When God Showed Up For Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus was lost spiritually and God came after him.
When God Showed Up For Zacchaeus
Luke 19:1–10
Zacchaeus thought he was the one searching. He had heard about Jesus. Seen the crowds. Felt the pull of curiosity in his heart. So he ran ahead and climbed a tree just to get a glimpse. But the truth is — Jesus was already looking for him.
When God shows up, we often think we are the seekers — but Scripture shows us again and again that God is the One who initiates. Jesus stopped directly beneath the tree. Out of all the people lining the road, He looked up — and calls Zacchaeus. That is divine pursuit.
“I must stay at your house today.”
Jesus does not wait to be invited. There is a Divine urgency. A heavenly appointment. Zacchaeus climbed a tree but Jesus crossed eternity. Luke will later write:
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus was lost spiritually and God came after him. Jericho was packed. There were religious men. Respectable citizens. People with clean reputations. And Jesus walked past them all and stopped at the worst man in town.
The chief tax collector.
The traitor.
The thief.
Why? Because God does not love crowds — He loves people. One broken man matters more to God than public approval. So, He goes to dinner with a sinner.
Why Zacchaeus? This is where God reveals His heart. Jesus could have chosen anyone but He picked the worst man in the town to show the scope of grace. If God can save him … He can save anyone. Zacchaeus becomes a living sermon:
But, notice this: Zacchaeus didn’t clean up first. Jesus loved him first. The visit produced repentance. That is the gospel. Grace does not follow change — change follows grace. The Holy Spirit took a greedy traitor and turned him into a son of God. Jesus said:
“Today salvation has come to this house.”
Not tomorrow. Not after probation. Today. Jesus is showing us: Jesus did not choose Zacchaeus because he was worthy. He chose him because God is gracious. You may feel overlooked. Forgotten. Unworthy. But when God shows up:
He knows your name.
He sees you in the crowd.
And He comes looking for you.
