Zacchaeus and the Triumphal Entry
Book of Luke Chapter 19
The Lord Jesus Christ was making His way to Jerusalem because He had an appointment with a cross and He intended to keep it.
It had been only an hour or so that He had restored sight to a blind beggar from Jericho.
This man, being blind, still recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.
Luk 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
As the Lord comes to the streets of Jericho, He comes to a short man named Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was a Jew, but he was also a very rich man.
Zacchaeus was so short that he had to climb up into a tree to see over the crowded streets as the Lord Jesus was coming into view as He entered Jericho.
Being chief among the publicans meant that he was superintendent of customs and tribute in the district of Jericho.
He would have been especially hated by the Jews and considered a traitor to Israel.
Something had been bothering Zacchaeus for a long time.
Zacchaeus was a dissatisfied man. His dishonest acquisitions had made him rich but had subtracted him from his peace of mind.
He knew that the least he could do would be to repay those whom he had robbed. But his soul required more, and longed for salvation, such as only Jesus Christ could give.
We call this Holy Ghost conviction.
Here we see that the Lord Jesus knew what was going on with Zacchaeus before He met him.
The Lord Jesus stopped under the tree where Zacchaeus was located and invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.
Let's read:
*****Luk 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
We know that the walls of Jericho had fallen by a miracle of God in the time of Joshua, and he captured that city.
Joshua also put a curse on this city; Jos 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
The city of Jericho had been re-founded by a man named Hiel, a Bethelite who did exactly what Joshua had said.
1Ki 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.
Not too long into the future, there was a college of prophets founded at Jericho, if we remember Elisha.
2Ki 2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
Jericho is no more than a collection of mounds today.
*****Luk 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Luk 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could
not for the press, because he was little of stature.
Luk 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore
tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and
saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I
must abide at thy house.
That word “chief” tells us that Zacchaeus was a very rich man.
Zacchaeus had one problem, and it was that his wickedness was starting to bother him.
This was Holy Ghost conviction.
The Holy Spirit was very busy during the time of Jesus, but He was not yet given to fill the believer.
Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh_16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Zacchaeus could not understand it, but he knew he wanted to see Jesus.
He knew it was more than curiosity; he just had to see the Lord.
Personal taxes and property taxes were collected by the Roman government, but the customs on goods were farmed out.
This created a system that could be easily exploited.
Zacchaeus had exploited this system until he was rich and probably caused the customs collectors under him to contribute to his wealth.
There was a huge crowd waiting for the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The streets were already crowded because of pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the Passover.
Zacchaeus then climbed a sycamore tree to increase his chances of seeing Jesus.
We should understand that if you are truly seeking the Lord Jesus, He will find you!
This is how faith begins its work in us.
We may not understand it at first, but we just know that once we meet Jesus, things will get better.
He may not have been sure if Jesus would come that way, but something told him that He would.
Zacchaeus was hated by those on the ground under him, but he was not ashamed to seek the Lord Jesus.
All of a sudden, the Lord was there, and He already knew the name of Zacchaeus.
*****Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Luk 19:6 And he made
haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
The Lord Jesus invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.
The Lord Jesus does not just want us to turn to Him, but He wants all those in our homes to turn to Him.
This was more than Zacchaeus expected, but he became excited and he welcomed this opportunity to meet the Lord.
Jericho was a city full of priests.
Jericho was the summer home of the Herods.
Jericho had a city government.
All the religious world hated all publicans, and Zachaeus was chief of the publicans.
The Lord Jesus set public opinion aside and chose the home of the most hated man in that city to dine with and lodge with.
We should also understand that the Lord Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die.
This would be Zacchaeus's only chance to repent and accept the Lord Jesus for who He is. Our Savior!
It was the same for all those lined up to meet Jesus; that day was the day of salvation for them all.
1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Zacchaeus obeyed the Lord and made haste, and joyfully received the Lord Jesus Christ.
The naysayers, the mumblers, and the murmurers began to do what they do best.
