The Life That Changes Lives: Zacchaeus' Story

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Reveals the Father’s Heart to Us

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He didn’t just talk about love; He showed it—touching the leper, speaking life to the hurting, and welcoming people nobody else wanted. Every miracle, every tear, every red-letter word displays the heart of God. Let this clear away the fog of fear and confusion about who God is. Let His nearness today redefine your picture of the Father [06:45]

John 14:9 — Jesus said, “When you look at me, you’re seeing the Father; my words and actions put His heart on display.”

Reflection: Where has your picture of God grown harsh or distant, and which specific moment in Jesus’ life will you sit with this week so His heart can correct yours?

Day 2: Jesus Breaks Darkness and Sets Captives Free

Jesus did not avoid the darkness; He stepped into it and turned the lights on. Where fear, oppression, and bondage tried to call the shots, His presence made demons tremble and strongholds snap. He still does that—breaking habits, healing histories, and coming into our homes and hearts with authority and compassion. You don’t have to pretend the dark isn’t real; invite Him into it and watch what His light reveals. Darkness trembles in the sight of Jesus [08:12]

Luke 4:18 — The Spirit rests on Jesus to bring good news to the poor, freedom to those chained up, sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed.

Reflection: What is one “dark room” in your life right now, and how will you practically invite Jesus’ light into it this week?

Day 3: Ordinary People, Awesome Purpose with Jesus

Jesus doesn’t recruit the qualified; He qualifies the recruited. When you said yes to Him, the Holy Spirit made you a living temple—and that means you carry your own little ministry everywhere you go. Make your ministry fun: let your joy in Jesus spark curiosity like the crowd that stirred Zacchaeus to climb a tree. Your excitement can become a fishing net that gathers people who are just looking for a glimpse of hope. Say yes again today to His call and let your ordinary be used for an awesome purpose [10:30]

Matthew 4:19 — Jesus invited, “Come follow me, and I will reshape your life so you help people find their way to God.”

Reflection: Where could your joyful, everyday faith create curiosity this week, and what specific action will you take to “cast your net” there?

Day 4: Walk Like Jesus—Strive for Holy Excellence

Whoever abides in Jesus ought to walk as He walked, and that means aiming for more than “good enough.” Like a team practicing a play, we strive for spiritual excellence—humility, compassion, prayerfulness, and courage—knowing we’ll make mistakes and then learn how to do it better next time. Don’t hide behind “I’m not perfect”; pursue Christlikeness with a willing heart. He didn’t just save your soul—He reshapes your footsteps. Get up today and walk His way [09:58]

1 John 2:6 — If someone says they live in Him, they should pattern their life after the way Jesus lived.

Reflection: What is one Christlike habit you will practice “on the field” this week (for example, praying with someone immediately instead of promising later), and when will you do it?

Day 5: From Curiosity to Conversion: Zacchaeus and Us

Zacchaeus climbed a tree just to see, expecting condemnation but receiving an invitation to lunch instead. Grace met him in public, and it changed his private world—joy sprang up, repentance took shape, and generosity overflowed as he made things right. Salvation came to that house because Jesus came to seek and to save the lost—both the down-and-out and the ones who “have it going on.” Transformation, not tradition, is what Jesus is after. Let curiosity become a yes that changes your life and your home [11:22]

Luke 19:1–10 — Jesus passed through Jericho, saw Zacchaeus up a tree, called him by name, and went to his house; while others grumbled, Zacchaeus gladly welcomed Him, made generous restitution, and Jesus declared that rescue had arrived, for He came to find and bring home the lost.

Reflection: What is one concrete step of repentance or restitution you sense God inviting you to take (a repayment, an apology, a changed practice), and when will you take it?

Sermon Summary

Christmas stirs up our longing for the perfect gift, but the greatest gift came from God in a way none of us deserved: Jesus. I walked us backward—from the cross to the cradle—to look at the life that changes lives. Zacchaeus helps us see it. In Jericho, a rich, short, chief tax collector climbed a tree just to see Jesus. He expected condemnation; Jesus offered friendship. That moment exposed the heart of God: not repelled by sin or status, but moving toward people with transforming grace. Zacchaeus didn’t just get information; he got invitation—“I must stay at your house today”—and it changed him from the inside out.

Everywhere Jesus goes, reality changes. Homes, towns, even hearts are never the same when he arrives. His ministry wasn’t filler between the manger and the cross; it’s the revelation of God’s heart, the destruction of darkness, the calling of ordinary people, and a model for how to live. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus—his touch, his words, his tears, his authority over storms and spirits. He didn’t avoid the dark; he turned on the lights. That matters for anyone in a pit today—and for those who look “fine” on the outside but are empty inside. He breaks strongholds, not just habits; he heals histories, not just bad weeks.

