Encounters With Jesus That Change Our LivesSample

Day 4 — The Encounter That Calls by Name: Zacchaeus, the Man Who Climbed a Tree

Jesus always knows where to find us—even when we don’t know how to draw near to him.

Zacchaeus wasn’t the sort of person you’d expect to see seeking Jesus. He was a chief tax collector: wealthy, powerful, and deeply rejected by his people. He represented the corruption of the Roman system. And yet something in his heart hungered for more.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way” (Luke 19:1–4 NIV).

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus but couldn’t—because of his stature and his reputation. The very reasons that had made him powerful had left him empty. And in that moment of imperfect seeking, Jesus looked up.

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today’ ” (Luke 19:5 NIV).

Jesus not only saw him; he called him by name. In a city full of faces, Jesus chose him. Before Zacchaeus said a word, Jesus had already invited him into relationship. That is the heart of the gospel: not man climbing up to reach God, but God drawing near to reach man.

Zacchaeus’s response was immediate: “So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly” (Luke 19:6 NIV).

But not everyone celebrated. “All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner’ ” (Luke 19:7 NIV).

Religion mutters where grace acts. What others saw as scandal, Jesus saw as salvation.

Then something extraordinary happened. In the middle of the encounter—and without Jesus demanding it—Zacchaeus’s heart was transformed:

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount’ ” (Luke 19:8 NIV).

Zacchaeus didn’t change to be accepted; he was accepted, and that changed him. Jesus’ love led him to genuine repentance. His greedy heart became generous; his selfishness turned into justice.

Jesus then declared:

“ ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’ ” (Luke 19:9–10 NIV).

This story reminds us that Jesus still calls by name. He doesn’t see only what we were, but what we can become when his grace reaches us. Many, like Zacchaeus, live up in their trees (social positions, masks, appearances), trying to see Jesus from afar. But Jesus still looks up and says, “Come down, because I want to dwell with you.”

Zacchaeus didn’t receive just a visit; he received a new life. His encounter with Jesus redefined his purpose, identity, and relationships. Paul puts it this way:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).

Transformation didn’t come from a sermon or a rule, but from a relationship. Where Jesus enters, salvation enters.

Practical reflection

• What “tree” have you climbed to try to see Jesus from a distance?
• What would it mean for you to “come down” and let him into your home—into your story?
• What would repentance look like if Jesus were to dine with you tonight?

Suggested prayer:

Lord, thank you that you see me, call me by name, and want to stay with me. Help me come down from my pride, fear, or excuses, and open the doors of my life to you. May your presence transform my heart as it did Zacchaeus’s. Amen.