We come now to the closing days of the Lord’s ministry on earth. He passed through Jericho for the last time, on His way to Jerusalem. Zaccheus was not going to miss this opportunity to see Jesus. But there were difficulties. He was a little man and couldn’t see above the crowd. What could he do? He saw a tree ahead and ran to climb up above all those people. Do you think the Lord Jesus knew who was in that tree? He not only knew his name, but He knew all about him. The Lord wanted to go to his house, but the people murmured because they knew that Zaccheus was a sinner. Were they not sinners also? When the Lord left that house, the lost sinner Zaccheus had been found and saved, “for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
In the parable of the nobleman, we see how he rewards faithfulness. The good servant gained ten pounds and was rewarded by ruling over ten cities. The wicked servant did nothing with the pound that was given to him. He really had no love for his master and so did nothing for him.
As the Lord approached Jerusalem, two of His disciples were told to bring a colt for Him to sit on. The whole multitude of the disciples said, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.” Their religious leaders objected to such rejoicing, but the Lord said that if the people were silent, the stones would cry out! Today, the Lord has living stones giving Him praise (1 Peter 2:5).
Was not the Lord saddened to see that religious center so hardened against Him? He foretold of a time that was soon coming when their enemies would level Jerusalem to the ground. All this would happen because they didn’t realize that their Lord and Savior was visiting them.
1. Zaccheus ran and climbed up a tree. What kind of a tree was it? __________ Luke 19:___
2. When Zaccheus received the Lord into his house, all the people __________ because Jesus was a guest with a man that was a sinner. Luke 19:___
3. The nobleman commended the first servant who gained ten pounds because he had been __________ in a very little. Luke 19:___
4. As the Lord descended the Mount of Olives, what did the whole multitude of the disciples begin to do? __________ Luke 19:___
5. The Lord Jesus spoke about an enemy who would cast a trench around Jerusalem and lay it even with the ground, not leaving one stone upon another, because they didn’t know the time of their __________. Luke 19:___