A Comprehensive Guide to Sharing the Gospel (Part 1): Be Intentional

When I was 19 years old, I surrendered my heart to Christ. Although I had been raised in a church environment and was surrounded by devout family members, including my mother, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, I found myself lost despite being familiar with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit's power. Despite witnessing miracles and receiving top-notch Bible teachings, I chose to disobey.

Fortunately, someone came into my life at a pivotal moment and intentionally invited me to follow Christ, guiding me through my first steps as a new Christian. This is precisely what Christ calls every believer to do, and in the story of Zacchaeus, we see Jesus' example of reaching the lost.

As Christians, we are commanded to proclaim the gospel and follow Jesus' example by seeking and saving the lost. Although the story of Zacchaeus and Jesus is familiar, we often overlook its significance as a roadmap for helping others discover the transformational power of the gospel.

In your Bible, the story of Zacchaeus and Jesus is found in the Gospel of Luke 19:1-9:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:1-10).

Let’s take a moment to set the scene of this story of forgiveness and grace.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem; to get there, he must pass through Jericho. When Jesus gets to Jerusalem, He is welcomed with palm branches and shouts of Hosanna; but the worship is short-lived. Seven days after entering Jerusalem, He will be crucified. Even though Jesus knows what is about to happen, He doesn’t let that prevent Him from ministering to a man named Zacchaeus.

In the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus gives us an example of intentionality.

In 2016, I discovered the immense power of intentionality when I began working with a pastoral coach to achieve my goals. After each coaching session, my coach would ask me, "When will you take action?" and fall silent, forcing me to consult my calendar. Despite anticipating the question, there was always an awkward moment as I contemplated the precise steps I needed to take to move forward. However, I learned to attach each step to a specific date and time in my schedule, enabling me to make steady progress toward my objectives. By intentionally repeating this process, I was able to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the daunting God-given vision I had for the church and instead focus on taking small, incremental steps to its realization.

Jesus’s goal was to get to Jerusalem. He had a mission to save the world through His sacrifice on the Cross. But before there is a Jerusalem, there is a Jericho. Before there is a Cross, there is a man named Zacchaeus. Listen to how Luke describes him:

…he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.

Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is coming through Jericho and wants to see Him. But Zacchaeus cannot see Jesus because he is so short. He really wants to see Jesus, so he comes up with a plan. He runs ahead of the crowd, finds a tree, climbs, and waits.

As Jesus makes his way down the road and the crowds follow Him, he notices Zacchaeus in the tree. I love how Luke describes this scene…

When Jesus reached the spot…

Jesus stops at a specific spot! We know that spot is the tree where Zacchaeus is hanging out (literally). Jesus intentionally stops at that spot because someone desires forgiveness and is demonstrating faith.

All believers are called to proclaim the gospel to the lost. We all know that – we all know there are lost people in the world – in our neighborhood – on our street. In our heads, we know that if the lost don’t come to Christ, they will be lost for eternity. Even though we KNOW this in our heads, we must act intentionally.

Jesus made a deliberate choice to halt his journey and seek out Zacchaeus, where he had stationed himself. Despite his diminutive stature, Jesus recognized the worth of this "little man" who may have been otherwise disregarded.

It begs the question: how many opportunities to share the gospel do we let slip by because we are preoccupied with other issues? Whether it's family problems, financial struggles, or other concerns, we can easily become so absorbed in our own worlds that we overlook the lost souls around us. The key is intentionally stopping and taking notice, just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus.

Will God require you to share the gospel with every person you encounter? Perhaps not, but He will undoubtedly place people in your path. The question is, "Are you actively seeking opportunities to witness?"

It's worth noting that Jesus himself took the time to look up and notice Zacchaeus. Even though He was on a mission to the Cross, with His sights set on Jerusalem and fulfilling God's will, He still paused at that precise spot and looked up to see a man who was desperate to experience God's grace.

In my life, God put me in someone’s path. I did not know them, and that person did not know me. I met this guy because of his daughter. He may have ulterior motives because of his daughter, but he took the time to meet me where I was and gradually began sharing the gospel with me.

We need to tackle a question: "How can we actively engage someone with the gospel?" Next week, we'll witness how Jesus proactively invites Zacchaeus to encounter grace and discover the life-changing transformation of the gospel.

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