Luke 19 10

Luke 19:10 kjv

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:10 nkjv

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Luke 19:10 niv

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke 19:10 esv

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke 19:10 nlt

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

Luke 19 verses

Luke 19 10 Meaning

Luke 19:10 succinctly declares the central mission of Jesus Christ. It states that the Son of Man came into the world with a twofold purpose: to actively search for those who are spiritually lost and to bring them into a state of salvation. This verse serves as a summary statement following the account of Zacchaeus, illustrating God's redemptive initiative towards individuals outcast by society or those far from God.

Luke 19 10 Context

Luke 19:10 serves as Jesus' climactic declaration of His purpose immediately following the narrative of Zacchaeus's salvation. Jesus had entered Jericho, encountered the wealthy chief tax collector Zacchaeus, and controversially chose to stay at his house. Zacchaeus, convicted by this encounter, repented, promised restitution, and committed to generosity. The Jewish society of that time despised tax collectors as traitors and extortionists. Jesus' actions defied societal norms, challenging the rigid categorizations of "righteous" and "sinner." This verse underscores that His mission was not for those already considered 'in' by religious standards but specifically for those labeled 'lost,' emphasizing divine grace over human merit and a direct counter to the prevailing legalistic and exclusionary religious attitudes of the Pharisees and Sadducees who viewed tax collectors as irredeemable.

Luke 19 10 Word analysis

• For (γὰρ - gar): A connective particle providing the reason or theological justification for Jesus's acceptance of Zacchaeus, linking the specific event to His broader mission.

• the Son of Man (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου - ho huios tou anthrōpou): A profound self-designation of Jesus. It highlights His full humanity and His authoritative, divine identity as revealed in Dan 7:13-14, underscoring His unique qualification to carry out this redemptive work.

• came (ἦλθεν - ēlthen): A verb in the aorist tense, emphasizing a decisive, historical event. It denotes purposeful incarnation and a definitive act of divine initiative in His physical arrival and mission on Earth.

• to seek (ζητῆσαι - zētēsai): An infinitive indicating the active purpose of His coming. It portrays God as the proactive pursuer, reaching out to fallen humanity rather than waiting for humanity to initiate the search (cf. Lk 15 parables).

• and to save (καὶ σῶσαι - kai sōsai): Another infinitive of purpose, directly linked to 'seek'. "Save" signifies comprehensive deliverance from sin, death, and God's righteous judgment, leading to eternal life, wholeness, and reconciliation with God.

• that which was lost (τὸ ἀπολωλός - to apolōlos): A perfect active participle (neuter singular), literally "the one having been lost." It denotes the state of humanity estranged from God due to sin, implying spiritual separation, moral wandering, and being in a state of peril or ruin. It universalizes the spiritual condition that Jesus addresses.

• "For the Son of Man came": This phrase asserts the divine intentionality behind Jesus' incarnation. He did not come accidentally but with a specific, predetermined mission established by God from eternity.

• "to seek and to save": This powerful couplet articulates the active, twofold nature of Jesus's redemptive mission. Seeking emphasizes God's proactive pursuit, while saving underscores His effective deliverance and restoration of those found.

• "that which was lost": This phrase broadly describes the human condition apart from God. It resonates with Old Testament themes of God searching for His straying people and identifies fallen humanity as the object of divine compassion and rescue, challenging the common belief that only the 'deserving' could be found.

Luke 19 10 Bonus section

The term "Son of Man" here bridges Jesus' earthly ministry with His ultimate divine authority and future glory, echoing prophecies from Daniel (Dan 7:13-14) where this figure receives everlasting dominion. It reinforces that His salvific mission has cosmic and eternal implications. The preceding parables in Luke 15 (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) beautifully illustrate the themes of God's proactive search and joyous restoration that are encapsulated in Luke 19:10. This verse, therefore, acts as a meta-narrative for Jesus' entire ministry, demonstrating that even those considered utterly unworthy by human standards are precisely the ones Jesus came to save. It implies that true repentance, like Zacchaeus's, is the fruit of God's active pursuit and enabling grace.

Luke 19 10 Commentary

Luke 19:10 serves as a pivotal theological summary of Jesus's ministry. Following the transformative encounter with Zacchaeus, this verse articulates that Jesus' primary purpose for entering human history was a redemptive one: to seek out and bring salvation to all those alienated from God due to sin. This was a direct challenge to the exclusive religious systems of the day that focused on ritual purity and self-righteousness, often overlooking or condemning "sinners." Jesus reveals a compassionate, proactive God who initiates reconciliation. It signifies that no one is beyond God's reach, no one is too "lost" to be found and restored by Him. The mission of Jesus is characterized by divine pursuit and effective deliverance, offering eternal life and reconciliation to everyone who recognizes their spiritual need. This statement underscores the heart of the Gospel – God’s relentless pursuit of fallen humanity.