Luke 19
March Memory Verse: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10 NIV
Read: Luke 19
Everything in Luke 19 hinges off of one verse; verse 10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (ESV)
We see this in the first 8 verses with the story of Zacchaeus. He’s described as a short, rich, sinner. Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus, and Jesus invited Himself over. Jesus sought and saved the lost Zacchaeus.
Next, Jesus tells the parable of the Ten Minas. The deeper meaning of this parable is that everyone who Jesus has saved has been gifted with time, talents, finances, abilities and more. The job for these people is to be good stewards of what Jesus has given to us. They are to build up His Kingdom with their gifts. If you have a relationship with Jesus, you have been sought and saved by Jesus. In return, you are to use what He has gifted you with to point people to the One who can seek and save them.
Third, Jesus’ Triumphal Entry is the start of how He is going to save people: by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. Palm Sunday began the week that Jesus would die on the cross and raise three days later. If Jesus did not go to the cross for our sin, then we wouldn’t have a way to be saved.
All of Luke 19 points back to verse 10. If you have a relationship with Jesus, be thankful that he sought and saved you.
In what ways can you be a good steward of what Jesus has given you?
By: Brice Stockton
Read: Luke 19
Everything in Luke 19 hinges off of one verse; verse 10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (ESV)
We see this in the first 8 verses with the story of Zacchaeus. He’s described as a short, rich, sinner. Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus, and Jesus invited Himself over. Jesus sought and saved the lost Zacchaeus.
Next, Jesus tells the parable of the Ten Minas. The deeper meaning of this parable is that everyone who Jesus has saved has been gifted with time, talents, finances, abilities and more. The job for these people is to be good stewards of what Jesus has given to us. They are to build up His Kingdom with their gifts. If you have a relationship with Jesus, you have been sought and saved by Jesus. In return, you are to use what He has gifted you with to point people to the One who can seek and save them.
Third, Jesus’ Triumphal Entry is the start of how He is going to save people: by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. Palm Sunday began the week that Jesus would die on the cross and raise three days later. If Jesus did not go to the cross for our sin, then we wouldn’t have a way to be saved.
All of Luke 19 points back to verse 10. If you have a relationship with Jesus, be thankful that he sought and saved you.
In what ways can you be a good steward of what Jesus has given you?
By: Brice Stockton
11 Comments
1. Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2. There was a man there named Zacchaeus.
Something struck me as I read verses one & two today. I had never connected the dots with these verses to Joshua chapter 6 and the Walls of Jericho story. Zacchaeus had built fortified walls around his heart and thought he was "living the good life" by robbing & stealing from people as a tax collector. Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town and in the process tore down the walls blocking Zacchaeus' heart from God. The scales fell off of his heart and he could finally see true joy & happiness was in Jesus alone. Zacchaeus was so transformed that he changed his ways and began to repay those he had robbed. All of this caused me to think..... Do I have any walls around my heart keeping Jesus from having complete access? Thanks for the commentary today Brice.
*scales fell off of his eyes (not heart) 😂
Praying for opportunities to share Christ today.
(V.13)..."do business with this until I come back."
Everything I learn at church or through scripture I have been entrusted with. I am learning these things not to store them up for myself, but to share this knowledge with others.
What God has blessed us with is extraordinary. We need to pour out to others so that God will complete the good plans in our lives producing and bearing fruit. A big thing for me is how my faith has been developing over time since discipleship- what are we going to do with it? Are we going to invest our faith letting it grown or shall we hide our faith to just preserve it living in fear and making no strides to advance the gospel? We have everything in Christ so let's use what we have been blessed with to bring glory to the Most High! ðŸ™
The parable of the minas reads a bit like a military campaign. It concludes with the nobleman "having received the kingdom" and defeating his enemies.
Jesus tells this parable right before His triumphal entry. Triumphal entries were common for rulers who returned from battle victorious.
I don't have any conclusion to this thought; I just love how Christ, in His wisdom, never ceases to astound me.
"And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."
â€â€Luke‬ â€19:41-42‬
Jesus loved His people dearly, and knowing that they would reject the truth brought him to the point of weeping.
I have never been a person of strong emotions, so I have always found it difficult to love others near to the level of how Jesus loves them. When was the last time I wept over a friend who does not have a relationship with Jesus? When was the last time I wept over my own sin? My prayer for today and this week is that God would change this in me. Lord, give me your compassion for others. Help me to put myself into perspective, and let you be the center of my thoughts, actions, and emotions.
We talked in connect group this week about making the best use of our time because the days are evil. That is definitely a way I can be a faithful steward of the time God has given me. I need to be intentional with my time and not wasteful. I may be busy, but in my busyness, I need to see opportunities to live for Christ in what I am doing. If I'm too busy to do that, then I need to figure out a way to cut some things out. God has given us 24 hours in each day, and we should use that in the best way we can.
Another great commentary and round of comments! Jumpstart is such a blessing!
I pray every day that God will help me walk out my faith through His Holy Spirit and that I will never miss an opportunity He gives me to share my testimony of what His Gospel has done in my life.
I was thinking the exact same thing! Such great comments!
The fact that Jesus' very purpose in coming was "to seek and save the lost" does give special meaning to what it is to be "a person after God's own heart."