Come Home for Christmas
Monday, December 11, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for this season of year when we focus on the birth of Jesus, and for the special “Come Home for Christmas” emphasis at New Life. I praise You for sending Jesus to bring us “home” to You not only as we follow You here and now, but also for eternity! I pray for a fresh anointing of Your Holy Spirit in my life right now, that I may recognize the opportunities You send my way to tell others about Jesus, and to invite them to come home to You. I pray that my thoughts, words and actions will bring You glory and honor today and always. I pray, Father, that as I live out this day You will draw me closer and closer to You, and that the joy I have in You will be evident to my family, friends, and all I meet. I pray for the lost people of our community—those who have not yet responded to the Good News of Jesus’ salvation. I pray that in this Christmas season many in our region will do exactly that—come home to You! All this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 19:1-10
1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. 3He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.
5When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today.”
6Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7But the crowds were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. 10And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
If you had lived in Jesus’ day and you heard that He was coming to your town, how would you have responded? Why?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
After reading Luke 19:1-10 as a whole, what do you see as the overall “point” of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus?
Why do you suppose that Luke included this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus when none of the other Gospel writers did?
What aspect of today’s Scripture challenges you the most? Why?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
According to Luke 19:1-10, what is God’s purpose for our lives?
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
Looking at Luke 19:1-10 as a whole, what is the main “action point” you take from the Scripture? How are you going to live out that action point today, and in the coming week?
Thoughts—“Knock, Knock!”
The account of Jesus and Zacchaeus is familiar to anyone who spent much time in Sunday School! We’ve probably all heard the Zacchaeus song, and recognize the amazing change that Jesus brought to Zacchaeus life, just by his presence and encouragement. The message title for yesterday was “Knock! Knock!” That’s because as Jesus’ encounter with Jesus shows us, Jesus “knocks” at the “door” of each of our hearts and invites Himself in to take up residence and to bring about the kind of transformation that came so quickly in Zacchaeus’ life. As we read the accounts of Jesus’ meetings with folks in the Gospels, one of the interesting points that we encounter is that for some meeting Jesus result in instant transformation. For others the process takes longer, and some—such as the Pharisees—don’t seem to respond at all. (Although Acts 15 makes it clear that some of the Pharisees became believers!) Why is it that when Jesus “knocks” on the “doors” of our hearts that some invite Him in immediately, while others put it off and some flatly reject Him? The simplest answer to that question is that God gives each of us the ability to “answer the door” or not. Jesus “knocks” on the “door” of our lives. He doesn’t break it down with a battering ram! God’s will is for each of us to respond to Him, and yet God doesn’t force His will on us, even though He could. God wants our response to be freely offered, not coerced, thus Jesus “knocks” and waits. To those who open the “door” He comes in and has fellowship and transforms us into the new people he died on the cross to create us to be!