Jesus
said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
Luke 19:9
Luke 19 [8.] Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”
Luke 19 [9.] Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19 [11.] As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately. He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’
Meaning:
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho and a rich man. He climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and Jesus called him by name and invited himself to his house (Luke 19:2-6). The crowd murmured that Jesus had gone “to lodge with a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7). Then Zacchaeus stood and promised to give half his goods to the poor and to repay fourfold anyone he had cheated (Luke 19:8). This verse is the verdict of Jesus on what had happened.
- “Today, salvation has come to this house”
“Today” is one of Luke’s favourite words for the arrival of God’s salvation. The angels announced, “For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior” (Luke 2:11). In Nazareth Jesus said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). On the cross he promised the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Salvation is not only a future hope; it arrives the moment Jesus is welcomed. It came to “this house”: Zacchaeus’ household and his whole way of life were changed.
Zacchaeus’ generosity did not earn salvation. It was the fruit of it. He had received Jesus joyfully, and his changed attitude to money showed that grace had reached his heart. Just a chapter earlier a rich ruler went away sad because he could not let go of his wealth (Luke 18:23). Jesus had said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). In Zacchaeus we see the impossible happen.
- “Because he also is a son of Abraham”
The crowd saw only a traitor who collected taxes for Rome. Jesus saw a son of Abraham, one of the people God had promised to bless. Earlier Jesus had healed a bent woman and called her “a daughter of Abraham” (Luke 13:16). The outcast is restored to his place among God’s people.
The phrase also has a deeper meaning. John the Baptist warned that simply being descended from Abraham was not enough (Luke 3:8). True children of Abraham share his faith. Paul writes, “Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). Zacchaeus showed that faith by welcoming Jesus and turning from his old life.
- The mission of Jesus
The next sentence explains everything: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus had told the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son to people who complained that he welcomed sinners (Luke 15:4-7). Zacchaeus is that lost sheep found.
The Significance of Luke 19:9
- No one is too far gone
Tax collectors were despised, and Zacchaeus was the chief of them. Yet salvation came to his house. No reputation or past is beyond the reach of Jesus.
- Salvation changes how we live
When salvation comes, it shows itself in practical change, especially in how we treat money and people. Zacchaeus made restitution and gave generously, not to be saved but because he had been saved.
Cross-References:
Luke 19:10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." The purpose behind this verse.
Galatians 3:7: "those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham." Who the true children of Abraham are.
Luke 15:7: "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents" Heaven’s joy over the lost who are found.
Conclusion: Jesus declared that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house that very day, because he too was a son of Abraham. The despised tax collector was welcomed back among God’s people, and his changed life showed the reality of his faith. The verse reveals the heart of Jesus’ mission: to seek and to save the lost.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible