ROOT 66: Luke
The theme of Luke is Son of Man. Luke was the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament, but his two books, Luke and Acts, actually make up 27% of the New Testament. He was very detailed in his account of Jesus’ life, and he highlights the depravity and darkness of the people spoken of in the gospels. He shows that the Son of Man relates to us and outrageously loves us.
In Luke 19:1-10, we see the familiar account of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. He was a HATED man because he betrayed his people for Rome and financial gain. He went from house to house, with Roman soldiers, and demanded taxes for Rome, and himself.
19:4 – We see that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but climbed a tree to be anonymous.
19:5 – Jesus calls him by name
19:7 – the people “grumbled” wondering why Jesus would spend time with HIM. Jesus is saying, “I want to connect with you”; “I accept you”; “I pursue you”; and “I know you”.
19:8 – Zacchaeus’ heart changed. The idolatry of money that he had was now gone. He was set free!
Son of Man:
Jesus was fully human. In fact, it is His favorite description of Himself.
Jesus was fully God as seen in Daniel 7:13-14
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.”
Came – He came for a reason. He came because He said He would (Gen. 3). Luke 2:1
To seek – The value of that being sought determines the tenaciousness of the seeker. As the Imago Dei, Jesus relentlessly seeks relationship with you.
Save – You are cherished with the love of God the Father. He pursued you to save you.
Lost – This is not just the thought of not knowing where you are. Lost means “destroyed” or “perished”. In the Luke 15 parables, the ending always includes joy, shalom, and found-ness.
QUESTIONS:
1. Talk about the ridiculous lengths that Jesus went to in order to pursue you.
2. Do you have any idols (like Zacchaeus) that you need to let go of? What are they?
3. Commit to pray at noon each day this week for the hundreds around you that need to know the love of the Great Pursuer. Pray specifically for those that will be joining us for our Christmas Eve services next week.
