A Tree, One Root, and Many Fruits
3/26/25 Bible Thought (Luke 19)
One of the greatest apologetics for the Christian faith is the lives of those who have been truly transformed by the gospel. Those who have been delivered from the domain of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God’s Beloved Son (Col. 1:13) with proof in the pudding as it were. Or in the words of John the Baptist, they bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt. 3:8).
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8).
One of the best biblical examples of this is found in Luke 19 with Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector and like most tax collectors was doing pretty good for himself. He profited off of extortion and abused his position. When Jesus came to town, he was highly interested and determined to get a bird’s-eye-view. But what’s most interesting is that the Lord Jesus calls him down from the sycamore tree and invites Himself over to Zacchaeus’ house. The house of a sinner.
Yet, when Zacchaeus meets Jesus, he is changed. No longer will he abuse his position and take money from others that is unwarranted; instead, he determined to restore what had been lost. He was going to give half his goods to the poor and any who were defrauded he will repay fourfold (Lk. 19:8). Jesus concludes,
“Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:9-10).
In countless portions of Scripture, we see that Jesus sought out the sinner, not the saint. In fact, saints are made, not found. What we see is that the Lord Jesus leaves a decisive mark on those who are now His. When Christ comes into a person’s life, they don’t leave unchanged.
Zacchaeus didn’t meet Jesus and continue in his sin, rather he turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction. His insatiable lust for money turned into generosity. These things were the outward manifestation of a heart that had been transformed by Jesus. They were the fruit, not the root, of his salvation. Yet, Jesus came into his life and left him changed.
I think it’s healthy every now and then for those of us who are Christians to reflect on our lives and to see the difference that Christ has made. We’re all still on a journey and none of us have arrived yet, but surely there’s something that showcases His work in us. As the gospel song declares, “Thanks to Calvary, I’m not the man that I used to be.”
I find C.S. Lewis’s discussion on the topic helpful when he illustrates this point by the example of temperaments and how everyone has a different starting point.[1] Some people have a kind temperament naturally that is God-given. Some people are naturally unkind, rude, and nasty to others. If the person with the less-kind temperament gets saved, it’s not appropriate to compare them to the kind nonbeliever. Rather, they ought to compare themselves to who they used to be.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
It’s a good day to look over your life and ask, “How has Christ changed me?” and to respond with praise to Him for His marvelous grace, not only in saving us, but in changing us into the people He desires for us to be.
[1] This example can be found in Mere Christianity, pages 210-213.
Excellent points. Great post.