*****Luk 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
Luk 19:8 And
Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I
give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false
accusation, I restore him fourfold. x
By saying that Zachaeus was a sinner, they were also saying that they were not sinners.
We know better!
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Zachaeus realized that all those around him were staring at him, and most of them were not pleased with him or with Jesus.
This crowd had nothing but contempt for Zachaeus.
The world does not understand the love of God!
A transformation is taking place in the life of this little man.
The Lord Jesus had not told Zachaeus as he had told the rich young ruler.
Zacchaeus came up with these things himself. He knew he was a sinner, and he knew his sins.
Zacchaeus was experiencing a radical change in his life.
Zacchaeus had a new attitude about his wealth. It just did not mean the same to him any longer.
He would give it back to those who were poor.
Luk 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The rest of his wealth would be used to correct the wrongs he had done as a tax collector.
Zacchaeus said, "In all those cases where he had defrauded others,” he would obey the Word of God.
Lev 6:4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
Lev 6:5 Or all that
about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal,
and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it
appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
He goes even further. Exo 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
This law applied to sheep, but Zacchaeus applied it to anything he had taken from anyone.
This also seems to say that Zacchaeus knew those he had caused the most harm.
This is what the Holy Spirit does: He will remind us of those we have harmed the most.
How did the Lord Jesus respond?
*****Luk 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Luk 19:10 For the Son
of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The Lord Jesus was speaking more to that crowd than He was to Zacchaeus when He said these words.
Zacchaeus had been converted from Judaism to Christianity in a big way.
Sadly, many more did not respond to the truth they had just seen and heard.
Zacchaeus repented and changed his whole life.
Zacchaeus was serious about giving his life to the Lord Jesus.
Life has more meaning once you meet the Savior.
It was the Lord Jesus Himself who proclaimed Zacchaeus to be saved.
Jesus said it was repentance that saved Zacchaeus, but Zacchaeus would bring the message of salvation to his household.
Zacchaeus met the Lord Jesus and brought Him into his heart and then took Him into his house.
Zachaeus now had peace in his soul.
The Lord Jesus tells this entire crowd why He came to this earth: He came to seek and to save all who are lost!
Rom 3:28 Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Zacchaeus put himself in a position to be saved by seeking Jesus, but the Lord Jesus did the speaking to the heart of Zacchaeus, and that heart was torn out, and a new heart was put in.
Ezk_36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
The Lord Jesus, on leaving Jericho, told the people another parable.
After this, Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time.
*****Luk 19:28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
Luk 19:29 And it came
to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called
the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
Luk 19:30 Saying, Go
ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall
find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
Luk 19:31 And if any
man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord
hath need of him.
Luk 19:32 And they
that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
Luk 19:33 And as they
were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the
colt?
Luk 19:34 And they
said, The Lord hath need of him.
Luk 19:35 And they
brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set
Jesus thereon.
Luk 19:36 And as he
went, they spread their clothes in the way.
Before we get to this portion of our lesson, the Lord Jesus gives us another parable which relates to His servants while He is gone back to Heaven.
Jesus makes it very clear that many of His servants actually hate Him.
Many of these servants expected the Lord Jesus to take the throne of King David and run the Romans out of Israel and Jerusalem.
Had the Lord Jesus claimed to be King?
Jesus claimed to be King of a place not on this earth.
Jesus claimed to be the King of Peace.
We know when He returns, He will become King of this earth for one thousand years.
There is a three-thousand-foot rise in elevation from Jericho to Jerusalem.
Going to Jerusalem was an uphill walk all the way from Jericho.
The Lord Jesus knew it was time to fulfill His destiny as told by the prophets.
His purpose was to suffer and die for all mankind.
He would enter Jerusalem as the King Messiah in peace.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
It was the providence of God that the Lord Jesus would enter Jerusalem in such a dramatic fashion.
The whole scene was centered around Him riding into the city of Jerusalem on this colt, which had never been broken.
The Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace.
Isa_9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The Lord Jesus had claimed the right to use this colt because He is Lord of all creation.
The Greek word “kurios” is used here, which means the One with Supreme Authority.
