THE EASTER STORY IN THREE PARTS • PART 1 OF 3
Jesus Came for the Lost
Introduction
Easter is bigger than the empty tomb. It starts with a question that gets to the heart of everything: Why did Jesus come? The answer is right here, in one of the shortest and most important verses in the Bible.
Bible Verse
Luke 19:10 — “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Bigger Story: If you are interested in reading the entire passage, read Luke 19:1-10 for the entire story of Jesus calling Zacchaeus.
Family Devotional
Zacchaeus wasn’t popular. He was a tax collector who cheated his neighbors, and nobody wanted him around. But the day Jesus walked through Jericho, He stopped, looked up into a tree, and called Zacchaeus by name. He didn’t just notice him; he went to his house.
That moment tells us everything about why Jesus came. He didn’t come for people who already had it together. He came to seek — an active word, like a search and rescue mission — the lost. And Zacchaeus was exactly that kind of person.
The cross wasn’t an accident. The resurrection wasn’t a surprise. They were always the plan. God saw that we were lost, and instead of waiting for us to find our way back, He sent His Son to come and get us. That’s what Easter is really about.
Discussion Questions
Have you ever been lost somewhere? How did it feel?
Jesus said He came to “seek and to save” the lost. What do those two words tell us about what He did?
Why do you think Jesus stopped for Zacchaeus when everyone else ignored him?
What does it mean for your family that Jesus came seeking?
This Week As A Family
Memory Verse: Write Luke 19:10 on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day. See who can say it from memory by Easter Sunday.
Pray Together: Jesus, thank You for coming to seek us when we were lost. Help us understand what that really means this Easter. Amen.
Activity: Play a quick game of hide-and-seek. When the seeker finds someone, pause and ask: How is this like what Jesus did for us?
Next week: Jesus Died in Our Place • Romans 5:8
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Discipleship Resources
10 Bible Verses That Tell the Easter Story
The Trailhead: Devotions For Disciple-Making Parents, March 2026
Jesus is King – A Parent-Driven Discussion
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