Jesus also calls ordinary people into an extraordinary purpose. He didn’t recruit from the elite; he walked the shoreline. He doesn’t wait for résumés; he forms disciples. If his Spirit lives in us, then we carry a living ministry into every room. Make it joyful. Let your delight in Christ make others curious enough to climb a tree.

Finally, he shows us how to live. 1 John 2:6 says if we abide in him, we walk as he walked. We don’t hide behind “nobody’s perfect.” We aim for obedience like an athlete strives for precision—humility, compassion, real prayer, and courageous love—and when we fail, we learn and keep going. His life didn’t just change history; it’s meant to reshape our footsteps today. Whether you’re Zacchaeus-on-the-outside or broken-on-the-inside, come to him. He still seeks and saves the lost.

Key Takeaways

1. See the Father by watching Jesus. Every touch, word, and tear of Jesus discloses God’s heart. Start with Jesus to understand the character behind every page of Scripture, then read the Old Testament through that lens. God is not hiding; he has spoken in a Son whose compassion and authority run together without contradiction. [52:13]
2. Jesus turns on the lights in darkness. He doesn’t stand outside our night; he walks into it and names what holds us. Under his authority, lies lose power, patterns loosen, and hope breathes again. Deliverance is not always dramatic, but it is decisive—light exposes what rules us and frees us to live differently. [55:49]
3. Ordinary lives carry extraordinary purpose. Jesus qualifies those who say yes, then sends us as living temples into real places with real people. Joyful, contagious faith often opens doors that arguments can’t. Your everyday presence—anchored, kind, honest—can make someone curious enough to seek Jesus for themselves. [56:41]
4. Aim to walk as Jesus walked. Grace does not lower the bar; it supplies the power to pursue it. Like athletes practicing for precision, we cultivate humility, compassion, prayerfulness, and courage—and when we miss, we repent, learn, and try again. Over time, his life becomes our reflex, not just our aspiration. [60:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:20] - From Cross to the Cradle
[41:40] - Jericho and Zacchaeus
[43:21] - Up the Sycamore Tree
[45:22] - Seen, Named, Invited
[46:44] - Joyful Welcome; Crowd Grumbles
[47:02] - Repentance and Restoration
[48:25] - When Jesus Shows Up
[50:09] - Ministry Reveals the Father’s Heart
[53:28] - Jesus Confronts the Darkness
[56:41] - Called into an Awesome Purpose
[59:59] - Learning to Walk Like Jesus
[63:33] - Humility, Compassion, and Courage
[64:52] - Invitation to Come to Jesus
[69:05] - Baptism: New Life Begins

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Luke 19:1-10

Observation questions
- In Luke 19:1-10, what details does Luke give about Zacchaeus (job, wealth, height), and how do those details shape the scene in Jericho?
- What did Zacchaeus expect when Jesus looked up at him, and what did Jesus actually do? “But Jesus says, have lunch with you today.” [46:20]
- What specific actions in verses 6-8 show that something changed inside Zacchaeus?
- Name a few changes described when “Jesus shows up.” “When Jesus shows up, the broken stood up straight… the guilty… found grace.” [48:25]

Interpretation questions
- What does Jesus publicly inviting himself to Zacchaeus’s table (v.5) reveal about God’s heart toward people others avoid?
- “Jesus cared more about transformation than tradition.” What expectations in Jericho did that confront, and what might that say about God’s priorities for a community? “Jesus cared more about transformation than tradition.” [48:25]
- Zacchaeus offers restitution fourfold (v.8). What does that suggest about what real repentance looks like when we’ve harmed others?
- “Strongholds snapped under his authority.” What strongholds might have ruled Zacchaeus before Jesus came, and what snapped in him that day? “Stronghold snapped under his authority” [55:49]

Application questions
- See the Father by watching Jesus: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Where will you start in the Gospels this week to watch Jesus’ touch, words, and tears—and what do you hope to see about the Father’s heart? “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” [50:46]
- Jesus turns on the lights in darkness: What “dark room” in your life needs the lights turned on? What next step of naming, confessing, or inviting help will you take so light can expose and free? “He stepped into the dark places, and he turned the lights on.” [55:49]
- Ordinary lives, extraordinary purpose: Where is your “shoreline”—the everyday places God has you? Who are two people you can serve with simple, joyful presence this week? “Make your ministry fun.” [57:39]
- Joy that makes others curious: What could joyful faith look like in your schedule this week—something that might make a coworker, neighbor, or friend “curious enough to climb a tree”? “Am I that Christian that I’m so excited about being a Christian…?” [57:39]
- Walk as Jesus walked: Of these four—humility, compassion, real prayer, courage—which one needs the most attention in you right now? What is one practice you will try for the next seven days? “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” [59:59]
- Repentance and restoration: Is there anyone you need to make something right with—an apology, a repayment, or a hard conversation? What would a Zacchaeus-like plan look like for you (specific, costly, joyful)?
- Come to him today: Are you more like “Zacchaeus on the outside” (put-together) or “broken on the inside” right now? What would “coming down from the tree” look like for you tonight—one concrete step of response? “Jesus wants you to come to him.” [01:05:46]

