THE SERMONS OF BRYAN DEWAYNE DUNAWAY (1): THE SAVIOR, THE SINNER, AND THE SUPREMACY OF GRACE

Luke 19:1-10

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Friend, here is one of the sweetest scenes in all the Word of God. A seeking Savior meets a searching sinner, and salvation steps into a home that nobody else would have entered.

I want to give you three truths—simple, strong, and saturated with grace—and I want you to remember them.

THE SEEKING SAVIOR

THE SEARCHING SINNER

THE SUPERNATURAL SALVATION

1. THE SEEKING SAVIOR

Verse 10 tells us plainly:

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus was not wandering…He was working. He was not guessing…He was guided. He was not reacting…He was redeeming.

Zacchaeus thought he was looking for Jesus, but the truth is, Jesus was looking for Zacchaeus long before Zacchaeus ever climbed that tree.

Notice verse 5:

“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said… ‘Zacchaeus…’”

He called him by name.

That will bless your heart if you let it. The Lord of glory walking through Jericho, crowds pressing in, voices everywhere—and He stops…looks up…and singles out one sinner.

That’s grace.

I heard about a little boy lost in a department store. He was crying, frightened, and confused. The security guard didn’t say, “Son, find your parents.” No, he got on the intercom and said, “Will the parents of this child come and get him?”

Friend, salvation is not you finding God, it is God finding you.

2. THE SEARCHING SINNER

Now don’t miss Zacchaeus here. The Bible says in verse 3:

“And he sought to see who Jesus was…”

There was something stirring in this man. He had money, but no meaning. He had position, but no peace.

Verse 2 says he was “a chief tax collector, and he was rich.”

That means he had climbed the ladder, but it was leaning against the wrong wall.

So what does he do?

Verse 4:

“So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree…”

Now don’t rush past that. Grown men didn’t run in that culture. Wealthy men didn’t climb trees. Respectable men didn’t act like children.

But Zacchaeus didn’t care anymore. When a man is drowning, he is not concerned about dignity, he is concerned about deliverance.

That’s Zacchaeus. Something inside him said, “I must see Jesus.”

But here’s the truth:

His seeking was real, but it was not sufficient. He could climb a tree, but he could not climb into salvation. He could look at Jesus, but he could not save himself.

Friend, religion can make you search, but only Christ can save.

3. THE SUPERNATURAL SALVATION

Now watch what happens.

Verse 5:

“Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Verse 6:

“So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”

That’s salvation right there.

Jesus calls, Zacchaeus comes. Jesus invites, Zacchaeus receives.

And then everything changes.

Verse 8:

“Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor…and if I have taken anything…I restore fourfold.”

Now listen carefully—this is not how he got saved; this is how we know he got saved.

Salvation is not behavior modification, it is heart transformation.

Then Jesus declares in verse 9:

“Today salvation has come to this house…”

Not tomorrow. Not someday. Not after probation.

Today.

If you walked into a dark room and flipped on the light, you wouldn’t say, “Well, the darkness is gradually leaving.” No, instantly—completely—light fills the room.

That’s what happened in Zacchaeus’ life.

From greed to generosity.

From guilt to grace.

From lost to saved.

That is supernatural salvation.

THE SEEKING SAVIOR

THE SEARCHING SINNER

THE SUPERNATURAL SALVATION

CONCLUSION

Friend, where are you in this story?

Are you like Zacchaeus, searching, restless, climbing, trying?

Or have you heard the voice of the Savior calling your name?

Because the same Jesus who stopped under that tree is still stopping for sinners today.

And He is still saying:

“Come down, I must stay with you.”

The question is not will He receive you?

The question is will you receive Him?

____________

Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are still seeking the lost. We confess that we have climbed many trees of our own making, searching for meaning apart from You. Draw us down by Your grace. Call us by name. Enter our hearts and transform our lives. Let salvation come, not someday, but today. In Your holy name, Amen.

BDD