Luke 19:10

Analysis & Commentary

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. This verse is Jesus' mission statement, summarizing His incarnation's purpose. The phrase "the Son of man" (ho huios tou anthrōpou, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) is Jesus' favorite self-designation, occurring over 80 times in the Gospels. It combines messianic authority (from Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of man receives an everlasting kingdom) with human identification—He is truly man, not merely divine apparition.

The verb "is come" (ēlthen, ἦλθεν) is aorist tense, indicating completed action at a specific point in time—the Incarnation. This affirms Jesus' pre-existence; He "came" from somewhere (heaven) to somewhere (earth). The dual purpose uses two infinitives: "to seek" (zētēsai, ζητῆσαι) and "to save" (sōsai, σῶσαι). Zēteō (ζητέω) means to search for, seek diligently, or pursue. God is the active seeker; sinners don't find God—He finds them (Romans 3:11). Sōzō (σῴζω) means to rescue, deliver, heal, or make whole. Salvation encompasses forgiveness, reconciliation, transformation, and eternal life.

The object is "that which was lost" (to apolōlos, τὸ ἀπολωλός)—a perfect participle of apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι) meaning to destroy, perish, or be utterly lost. The perfect tense indicates completed action with ongoing state—humanity is in a condition of lostness, unable to save itself. This summarizes the human condition apart from Christ: spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17), separated from God (Isaiah 59:2), and facing judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Jesus came to reverse this condition through His death and resurrection.

Historical Context

Jesus spoke these words in response to criticism about dining with Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-9). Tax collectors were despised as traitors and extortioners who collaborated with Rome and enriched themselves by collecting more than required. Zacchaeus represented the epitome of "lost"—morally compromised, socially ostracized, spiritually bankrupt. Jesus' choice to stay at his house scandalized the crowd, who "murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner" (verse 7).

Zacchaeus's conversion and restitution (verse 8)—giving half his goods to the poor and restoring fourfold what he had taken fraudulently—demonstrated genuine repentance. Jesus declared, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham" (verse 9). The phrase "son of Abraham" reclaims Zacchaeus's covenant identity, which his sinful life had forfeited in public perception. Jesus' mission statement (verse 10) justified His association with sinners and explained His entire ministry pattern.

This verse echoes Ezekiel 34:16, where God promises, "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away." Jesus fulfills this divine promise, demonstrating that He possesses God's own prerogative and nature. Early Christian preaching emphasized this mission. Peter proclaimed that Jesus was "appointed" to bless people by "turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26). Paul wrote that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). The church's evangelistic mandate flows from Christ's seeking and saving mission.

Questions for Reflection

• How does understanding that Jesus came 'to seek' the lost challenge the idea that salvation depends on human searching for God?
• What does Jesus' mission statement reveal about the nature and extent of human lostness apart from divine intervention?
• How should Christ's example of seeking and saving the lost shape the church's mission, priorities, and methods?
• In what ways does this verse provide biblical justification for associating with 'sinners' and entering messy, morally compromised spaces?
• How does the phrase 'that which was lost' emphasize both the desperate condition of humanity and the comprehensive nature of salvation?