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We don’t know if Zaccheus would have been content just to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by under that sycamore tree, because Jesus didn’t give him a chance. The Lord Jesus always kept in view the purpose of His coming to earth. Of course, Jesus came to earth for that reason, but for a much broader understanding, please ponder the following Scriptures. Our families have gotten too big to keep going to my grandparents’ house, so me and my cousins’ families do our own thing which isn’t as fun. By letting it stand, Jesus affirmed that they were correct: the Son of Man is the Son of God, one with the Father. Perhaps even now you can hear the Savior calling you by name and saying, “Follow Me.” Jesus Christ seeks the lost individually by name and calls them into a personal relationship with Himself. Even so, when the reality of God’s grace floods your soul, great joy will be your response. Since salvation then is totally of God, are we to sit back and do nothing? He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, The Net Pastor’s Journal, Eng Ed, Issue 37, Fall 2020. The virgin birth signals Jesus’ true humanity without inherited sin because He wasn’t born of two sinful humans, He was born of Mary through the Holy Spirit. If Christ’s reason for coming into this world was to seek and to save those whom the Father had given to Him before the foundation of the world, then that intention will be accomplished. If you will respond to His call with joyful repentance, you will hear Him pronounce concerning you, “Today salvation has come to this house!” I pray that those of us who know His great salvation will ask Him to use us in seeking and saving those who are lost. If Christ is calling you to Himself, don’t debate with Him. Just like that grocer, many churches have forgotten their Savior’s purpose: to seek and to save those who are lost. In addition to those important things there are also great superficial reasons to be excited – good tv shows and movies, fun music, decorations that are festive, and gifts! The Bible says, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. As Sinners We Are All Equally G_____, vv. Today, as we enter this third week of the Advent season, we are going to find in Scripture how we can obtain a joy that will never end – a sense of peace and fulfillment that we all long for. In light of the public hatred of tax collectors, it is significant that every time they are mentioned in Luke, it is in a favorable light (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10; 19:2).

He didn’t just come to show us how to live a righteous life. After a spouse was chosen (either by parental arrangement or by choice) a formal prenuptial agreement was made before witnesses, and the young man and woman then entered into an official state of betrothal. He does not mean that every member of Zaccheus’ family automatically got saved because Zaccheus did. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”. Jesus does not call the mass of humanity to Himself, hoping against hope that somehow, somewhere, someone will respond and come to Him. According to John 10:10, Jesus came to give to sinners the abiding life and to the saints the abundant life by being conformed to His Person and by being committed to His Praise. Son of Man emphasizes that Jesus was in every way human, except for our sin. Joseph’s obedience to the law was not legalistic. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1999, All Rights Reserved. Would He use him as a bad example to the crowd? From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. 6:2). Along with Jesus’ conception, ministry, and resurrection it points to His divinity.

While Matthew showed clearly through Jesus lineage in last week’s passage that Jesus was the perfect human fulfillment of God’s covenants with both Abraham and David, in today’s passage – particularly through the fact of the virgin birth – Matthew proves Jesus’ divinity.

In addition to the example of Joseph, another incredibly important theme of this passage is the virgin birth. We will look first at why Jesus came to this earth; and, then at how sinners should respond to the Savior. During the betrothal time period the terms husband and wife were used to refer to the betrothed partners (which is why Matthew refers to Joseph as Mary’s husband in verse 19 even though they were still in this preliminary stage). Could we make it some other time?” He obeyed. It is the same “must” of John 4:4, where it says that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.” Why? When Jesus says in our text that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost,” He was thus referring to the fact that as the second person of the Trinity, He had taken on human flesh and had come to this earth to offer Himself in the place of sinners. Would He condemn Zaccheus for his cheating, greedy ways? Is it right to give a person assurance of salvation before there are any signs of repentance? Then Zaccheus saw what looked like a smile on Jesus’ face. Both of these family lines pointed to Jesus’ identity as the one, true Messiah by revealing Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s covenants with the people of Israel.

