March 23, 2025 Preaching | Ptr Joby Soriano
What battles are you facing in life right now? Perhaps you feel like you’re at the point of giving up because of the difficulties you’re dealing with. The Enemy wants you to believe that your life is over, you’re hopeless, and it’s time for you to break down. But God wants you to know that it’s time for you to experience a breakthrough! Great miracles in the Bible all started from impossible situations. God can change your life today; what you may consider a breaking point is where you can experience a breakthrough.
When King David faced the threat of war with the Philistines, he did not rely on his experience and skill as a warrior. Instead, he sought the Lord and His will, and David defeated his enemies (2 Samuel 5:19-20). Breakthroughs come when we rely on God, not on our own power or strength. “Baal-perazim” means “Lord of breaking through”. Breakthrough isn’t just something God can do. It’s who He is! God is our Breakthrough over all things. You can have a breakdown, or you can have a breakthrough. Let’s learn from Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus and how that led to his breakthrough.
1. SEEK JESUS (LUKE 19:1-4)
Jesus is always intentional, and he entered Jericho. In the Old Testament, Jericho was conquered by Israel and “cursed” by Joshua. Yet, Jesus was passing through it just as He “had to” pass through Samaria because He wanted to reach out to the Samaritan woman; she was transformed because of this encounter and became a witness for Jesus (John 4:4). In Jericho, it was a chief tax collector, a rich man named Zacchaeus, who encountered Jesus. Zacchaeus was considered a “chief sinner”. Tax collectors were seen as traitors because they collected taxes for the Romans and would charge extra so they could earn more. Zacchaeus was not allowed to enter the temple to pray or to vote — he was cast aside. Although he was rich, it seemed that he was not content because something was missing in his life.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus amidst the crowd that surrounded the Lord (v.3). Perhaps Zacchaeus had heard about how another tax collector, Matthew, encountered Jesus, gave up his job, and followed the Lord. Is there a “crowd” that’s preventing you from getting closer to Jesus? Perhaps it’s busyness, pride, family members, religious traditions, money, or another Christian that causes you to stumble. Because he was seeking Jesus, Zacchaeus even climbed a sycamore tree (a “shameful” thing in their culture) just to see Him (v.4). Zacchaeus was doing everything he could to remove obstacles that prevented him from seeking Jesus. Zacchaeus humbled himself; he did not focus on what people would say about him. God promised that if we truly seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He is waiting, and He is seeking for us as well. The crowd came to see Jesus, but Zacchaeus came to seek Jesus. What obstacles do you need to remove so you can seek Jesus? Seeking Jesus begins where self ends.
2. OBEY JESUS (Luke 19:5-7)
Jesus knew Zacchaeus by name, called him down from the tree, and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ home (v.5)! In Hebrew, “Zacchaeus” means “righteous one/not guilty”; imagine Jesus saying out loud for “righteous one” to come down from the tree so Jesus can have dinner with him at his house! Zacchaeus must have felt like a hypocrite because his lifestyle did not match his name.
Jesus did not tell Zacchaeus to first fulfill the Ten Commandments or perform religious rituals; He called him “righteous one,” even when he was still guilty. Zacchaeus responded to Jesus eagerly and hurriedly and “received Him gladly” (v. 6). He did not tell Jesus, “I’ll think about it…I’ll pray about it…I’ll consult others about it”. He was excited to be with Jesus! But many people were not happy with what Jesus did — because Zacchaeus was a “sinner” (v.7). But while people look at the outside, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 6:7). Jesus saw how Zacchaeus responded to His call. People might have many opinions, good or bad, about you, but what matters is what God says about you. People see you in light of the present, but Jesus sees you in light of His presence. Don’t let your present keep you from His presence. Jesus looks beyond what you are and sees you for what you can become. The crowd was pointing a slanderous finger at Zacchaeus (not knowing that three fingers were pointing back at them). None of us deserves the mercy and grace of God — we all fall short of God’s holy standard. Jesus did not let people’s opinions about Zacchaeus keep Him from doing what was right.
3. SURRENDER TO JESUS (Luke 19:8-10)
Zacchaeus called Jesus, “Lord” as he responded to Him. Zacchaeus declared this as he committed to make restitution for his wrongdoing (v.8). Jewish law demands that a thief must return what was stolen plus 20% of its value to the owner. Zacchaeus committed not only to give half of his possessions to the poor but also to give back four times (400%) the amount of what he took from taxpayers. Repentance leads to restitution! In Zacchaeus’ heart, money was no longer an issue. He was willing to give up all his wealth just to follow Jesus, evidence of a changed heart. Jesus breaks through our life and makes us new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Zacchaeus’ actions were evidence of his salvation. In Hebrew, the word “salvation” is “Yeshua”, or “Jesus”; the Lord was saying that “Jesus, the Messiah – Savior has come to this house” (v.9)! Everyone heard this, and that’s how Jesus declared the position of Zacchaeus. Jesus affirmed that Zacchaeus was the “son of Abraham”, a spiritual son in God’s family. This was the breakthrough in Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus living in you brings consistent transformation. How will you respond to the call of your Savior today (v.10)?