Sermon Clips

So think of the story as this, is he's a traitor.He's a thief.He has no friends, but he has a big house.He's got lots of money, but he doesn't have anybody to share this with.I mean, he, it's not like he had friends over for dinner every single night.But then one day, people's talking about this famous rabbi in this town.The crowds are talking about it.They were saying that not only is he doing, his name is Jesus, and he is healing people.He is performing miracles.He's just doing all of these things. [00:43:42] (38 seconds) #WealthWithoutFriends

So he probably doesn't want anything to do with me because I'm not lower class.I'm up here in the society.I'm rich.But he still wanted to see it.And so he saw their excitement.And so it drew Zacchaeus to wander.And by the time Jesus was reaching the town square, Zacchaeus being short, he fights through the crowd and he climbs up into this tree so that he could see Jesus.And so he's up there and he's looking down at Jesus.And Jesus, all of a sudden, he stops and looks right up at Zacchaeus. [00:45:13] (35 seconds) #ZacchaeusSeesJesus

So today we need to think about everywhere Jesus goes when something changed.Jesus would walk into a town and the town would never be the same walking into that town.He'd walk into somebody's house and that house would never be the same.We see that he went into Zacchaeus' house and not only was Zacchaeus saved, the whole family was saved.The whole town was saved.The whole house was saved.When Jesus shows up, the broken stood up straight.The guilty, we found grace.The hopeless, we were able to breathe again.And the religious crowds got bothered by this because Jesus cared more about transformation than tradition. [00:48:00] (46 seconds) #JesusTransformsCommunities

Jesus did not avoid the darkness.And thank God, because how many of us did Jesus show up in our lives when we were in the darkest parts of our life?Some of us in this room were not like Zacchaeus.And some of us wore down and out.And some of us were in pretty dark places.And Jesus found us in those dark places.Because he's not afraid of the darkness.He confronted it.He confronted darkness, and he crushed it.When Jesus opened his mouth, and when Jesus would come into places, demons trembled when he spoke.Stronghold snapped under his authority, and Jesus stepped into the dark places, and he turned the lights on. [00:55:21] (41 seconds) #JesusConfrontsDarkness

And like I shared a few weeks ago, whether we like it or not as Christians, you have your own ministry.And you are a temple of God.When you have the Holy Spirit that comes and lives inside of you, whether you like that or not, that lives inside of you, you become your own little church.And you have your own little ministry.And I want to ask you today, make your ministry fun.I want you to think about your ministry today and say, how does people look at me?Am I fun or am I just a boring old Christian? [00:57:12] (39 seconds) #MakeMinistryFun

Am I like the crowd that encouraged the key is to go see Jesus?Am I that Christian that I'm so excited about being a Christian that everybody else around me is going, you know what?I don't know this Jesus guy, but they're excited about him.Maybe I should go climb up in a tree to see what's going on over there.When we're excited about being a Christian, it's going to excite people to wonder why.Then we become fishers of men that way. [00:57:52] (38 seconds) #ExciteOthersAboutJesus

And he picked regular people to follow him.Why?Because his purpose doesn't depend on our resume.It depends on our willingness.He takes ordinary people and he gives us awesome purpose.And that awesome purpose reaches others.It builds his kingdom and it outlives our name.I hope that my family, four generations from now, will love Jesus just as much as I love Jesus.I don't care if my name's attached to that.I don't care if they say, well, you know, my great, great, great.I don't care about that.What I want is four generations from now.I just want my family to love Jesus as much as I love Jesus. [00:59:07] (46 seconds) #OrdinaryCalledForPurpose

However, when you mess up, because we know you're going to mess up, how do you fix that and how do you get better at that?And as Christians, I think we need to strive to be perfect.I think we need to wake up in the morning and say, how do I be a perfect follower of Jesus Christ?How do I walk like Jesus walks?And then, when we mess up, which we will, we get to ask ourselves, how do I get better at that?How can I approve that?What caused me to stumble that way?What caused me to do that?How do I prepare myself better for that? [01:02:00] (40 seconds) #LearnGrowFromMistakes

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