Scripture says that Christ died for the ungodly. The latter was the only option that would allow Joseph to maintain his personal righteousness according to the law and yet save Mary from public disgrace and from possible death. Joseph’s character and compassion are revealed in this dilemma as Matthew tells us that “he didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace” so he “had in mind to divorce her quietly.”. In a formal ceremony about a year after the betrothal, the marriage proper took place. This doesn’t imply that Mary had attempted to conceal the pregnancy, but rather that this is when it became known to others, including Joseph. 55:6). There are nearly a dozen reasons why the Lord Jesus left heaven and came to earth.

We have this longing deep within us to feel peace and fulfillment, but those feelings seem so elusive. 1-2, 4 We often think that one of the best ways to "look better" to other …

It says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb.

He didn’t just come to identify with humanity. If they want to come to the door of the church and tell us what they want, we will serve them. You heard that the music was good and that even the sermons were sometimes interesting, and so you came. Jesus proclaims, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham” (19:9). Otherwise, let them shop elsewhere! Zaccheus was not seeking Christ; Christ was seeking Zaccheus. He died for the ungodly (Rom. The virgin birth isn’t just a neat tidbit of folklore surrounding Jesus’ birth denoting that Jesus was a special person, it was the fulfillment of prophecy and the proof of His identity as the Son of God. He didn’t just come because He loves us. Shoppers now must look through the window to spot items they want and then ring a bell to be served through a small hatch in the door. He was going after Zaccheus personally.

Our salvation does not depend on our weak will, but on the mighty and certain will of God and on the keeping power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sohan Singh has banned customers from his grocery store in England. Zaccheus had wanted to see Jesus, but he had no prior clue that Jesus wanted to see him! We don’t know specifically what Jesus and Zaccheus talked about in his home that day, but the fruit of it is evident.

Everyone who has truly believed in the Lord Jesus for salvation will show it by righting wrongs that he has done and living in a godly manner in his future dealings with others.

How can we become a friend to sinners without falling prey to the warning of 1 Corinthians 15:33? If you say, “I’m only human, of course, but I’m not a sinner,” then Christ did not come to save you. . In fact, at His trial the high priest adjured Him by the living God to tell them whether He was the Christ, the Son of God. John 9:39 ESV. What would Jesus say? This shows Jesus’ heart for sinners and the transforming power of His saving grace. Christ does not just seek the lost and then try to persuade them to decide to accept Him as Savior. And of course it costs money to celebrate and that causes stress. Why Jesus Came (John6: 38-40) Pre Intro: When Jesus came into this world, His coming was three-fold. If we were sick, we would go to Him for the cure. Sexual unfaithfulness with another person during this betrothal stage was considered adultery, the penalty for which was death by stoning, although by New Testament times stoning was rare. But if you say, “I may have my faults, but I’m not lost,” then I cannot offer you a Savior. I have always loved this time of year and I still look forward to it every year. John 6:38.

Christ came to seek the lost. Shortly after, He saw James and John mending their nets and He called them. The second way Joseph set an example for us was in his balance between strict obedience to the law and compassion. On several other occasions, Jesus accepted the hospitality of others, but this is the only recorded instance where He invited Himself to someone’s house. This is God’s greatest gift to us. Hearing that news may have given Zaccheus a glimmer of hope. As Paul put it, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? When Jesus told Zaccheus, “Today I must stay at your house,” it was the must of divine necessity. Sadly, many people in our world today don’t realize that they are sinners and that they are separated from God by their sin so they don’t realize their desperate need for a Savior.

He wants to come and stay at your house. Although it took great condescension for Jesus Christ to lay aside the glory of heaven and to take on human nature, He always delighted in being a man. Perhaps he had heard the common complaint of the Pharisees and others, that this Man socialized with notorious sinners. 1:15). All Rights Reserved, #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } Proverbs 3:5-6 says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” And that’s just what Joseph did, he trusted God even when it didn’t make sense because he knew God’s ways are higher than our ways.

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