I welcome you to Providence for today. We are moving in our study toward the parable of the pounds which begins in the 11th verse of the 19th chapter. It is important because it is the last parable recorded by Luke spoken by the Lord before he entered into the final week of his life upon earth. Three events stand between the Lord's interaction with the rich young ruler and his parable of the pounds. First of all, Jesus foretold his suffering and his death. And then Jesus healed the blind man in Jericho. And then Luke records that Jesus called Zacchaeus to faith. Everything in this entire passage speaks of the spiritual corruption and spiritual inability of man. The need of a true Savior, and an absolute Savior, and an effectual Savior is clearly before us. Now the message of old and modern Christendom is, sadly, of a potential Savior. That is, if a man does something with what Jesus did, or with Jesus himself, Jesus can be his Savior, but that is a lie born in a works-oriented religion. No, this passage tells of man helpless and hopeless to assist himself. of a man not sick, but dead, of Jesus Christ, the powerful, sovereign savior of a particular people. In verse 27, when Jesus had spoken to and then of the rich young ruler, he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. The rich young ruler would not and could not break away from his false religious concepts and his attachments to the things of this world. This man illustrates man's spiritual unwillingness. Jesus didn't say it's hard for a man. He said it is impossible. It is possible for God to break out upon him, and God could have done that with the rich young ruler, but the fact is he didn't. He let him go. This is pure sovereignty. This illustrates the sovereignty of God in the salvation of men. So the first thing we see in seeing this presentation of the helplessness and hopelessness of man, man's spiritual inability, is what he said concerning the rich young ruler. But secondly, in verse 34, it's what he said, what Luke records rather, of the disciples themselves. For after Jesus had told of his suffering in Jerusalem and his fulfilling of the scriptures and what he would accomplish by his death and by his resurrection, Luke tells us that they understood none of these things. These men illustrate spiritual darkness. Jesus had declared unto them, but they understood not. It's just like what Paul said when he said in 2 Corinthians 2 in verse 14, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned or understood. And so man in his natural estate is in spiritual darkness. Man naturally is spiritually unwilling. Man naturally is in darkness. And the third thing that I would say here is we see man's spiritual inability. Because it tells us in verse 35 that when Jesus came to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. This man's eye wasn't dim, it was blind. That's what the scripture says. When Jesus said in John 5 in verse 40, you will not come to me, and then repeated a similar phrase, no man can come to me in John 6, 44, he gave the two sides of man's spiritual inability. A man will not come and a man cannot come. The blind man's physical ailment illustrated man's spiritual condition. This man could not see physically as man in his natural state cannot see spiritually. Then Jesus said to the man as he was walking along the way, he said, receive your sight for your faith has made you whole in verse 41. So I ask, what did he mean? Was it the act of his faith that caused him to receive his sight? No, it was the object of his faith. It was Christ himself who gave sight. When faith is made to be a condition for sight and salvation, it becomes a work, not different from any other work. Faith is a God-given gift by which God's elect embrace their salvation and their sight spiritually. The sight He gave this man was glorious indeed, as when a sinner sees his or her state of blindness, it is shown the true nature of the Sovereign Lord and His sovereign salvation. This miracle, as all recorded miracles, was not an end in itself. but was designed to declare what a man is. It declares who Christ is. It declares what salvation is truly like. Let Christ be glorified, not the act of faith. Let us be called to faith in the one who sovereignly, freely, and powerfully saved at the cross and calls to faith. And then the fourth thing that we see here is it says of Zacchaeus that he sought to see him, but he could not. So here are the three presentations of man's spiritual inability. First of all, Jesus said of the rich young ruler that it was not possible for him to come. He represents man's spiritual unwillingness. And then the disciples who understood none of these things, they represent spiritual, man's spiritual, lack of spiritual understanding, his darkness, man's spiritual darkness. And then thirdly, the blind man illustrates man's total spiritual inability. And then when we come to Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus illustrates man's spiritual helplessness. All of these things are similar. They're just different aspects of the same truth, but they're given to us in different ways. You might say, well, you're just talking about a short man in this passage that couldn't see Jesus due to a crowd. Well, if that's all you can see, then, dear friend, you have missed the meaning of the story of Zacchaeus. We're being told of a man who was insufficient in himself as the blind man on the outskirts of town. Spiritually enlightened men rest in the truth that God delivered from sin and justified from condemnation on the single condition of Christ's suffering