In the New Testament that word Lord carries the same meaning as Jehovah in the Old Testament.
I have often felt like I was that colt tied to sin and only Jesus could make me free.
Exo 13:13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
If the Lord Jesus had not caused me to be made free, then I would have died because He would not have redeemed me.
Fetching this colt was extremely important if the Lord Jesus was to proclaim He was indeed King.
When we are delivered from the bondage of sin, we are servants who carry the Lord around in our hearts and on our feet.
This is our duty as the servants of God.
Rom_12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
When the Lord Jesus gives us specific instructions, and we follow them exactly, things will go just as He said.
We are not to add to or take away from His Word!
Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem, only two miles from Jerusalem.
When the Lord Jesus was in Jerusalem, He stayed with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in their home in Bethany.
The message of Jesus was very clear:
1) He was the promised King the prophets had talked about.
2) He was not coming as a conquering King or as any world
leader at this time.
3) He was coming as Savior with Peace.
4) Jesus came to show the world that God is first the God of
Love and Reconciliation.
This colt was a symbol of Peace.
This colt was a symbol of service.
This colt was a symbol of sacredness because it had never
been ridden by any man, woman, or child.
1Sa 6:7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
The Lord Jesus wanted the world to know that He indeed is that sacred hope promised in the Scriptures.
Tit_2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The Apostles threw their coats upon the colt to form a saddle to protect the colt.
The rest of their coats they threw upon the road.
You see, not only our deeds but also our walk should be subject to the Lord Jesus.
There were thousands of pilgrims along the road to Jerusalem, and they threw their coats or palm limbs on the roadway.
Many of them had seen the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and many other miracles.
This crowd that would be in Jerusalem was probably the largest crowd to have ever assembled in Jerusalem.
They clearly saw that the Lord Jesus was coming in peace.
Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
Psa 115:2 Wherefore
should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
Psa 115:3 But our God
is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
These people praised God for His truth.
*****Luk 19:37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
Luk 19:38 Saying,
Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and
glory in the highest.
Most of the people in the area of Judah and Galilee had heard of the things that the Lord Jesus had done, and most of these same people had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast with great hope.
They truly hated Rome.
Many of them realized that the Lord Jesus Christ had the power to do anything He chose to do.
Act 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Act 10:37 That word,
I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from
Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
Act 10:38 How God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him.
They thought the hour of freedom from the tyranny of Rome had come.
They thought that God was going to free all the nations of
the earth from Roman domination.
They thought that Jesus would set up His throne in Jerusalem
to rule and reign over the righteous.
They thought Jesus would establish Israel as the leading
nation of the world.
They had failed to see many things.
They failed to see that Jesus was riding a colt of a donkey, which was a sign of peace.
They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of
burden, to carry the burdens of all mankind.
They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of
Sacredness.
They failed to see that Jesus was riding a humble animal
that symbolized meekness.
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own
self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were
as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of
your souls.
And then the Pharisees speak.
*****Luk 19:39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Luk 19:40 And he
answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace,
the stones would immediately cry out.
No one was going to get a Pharisee to praise the Lord Jesus.
The Pharisees are the enemies of the Lord, and they were disturbed at what was happening around Him.
What they see is unacceptable in their eyes and must be stopped.
These same ones had already given the order to hunt Jesus down and murder Him.
To them, Jesus was no more than a teacher and not a very good one.
They considered the Lord Jesus to be an insurrectionist.
Those stones would have been very happy to sing out in praise of our Savior!
We know that the Sun hid its face when the Lord was crucified.
Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
We also know that the earth cried out in pain at the death of our Savior.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Yes, those stones would have certainly cried if the Lord Jesus had told them to.
*****Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If
thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong
unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the
days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee,
and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall
lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not
leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy
visitation.
Psa 81:12 So I gave
them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
Psa 81:13 Oh that my
people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
Psa 81:14 I should
soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
2) There is the "Peace of God". A peace that comes
from deep within us, a tranquility of the mind, a peace that settles and
strengthens through terrible trials.
