Climbing Higher
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We are fast approaching the Easter season which commemorates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb during Passover week in Jerusalem near the year AD 30. Our calendar puts this year’s celebration of that resurrection on Sunday, April 16th.
Exactly one week prior to Easter is Palm Sunday, which we celebrate next Sunday, April 9th. This is the memorable Sunday Jesus entered into Jerusalem the week before Passover. He was accompanied by a crowd of supporters who laid palm branches in the way, children cried “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to the King of Kings”. This event fulfilled the prophecy of Messiah foretold by the prophet Zechariah in:
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Here we are today, yet one week prior to that event, only two weeks before Easter. What a great season this is for the church and for all believers. What a wonderful time of the year.
This Sunday we begin our Easter sermon series following the journey of our Lord, from his home in the Galilee to Gethsemane, Golgotha, the Garden Tomb and then the Resurrection. Here we are two weeks prior to this year’s resurrection celebration … but where was Jesus when He stood just two weeks away to that first resurrection?
Turn with me to the book of Luke, Chapter 19
Matthew 19, in parallel commentary to Luke 19, tells us that Jesus had left the Galilee on His way to Jerusalem. As was sometimes the case, He crossed over to the East side of the Jordan River and journeyed down through the land inherited by Judah. Once at or near the place where He had been baptized by John, also the same place where Elijah and Elisha had crossed over the Jordan just before Elijah was taken by a whirlwind into heaven, about the same place that Joshua led the Children of God across the Jordan into the promised land, Jesus and His disciples crossed over to the West bank of the Jordan River and entered into the city of Jericho.
Many parables and teachings are recorded in the Gospels from this leg of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. However, the week before His triumphant entry into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday, we find Jesus here in Luke 19 ministering in the city of Jericho.
So many Jews were making their commanded yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover, just as Jesus had done in years past when a boy with His parents. Multitudes walked along together stopping and lodging at convenient places, like Jericho, which was not only on the road to Jerusalem, but also was famed for its seven cool water springs.
This was the last staging area for most pilgrims on their way to keep the feast in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Much excitement would have filled the air along with anxious conversation as people drew near once again to the temple of the Lord. One of the main topics of the day was Jesus of Nazareth. Is He a prophet, a teacher of the law? Is He a heretic or Messiah? Each had their own points of view. And, of course, we have ours.
This would be Jesus’ last time to make this journey and the last time a sacrifice would be required or accepted by God on this holy day. Jesus was on His way to be that Sacrifice. The spotless Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. One Sacrifice for all sin forever. But, He still had two weeks, and there was work yet to be done. With His busy moment and the pressing crowd, He nonetheless took the time to stop and minister to one person who had need.
We pick today with verse 1.
Luke 19 NLT
1 ¶ Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.
2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich.
3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
7 But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
9 Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.
10 And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."
There are at least four truths we glean from this story which apply to us today.
1. Jesus is coming to our town … and it may be the last time!
* This speaks to us of the urgency and fleeting opportunities of life.
* He may even already be here … waiting for us to see Him
2. (Without regard to how big or small we may be), He knows us by name.
* He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him … He already has one with us, only we may not know it.
* He knows the number of hairs on our head. (Luke 21:7)
* Sometimes we have to climb higher to see the answer, but don’t ever think, that God has not taken notice of us, does not love us dearly, or does not have a plan for our life.
* He may only be waiting for us to see Him.
* We must not believe He does not care. Let’s make the effort!
3. Jesus wants to go home with each one of us.
* If Jesus can get into our homes, our inner sanctums, our safe havens, our private places … he can change our lives.
* Let’s invite Jesus into our secret place … where is that for you
4. Jesus will give us the chances that others may not
* If you have been bad, Jesus will give you the chance to be good
* If you have been wrong, Jesus will give you the chance to be right
* Zacchaeus, like the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John, chapter 8, was not accused, condemned, criticized or rejected by Jesus. Rather they were loved, forgiven, trusted and blessed. So will we be.
* Herein is the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
As we stand here near 2000 years after Jesus visited Jericho that day, just 2 weeks prior to Passover and His death, burial and resurrection, let us also be found busy doing God’s work.
Like Zacchaeus:
Perhaps we too are in need of Jesus coming to our homes. Perhaps we also need a new day, a fresh chance, a clean start.
Perhaps we need to humble ourselves and make the effort to climb a little higher to see the answer.
Hear Him calling?
Invite Jesus into your home today!
It will change your life.
