Going Deeper: The Fulfillment of Encounter in the Story of Zacchaeus
This series' first half explored how the Old Testament points to Jesus through the stories of Noah, the Exodus, David and Goliath, Jonah, and Esther.
The second half – the Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus Walking on Water, the Woman at the Well, and the Good Samaritan parable – has revealed how Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures.
All nine stories share the same theme: God sends a Rescuer to save us when we cannot save ourselves.
Today we close the series by looking at what it looks like to encounter that Rescuer. Luke gives us a great example in the story of Zacchaeus.
Grace Comes First
What’s fascinating about Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus isn’t that Zacchaeus is wealthy and notable (also despised) or that he’s short (though the children’s song is catchy).
It’s that Jesus initiates the encounter.
First, Zacchaeus isn’t just a tax collector; he’s a chief tax collector. His community sees him as a thief and traitor, and no respectable person – let alone a rabbi – would want to be seen welcoming him.
Second, sycamore trees are vast and full. It’s likely that though Zacchaeus had climbed into the tree to see Jesus, he didn’t expect Jesus to see him.
But Jesus didn't just notice him — He called him by name and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house (Luke 19:5), a gesture of trust and honor in Middle Eastern culture, not presumption. For a man everyone avoided, it was extraordinary.
It's this grace, given before Zacchaeus had done anything to earn it, that moves him to repay everyone he'd wronged four times over, far beyond what the Law required.
Notice the order: grace came before transformation.
If acceptance had depended on Zacchaeus cleaning himself up first, his own effort would have been the engine of change. Instead, Jesus welcomed him before a coin was returned — his generosity wasn't payment for grace, but its fruit.
The more we encounter God's love, the more we're moved to be transformed by it.
How This Fulfills the Old Testament
Jesus' favor toward Zacchaeus seemed radical, but it's exactly what God promised the Messiah would do:
- "I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1) — fulfilled when Jesus speaks Zacchaeus' name before any introduction (Luke 19:5).
- God Himself searching for lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:11–16) — fulfilled in Jesus leaving the crowd and going to the lost one, insisting on going to Zacchaeus' house (Luke 19:5).
- The promise to Abraham's offspring (Genesis 12:3) — fulfilled when Jesus declares Zacchaeus "a son of Abraham," restoring his covenant membership (Luke 19:9).
The Story of Zacchaeus is About More Than a ‘Wee Little Man’ Who Wanted to See Jesus
Luke doesn’t tell us explicitly why Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, only that he wanted to badly enough to be undignified. He had everything money could buy, yet he was still longing for something more — most likely to be known and loved.
This is the same invitation running through every story in this series, and it's the simplest and hardest thing the gospel asks: come down from the tree. Stop watching from a distance. Stop managing the exposure.
Jesus is offering you a place at the table, a name spoken in love, a belonging that no wealth can buy and no sin can forfeit.
Trade the pursuit of more for being known and loved by Him because when you truly encounter His grace, it will begin making you new.
This post is inspired by the latest message of our "Stories That Shape Our Faith" series and the corresponding chapter from Dr. Jody Ray's book of the same name.