Mark’s
Gospel ch10 vs32 – 34.
Luke’s
Gospel ch19 vs1 – 10,
ch22
vs63 – 71,
ch23
vs1 – 12,
ch24
vs1 – 8.
Hebrews ch13 vs8.
The past twelve months has been a year of surprising things.
The “Brexit” result, Donald Trump becoming president of the USA ,
and now in our General Election a huge lead in the polls was almost gone on the day of vote.
In each of these things, the opposite was expected to
happen.
Although we live in a most changing world which causes worry
and concern, none of these results are a surprise to God.
There is never any happening that is unexpected to God.
He knows all, understands all, and all are in His plan.
Many people thought that the last thing to happen to a
lovely man who healed, loved, and spoke words like no other – the Lord Jesus
Christ - is that He would be put to
death.
The Lord’s followers were fearful concerning these things,
but Christ - ch10 vs33) “went before
them”. It was His Father’s will for Him
to go to Jerusalem ,
to the Cross, and nothing would stop Him.
We do not know even what tomorrow may bring, but The Lord
knows all and everything is in His hands.
Christ told His disciples beforehand exactly what was going
to happen to Him – How He would be taken, His death and resurrection.
All came to pass just as He had said.
Many people now think Jesus Christ was just a good man,
nothing more, but His life and death was for Salvation.
Christ paid our sins in His own body on the Cross, that we
can all have forgiveness.
His was a cruel death, crucified between two robbers. He
knew all these things, but nothing would stop Him from laying down His life to
bring Salvation to the world.
At the end on the Cross, He dismissed His spirit – in
control to the last moment – and cried with a loud voice “It is finished”… His
Father’s work was complete.
On the third day, as foretold, His Father fully satisfied
with His sacrificial death, He arose from His grave.
On a personal level, God is also in control of all our lives
–
Although Zacchaeus was curious just to see Him, The Lord
already knew everything about Zacchaeus!
The Lord was not going to stop in Jericho
– He was passing through on His way to Jerusalem .
Zacchaeus was not a popular man, being a chief tax collector
and cheating people with their money. He was rich. The Lord tells us in
Matthew’s Gospel ch19 vs23) “…it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom
of heaven”…yet “…with God all things are possible” – Matthew’s Gospel ch19
vs26.
Zacchaeus on dining with Jesus, was personally repentant,
confessing his sins to His Saviour, and calling Him Lord.
We all need to do this on a personal level and put our faith
and trust in the work of salvation offered by Jesus Christ.
Then Christ can say - as with Zacchaeus – “This day is
salvation come to this house”.
It seemed an unlikely place, but Christ knowing that the
life of Zacchaeus needed forgiveness, came to where he was… “For the son of man
is come to seek and to save that which was lost”.
The Lord knows all about your life too, and is speaking to
you.
Be like Zacchaeus and accept Him as Lord and Saviour TODAY –
tomorrow would have been too late for him – The Lord was gone, never to
return that way.
The reason each of the people are in this Hall tonight, is
because God wanted us to be here and nowhere else… He wanted to have dealings
with each one of us.
Zacchaeus gladly accepted Christ.
However, those seeing Jesus with Zacchaeus did not like it,
saying “…he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner”… but this is true
of everybody.
Romans ch3 vs23) “…all have sinned, and fallen short of the
glory of God”.
Repentance and faith in The Lord Jesus Christ is required.
There is so little to trust in this life and in this world,
but we can fully trust in Him –
“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for
ever”.
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