Son of Man

Have you ever been lost? When I started driving, we didn’t have the luxury of GPS. We had to either look at a map or ask directions. Then, we had to figure out how the directions corresponded to the actual terrain. Did he mean to turn at this gas station or that one? It was easy to get turned around or miss something.

Once, driving to Florida from South Carolina for a wedding, I turned on the wrong road and somehow drove over an hour the wrong way. I realized I had made a mistake when a sign welcomed me to Alabama.

In our spiritual lives, we can often find ourselves somewhere we didn’t mean to be. It’s easy to take a wrong turn, and then another. Or maybe we’re just driving around aimlessly, with no destination in mind. That is how I spent pretty much all my teens and twenties—going as fast as I could, but having no idea where I was headed.

The good news is that Jesus came to “seek and save that which was lost.” Jesus isn’t just sitting around, waiting to see if you’ll turn up. He knows the danger of your being missing, and he is actively looking for you.

In today’s verse, Jesus is looking for Zacchaeus, the very short tax collector who cheated his fellow Jews. Despite being well aware of Zacchaeus’ sins, Jesus invited himself over for dinner. He didn’t wait for Zaccheus to come to him; he found Zaccheus.

Almost immediately, Zacchaeus offers ways he intends to make amends for cheating his fellow Jews. But it would not be enough. We cannot save ourselves. It’s then that Jesus calls himself the “Son of Man,” who comes to save the lost. Only Jesus is able to save us.

The “Son of Man” is a name Jesus uses in the gospels nearly 80 times to describe himself. He was fully divine and fully human, but this name doesn’t let us forget his humanity, how God sent his Son into our world, in a human body that could feel all the joy and the pain we do. He would soon take our place on the cross, so we wouldn’t be condemned for our sins—so we wouldn’t stay lost. Whether you feel a little off track or have no clue where you’re headed, you can never be too lost to be found by him.

Reflect:

As you reflect on today’s devotional, listen to the song, “Son of Heaven” while you answer this question:

In what area of your life do you need Jesus to give you direction?