in his death, his blood, and his righteousness. When we put these four together, we see the rich young ruler who wouldn't and couldn't leave his false professions and come to the Lord. The disciples who had been with Jesus for about three years yet didn't understand the salvation that would result from his suffering. And then the blind man who represented the innate spiritual blindness that resides in all men. and Zacchaeus who could not see Christ illustrating the spiritual helplessness of all natural men. From Adam's first sin, man's most basic need was the removal of condemnation and the need to be declared just or right with God. It's a work that man could not do and cannot do. Justification was the essential work of Jesus Christ himself. Christ didn't establish a ground for justification. He justified. Christ didn't win an opportunity for justification, he justified. The completeness of his suffering and obedience unto death became the only condition God required to forgive, to redeem, to justify, and to reconcile his people. This simple truth, neither the disciples, the blind man, nor Zacchaeus could see and understand. Consider the passage that is before us more fully here in the beginning verses of Luke 19. Luke tells us that Jesus healed a blind man entering into Jericho. But if you read this account in Matthew and Mark, you will see that they record that he healed two blind men as he departed out of the city. And one of them went by the name of Bartimaeus. The 19th chapter tells us what he did as he passed through the city. So it begins in verse 1, and it tells us that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Jericho was northeast of Jerusalem for maybe about six miles, so not very far away, but there was a mountain range in between. Jericho is derived from a word meaning moon, being the ancient center of moon worship. It was strategically placed the gateway to Bethel in Ai and to Jerusalem. Thus travel from the east by necessity came that way. And that fact becomes important when you understand how Zacchaeus made his living. Jericho first came to prominence in the Old Testament as the first city crossed by Joshua and the Israelites about six miles on the west side of the Jordan River. Under God's orders, for six successive days, the armed host marched around the walled city with the priest bearing the cross, the ark rather, and that ark represented the presence of God. In the seventh day, they marched around the city, also bearing the ark, and this time they went around seven times. And on the seventh time, scripture records that the priests blew a long blast on their trumpets, and God ordered the people to shout, and when they did and the trumpets blew, the walls fell inward. And the apostle in Hebrews said of this event, by faith the walls of Jericho fell. Now it wasn't their act of faith, but it was the object of their faith, God who caused the walls to fall in. after they were compassed about seven days. By faith, the harlot perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace, because Rahab had received men before the marching around the city. Someone has said, though a thousand trumpets should blow 10,000 years, they could not blow down the walls of Jericho. But the one to whom faith looks can with one blow of the trumpet lower the walls to the ground. Then in verse 2 it tells us, And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was chief among the publicans, and he was rich. Zacchaeus was a common Jewish name. In fact, historians record there was a famous Jewish physician during the time of Christ by that name. It tells us in this verse that Zacchaeus was chief among the publicans. Publicans, as we've spoken of before, were tax collectors for the Roman occupiers. They collected taxes at various gates and bridges, and any place trade and travel took place. So you think taxes are high now, think of what they must have been like then. And the collectors had quotas, and anything above that quota they were able to keep. So there were lesser publicans and there were greater publicans. Zacchaeus was the chief among the greatest of the publicans in that area. And it tells us then not only was he chief among the publicans, but he was rich. Zacchaeus was the chief publican in the city. No doubt he had risen through the ranks to the very top. He had done his job well. He had done it long, and he had done it long enough to obtain great riches. Now we saw in the 18th chapter that a rich man can hardly enter into heaven in verse 21, but that doesn't mean none, and Jesus is about to illustrate that. Now, there are many people in the Bible who are spoken of as being rich or well-to-do. Abraham, for example, is very rich. Job, of course, was very rich. David was a king with a world of riches. And Solomon, the richest man in the world. The disciples, Peter and John, weren't exactly poor. They had a house in Jerusalem as well as their home in Galilee. Joseph of Arimathea, who provided Jesus with the tomb, was a man of means. Paul himself may have well come from some measure of wealth because his father's tent business, supplying tents for the Romans who were always in war and in need of tents, However, Paul also said, not many mighty and not many noble are called in 1 Corinthians 1 and 20. However, we will see this rich publican was an object of grace and riches or poverty. He was irresistibly called to Jesus Christ. Now it tells us in verse 3 that he sought to see Jesus who he was. So he wanted to see his appearance. He wanted to see his complexion, his demeanor. He wanted to see how he carried himself. And