“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV)
What happens when depravity meets holiness? When sin meets righteousness? A true encounter with a holy God results in humility and forgiveness. A witness arises and a testimony is proclaimed. But will anyone hear the divine message, seek the Lord, and turn from their wicked ways?
No one assumed Zacchaeus would gravitate toward anything good. People hated him because of his occupation as chief tax collector for the Roman Empire. He accumulated wealth for himself and the kingdom of Rome by amassing excess taxes from his fellow Jews. They considered him a traitor. Because he didn’t follow the law, the religious leaders called him a sinner. Ostracized by society, Zacchaeus was lost and lonely.
But he had heard the news. A man named Jesus had healed a blind man just outside Jericho, the city where Zacchaeus dwelt. Curiosity had gotten the best of him and he began searching for Jesus. He happened upon a huge crowd, but his short stature kept him from seeing Jesus. Spotting a sycamore tree ahead, he ran to it and climbed up.
All of a sudden, he heard someone call him by name. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus said. “Hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
Zacchaeus obeyed, quickly shimmying down the tree with great joy. Though people grumbled about this Jesus going to spend time with that sinner, Zacchaeus repented of his deeds before the Lord and offered to restore monies fourfold to anyone he had defrauded. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Salvation through Messiah Jesus. Is it possible the divine message of a compassionate Savior foretold by God’s prophets had reached Zacchaeus’ ears? Throughout generations God had spoken though the prophets, telling of judgments as well as salvation. One of these prophets was Isaiah whose name means ‘the Lord saves.’
Isaiah was a well-educated aristocrat with access to kings. During the reign of Judah’s King Uzziah, Isaiah had a vision of the holy God sitting high upon a throne with the train of His robe filling the temple. Overwhelmed and humbled by God’s holiness, he recognized his own sin and the sins of the people around him. He sensed God beckoning him to go to the Israelites and their leaders to implore their repentance. Their hypocrisy was on display as they had confessed the Lord as King with rebellious, greedy, and self-indulgence hearts. Even though Isaiah knew he would face bitter opposition and ridicule from them, he agreed to serve the Lord.
So this prophet Isaiah began to foretell the fate of the hypocritical Israelites. Eventually the storm clouds of destruction came upon them in the form of Assyrian and later Babylonian expansion. Even though he had prophesied judgment, Isaiah also spoke encouragement to the survivors by promising God’s deliverance through a new and everlasting covenant with a coming Savior who would reconcile God and man. He proclaimed the loving compassion of the Lord and entreated the people to seek Him and receive pardon. Would anyone hear the message and turn from their sinful ways?
Did Zacchaeus remember Isaiah the prophet and his message of returning to the Lord? Had his dishonest business dealings and their consequences caused him to search for salvation. Surely God’s Spirit had prepared his heart for repentance and redemption the day he met the Savior. Meeting Jesus and receiving forgiveness changed his life forever.
Are you wandering in the wickedness of society today? Do you feel lost and alone? Would you like to meet Jesus as Zacchaeus did?
Open God’s Word and read from the book of Isaiah. Learn also of Timothy who says God desires all people to be saved and to know the truth that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:3-5).
Seek the Lord. Call upon Him. Turn from sin and humbly return to the One who can save you. He is compassionate and will abundantly pardon you. This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.