Adar 21 – There was a man named Zacchaeus…

March 20, 2025

12 – Adar, Abraham, Jericho, Jesus, Luke, Zacchaeus

Adar 21, 5785; from sunset March 20, 2025, to sunset March 21, 2025

(The twenty-first day of the twelfth month)

This is the name “Yeshua” (יֵשׁוּעַ – Jesus) as seen on the James Ossuary. Yeshua comes from the verb “yasha” meaning “to save or deliver.” Yeshua means “Salvation.”

Today in the Bible, we’re walking with Jesus as He makes His way from Capernaum to Jerusalem for the final time before His crucifixion. Though we can’t place this event on a specific day, we know it happened sometime during the days and weeks leading up to Passover, according to the book of Luke. Today, we’re remembering His meeting with Zacchaeus the tax collector.

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:1-10 (NKJ)

Just a few days ago we remembered the rich, young man who came to Jesus, asking what he could do to obtain eternal life. Jesus said to him…

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Today we encountered another rich man. One who responded to Jesus by giving away half of everything he had to the poor. This man was a tax collector, a hated profession. In the prior episode, the rich young man prided himself on keeping the commandments perfectly. Yet, when Jesus said, “If you want to be ‘perfect,’ go, sell what you have and give to the poor,” he turned and walked away. Zacchaeus’ name is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Zaccai.” The name Zaccai means “The LORD is Pure.” Perhaps Zacchaeus is meant to represent the embodiment of how the “perfect” or “pure” rich man should live.

To see all of our posts regarding “Yeshua” (יֵשׁוּעַ – Jesus), click on the image below.