I'm quite confident he wanted to hear what he had to say. And then it says that he could not for the press. A crowd had gathered around Jesus and his disciples traveled through the city, perhaps due to his reputation or perhaps due to the recent healing of the blind man. It says, because he was little of stature, not Jesus, but Zacchaeus, and he could not see over the crowd. And then it says, as he ran before, that is, Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus. And then it says, he climbed into a sycamore tree. to see him. Now many a story has been told about the climbing into the sycamore tree of the supposed wee little man. Dictionaries tell us that the sycamore was one of the finest trees in Palestine, that it grew plentifully. And they produce figs, we read of the prophet Amos, who took care of sycamore trees. Scripture says in Amos chapter 7 and verse 14, that Amos answered Amaziah, that is the king. And he said, I was no prophet, neither was I prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. So these sycamore trees have been around for a long time. What an interesting scene here is this man of wealth, this man of position. No doubt wearing expensive sandals and expensive clothing and head covering, climbed up into a tree to see the Master. When the affectionate call of grace comes knocking at the door, the one call will surely answer. No earthly roadblock can prevent God's elect from coming to Christ. So this is about what we're going to see. In verse 5 and 6, I like to see these together. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and he said unto him, As I kiss, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. It says when Jesus came to the place, now the Lord knows the place of his people. He knows where they are. Zacchaeus was as much the Lord's when he was cheating in the marketplace as when he was up in the tree. He goes where His people are. He doesn't wait for them to come to Him. And then it says that He looked up and saw Him. That is, Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus. Jesus had a throng of people all around Him. He was pressed with many needs. Many people calling out to Him, no doubt, for this kind of healing and that kind of help. He was pressed with needs. And His natural attention would have been those upon the ground. However, Jesus Christ had an appointment. He had a spiritual, had a spiritual attention. And his appointment was with that man up in the sycamore tree. Now this whole phrase, he looked up and saw him, is made by one Greek word. The root word means to look, and there is a word put on the front of it, which is up, so it's to look up. And it speaks of a careful and intent gaze. He looked up to him. He looked into his eyes, looked into his face. He saw him, knew who he was, and he knew him. because he had known him from before the foundation of the world. He came in part to Jericho because Zacchaeus was there. And he said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. Now that is such an important phrase, I must spend a few moments talking about it, because there are five aspects here to the effectual call of grace. The first thing I see is that it was a particular call. He said, Zacchaeus, here is a place of divine appointment. This is the right man in the right place at the right time. Jesus in John 11 in verse 43 said, Lazarus, come forth. Someone has said if he had just said come forth, the whole graveyard would have opened up. I don't know about that, but I know that he did say, Lazarus, come forth, because he knew who he was, where he was. He also knew he was dead, but he called him forth. And then I read in Acts chapter 9 in verse 4, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And then down to verse 15, he has a chosen vessel unto me. And you see, not all of those who were traveling with Paul were called. It was just the one man, Saul of Tarsus. Why? Because he is a chosen vessel. In Acts 16 and verse 14, I read where it says, Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. Oh yes, the Lord opened her heart. He didn't open everybody's heart, but he did Lydia's. She was a chosen vessel. I read in John chapter 1 verse 48 and following that Nathanael said to Jesus, How do you know me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel." Now, why did he say that? Well, probably more than one thing, but it was because of the sovereign dominion exercised by the Lord Jesus Christ, the illustration that he knew all things. I read in Matthew 4 in verse 19 that he called Peter and Andrew and James and John, and he simply said unto them, follow me, and they did. I read in Acts 9, in verse 9, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a receipt of custom and he said unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him. Not everybody, just the one man. I read in John 10 and verse 14, Jesus said, I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep. You see, he knows his sheep just like he knew Zacchaeus and so he called him. I read in Matthew 7 and verse 22 and following it says, Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have we not cast out devils? And in thy name have done many wonderful works? that I will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." His Zacchaeus, he has known from their election before the foundation of the world. He has known them in saving and a loving way. He knew him as one for whom he would take on flesh, one for whom he was the surety of covenant blessings. One for whom he would go to the cross in behalf of, earn righteousness for, for whom he would provide a ransom