zacchaeus responds. And salvation comes. Grace truly takes the first step. Jesus invites Himself in before Zacchaeus has done one good thing. Yet grace is not forced. Zacchaeus could have stayed in the tree. Instead he "received Him joyfully," and his repentance showed up in his wallet. This is the warm middle the gospel holds. God reaches for the lost with real love, and people genuinely respond. As you lead, resist two ditches. One ditch is thinking your kids must be good enough to be wanted. The other is thinking they can coast without ever truly turning. Jesus wanted Zacchaeus as he was, and He loved him too much to leave him that way. Be that kind of father.
Draws on: Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke (NICNT).
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, thank You that You come looking for us, even when we feel small or left out. Help us hear You call our name. Help us run to You with joy. Change our hearts the way You changed Zacchaeus. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. And that includes me.