Jesus is like a shepherd pursuing one sheep. He's like a woman pursuing one coin.

He's like a father going out after a lost son. The reason he eats with tax collectors

is because he's after them.

The lost to find them, to make joy happen in heaven over one tax collector who repents.

I find it interesting that Jesus spent time with people that everyone else avoided.

And maybe like me, you've wondered, why did he do that?

I'm Dan Kroover.

In this episode of Light and Truth, John Piper turns to Luke 19

to reveal to us the heart of Jesus as the one who intentionally seeks the lost.

This message was originally delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday evening, January 13, 1985.

Luke, Chapter 19, we'll read, Luke chapter 19

We'll read this paragraph together.

There's a story about Zechius.

He entered Jericho and was passing through,

and there was a man named Zacchaeus, the he of course is Jesus.

He was a chief tax collector and rich, and he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not,

on account of the crowd because he was small of stature.

So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. He was small of stature.

So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass

that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and

come down, for I must stay at your house today. So he made haste and came down and received him

...