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A message from Pastor Mark Johnson, preached Sunday, October 18, 2026 at Elkhart Life Church (Luke 19:1-10).

Watch the full sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ3iPtp9vLg

Most people know the story of Zacchaeus as a children's Sunday school lesson. But there is far more happening in this passage than a short man climbing a tree. The story of Zacchaeus is really about how God pursues people, how one encounter with Jesus changes everything, and why no one is too far gone to be found.

Who Was Zacchaeus and Why Does It Matter?

Luke 19:1-6 sets the scene clearly. Jesus was passing through Jericho when He encountered a man named Zacchaeus, described as the chief tax collector and a wealthy man. In that culture, tax collectors were despised. They were seen as traitors who skimmed money off the top of what they collected, lining their own pockets at the expense of the poor.

Zacchaeus was not a sympathetic figure. He was rich, corrupt, and hated by his community. And yet something drew him to find out who Jesus was.

"And he sought to see Jesus, who he was; and could not for the press, because He was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way." - Luke 19:3-4

Does God See Me? The Question Everyone Is Really Asking

One of the most common feelings among people searching for God is the sense that they are invisible. That they are just one small speck in a massive crowd, and there is no way God could possibly notice them.

Zacchaeus felt that pressure literally. The crowd was thick. He was short. He could not see over the people pressing in around Jesus. So he climbed a tree just to get a glimpse.

What happened next is the heart of the story.

"When Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw Him." - Luke 19:5

Jesus did not just happen to glance up. He looked directly at Zacchaeus and called him by name. In a packed crowd, surrounded by pressing bodies and noise, Jesus saw the one man who thought He was hidden in the branches.

The greatest experience a person can have is realizing that God has been looking for them all along.

What Does "I Must Come to Your House" Really Mean?

Jesus did not stop at simply seeing Zacchaeus. He said something remarkable.

"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." - Luke 19:5

Jesus did not wait for an invitation. He declared that He must come to Zacchaeus's house. That word "must" carries weight. It was not a polite suggestion. It was the intent and purpose of God pressing toward one man.

This is not a one-sided relationship. Many people assume that their curiosity about God is something they came up with on their own. But Scripture is clear that no one seeks God apart from God first drawing them.

"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw Him." - John 6:44

If you find yourself curious about God, that curiosity did not originate with you. God has been interested in you far longer than you have been interested in Him. He has been placing thoughts, moments, and circumstances in your path to draw you toward Himself.

Why Was Zacchaeus Even Interested in Jesus?

Zacchaeus was not sick. He was not desperate. He was not broke. He had everything the world could offer. His warehouse was full, his accounts were loaded, and by every outward measure, his life was working.

And yet something was missing.

He had heard stories. Word had spread about miracles. The blind receiving sight. The dead being raised. People whose lives had been completely turned around. He had heard what God could do in someone else's life, and it was enough to get Him into a tree.

But hearing about what God does for others is not enough. The miracle that matters most is what God wants to do in your life specifically. Other people's testimonies can spark curiosity, but they cannot substitute for a personal encounter with Jesus.

Can Jesus Be Contaminated by Sinful People?

When the crowd saw Jesus heading to Zacchaeus's house, they were offended. In the Jewish religious mindset of that time, holiness was fragile. Priests had to avoid contact with anything unclean because uncleanness could transfer to them. The religious community assumed the same logic applied to Jesus. If He spent time with a sinner, the sinner's corruption would rub off on Him.

They had it completely backwards.

When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus's garment, her uncleanness did not transfer to Him. His cleansing transferred to her. Holiness moved in one direction, outward from Jesus and into the life of the person who reached for Him.

You cannot touch Jesus and remain unchanged. His presence rearranges priorities, cleans up the heart, clarifies the mind, and makes a genuine difference in a person's life. The church does not need to keep its distance from broken people. The Spirit of Christ inside a believer is not threatened by brokenness. It is drawn to it.

What Happens When You Actually Let Jesus In?

One dinner with Jesus changed everything for Zacchaeus. He stood up at the table and made a declaration that would have shocked everyone in the room.

"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." - Luke 19:8

This was not a small gesture. This was a man voluntarily dismantling the empire he had built through corruption. He was going to find every person he had cheated and pay them back four times what he had taken. He was splitting his remaining wealth in half and giving it to the poor.

Nobody told him to do this. Jesus never brought up money. He came to Zacchaeus's house to be with him, not to extract something from him. The generosity was a natural overflow of what happened inside Zacchaeus when he encountered the real Jesus.

That is what genuine transformation looks like. It does not require a list of rules or external pressure. When God truly comes into a life, priorities shift on their own. What once seemed impossible to give up becomes something you cannot wait to let go of.

What If You Build a Wall and Keep God Out?

God will not force His way into your life. He stands at the door and knocks, but He waits for you to open it.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

If you decide to keep the wall up, God will not tear it down. He is patient. But the longer you wait, the more life you spend without the clarity, peace, and direction that come from walking with Him.

From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, God came down in the cool of the day to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. That was always His design. Not a distant, disconnected God, but one who wants to sit at the table with you and be part of your daily life.

The Timing of Jesus Matters

After leaving Jericho, Jesus healed a blind man on the road, walked to Jerusalem, rode in on a foal while crowds cheered, and within days was crucified. His visit to Jericho was His last. The window of that specific encounter was brief.

This is not meant to frighten anyone. But it is a reminder that today is always the best day to respond to what God is doing in your life. Waiting for a better moment is a risk that rarely pays off.

"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." - 2 Corinthians 6:2

You Are Not Just Watching From a Distance

Zacchaeus climbed that tree thinking he was just going to observe. He had no intention of engaging. He was not broken, not desperate, not looking for a handout. He just wanted to see what all the talk was about.

Jesus had other plans.

If you have found yourself curious about God, sitting in a church, reading a blog post like this one, wondering if any of it is real, you are not just a spectator. God sees you exactly where you are. He knows your name. And He is saying the same thing He said to Zacchaeus: I must come to your house.

Do not stay out on the limb just watching. Come down.

Life Application

This week, identify one area of your life where you have been keeping God at a distance. Maybe it is a habit, a relationship, a mindset, or simply a reluctance to fully surrender. Take one concrete step to open that door. It might mean having an honest conversation with God in prayer, reaching out to someone who can walk with you spiritually, or simply saying out loud, "God, I want You to come into this part of my life."

Zacchaeus did not clean himself up before Jesus came over. He let Jesus in first, and the transformation followed. You do not have to have it all together before you invite God in.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect this week:

  • Is there a part of my life where I have built a wall and told God He is not welcome?
  • Am I content to hear about what God does in other people's lives, or am I ready to let Him do something in mine?
  • If Jesus said "I must come to your house today," what would I need to let go of to receive Him fully?