to redeem from the curse of the law. Yes, he knew him. So first of all, his call was particular. And the second thing is that it is an imperative call because Jesus said in him, make haste. and come down. Both of these are imperatives, the voice of command. This is not an invitation to come down, but an imperative call. God's will of command is observed. The imperative make haste what you do, do quickly. The imperative is come down, depart from where you are. The imperative is repent and believe on me, as Jesus said. Was it not an imperative that Lot depart out of Sodom before fire and brimstone fell on the city in Acts 19? Of course it was. Paul quoted Isaiah saying, Behold, now is the exact time, behold, now is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6 and 2. When the Lord called Peter and Andrew, James and John left their nets and followed the Lord immediately. So first of all, the call that is here is a particular call, Zacchaeus. It is an imperative call, make haste and come down. And then the third thing I see is that it is an authoritative call, because Jesus said, for today I Now he spoke of what he had to do, and the word must that is here is what's called an irrelative verb meaning needs. It is necessity, it is providential inevitability. Jesus used the word must many times following Peter's confession. Jesus, which said thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Matthew recorded that Jesus said from that time forth began Jesus to show into his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. And after Jesus was accosted in Gethsemane, and Peter smote the soldier, cutting off his ear, Jesus reattached it and said, I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you took me not, but that the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Mark 14 and 49. And then, does not Luke record that when Jesus was but 12 years of old, he said to his parents, know you not that I must be about my fathers? The word business has been put in there. Maybe it's not a bad word, but it just means the Father's will, the Father's salvation. But I must be about my fathers. That's in Luke 2.49. Elsewhere, Jesus said, I must preach the kingdom of God in Luke 4 and 43. And Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem. He was told, get out, for Herod will kill you. And to this he responded, nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet perishes out of Jerusalem. See, he must. And Jesus said, for I say unto you that it is written It must be accomplished in me. And it was reckoned among the transgressors for the things concerning him have an end." In Luke 22 and 37, John the Apostle wrote, for as yet they know not the scripture, he must rise again from the dead. Jesus said, today I must because he was under the authority of heaven. Today, not tomorrow, because it was the appointed time. It was the due time. It was what predestination had determined. Today, I must. Christ had undertaken in behalf of Zacchaeus. He had agreed in an everlasting covenant to work out its terms and be a blessing for Zacchaeus. So first of all, there is a particular cause, Zacchaeus. There is an imperative part to this call, make haste and come down. It is an authoritative call, for today I must. And then I see it is an intimate call. He said, abide at thy house. The word abide is the Greek word mino. It means to dwell or to live or to be at home. This word appears nearly 120 times in the New Testament. Jesus said at one place, John 14 and verse 10, the Father dwells in me. And then in John 15, that well-known passage of the vine, he said, abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Each time he uses that word abide, it is this word minnow. It is this intimate calling to abide as He did at the house. He's talking about a living relationship here with Zacchaeus. Christ didn't go to Zacchaeus' house expecting conflict as He had done with the homes of the Pharisees, which we've studied before. No, He went to create an abiding place. He didn't go to berate Zacchaeus. He didn't go to lead him into a ritual. No, the calling of Christ is spiritual, heartfelt, and life-revolutionizing. It was a spiritually intimate calling. So I see it is a particular call, Zacchaeus. It is an imperative call, make haste and come down. It is an authoritative call, for today I must. It is an intimate call, abide at thy house. One more thing. It is an effectual call, and made haste, it says, and came down and received him joyfully. Some complain this violates the will of man. Well, dear friend, even if it did, so be it. However, it does not. Rather, the Holy Spirit grants spiritual birth and awakens the mind, charges the affection, and moves the will. Zacchaeus came not out of a free will, but out of a changed will. Luke records his coming was joyful. This doesn't sound like a man who was forced to do something against his mind, but in concert with his mind, with his affections, and with his will. Didn't Paul say, set your affections on things above and not on things of the earth? The affection called of grace is definite, powerful, and personal. It involves the whole man. The Holy Spirit awakens him out of death. The message that was once objectionable is suddenly desirable. The words that were once death are now life. The call one repents of old professions, gladly so, and believes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and he knows that Christ is all. Well, we will continue this the next time, but until next week, may the light of providence direct all your paths, and may the hand of providence supply all your needs.