Being drawn to Jesus is a new concept to some. What drew you to Jesus? What was going on in your life at the time when Jesus drew you to faith? Perhaps Jesus is drawing you to faith as you read this.
John 6:44For no one can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. [1] To “draw” in the original language means to attract powerfully, to drag, or to pull.[2] It is clear from this verse and the definition of the word “draw” that the Lord’s work is to draw us to Himself.
This same word is used in John 21:6 where the disciples were trying to haul the net full of fish into the boat. It is obvious the net can’t drag itself into the boat because that required fisherman. It took effort by Jesus for you to be dragged into the boat of salvation.
Why Does God Need to Draw Us to Salvation?
If God Himself does not draw us we would not come. An unsaved person’s heart is so dark that they don’t even realize they need Jesus. It is the mercy of God that draws us to Him.
God was at work on Zacchaeus’ heart which drew him to Jesus. As the Lord drew Zacchaeus to Himself something began to happen that began to manifest itself in the physical. What was that? There was a barrier. Zacchaeus was a short man and as Jesus approached, he was too short to see Jesus.
It is not unusual for the enemy to use any kind of barrier available to prevent people from coming to Jesus in hope they would give up. Fortunately, the Lord helps us overcome barriers so we can come to Him. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to see Jesus. It may not seem like a large barrier to us, but it may have been to him. What barriers is the enemy trying to use in your life to prevent you from coming into a deeper relationship with Him?
Something Happens When We are Drawn to Jesus
When the Lord begins to draw us to Himself it affects our priorities. Would Zacchaeus have taken time out of his busy schedule to look for Jesus if he had not been drawn to Him? The same thing I believe is true in our own life.
In our story, Jesus was fishing for Zacchaeus and drawing him fish in a net. In this case it is the net of salvation. Think how excited Zacchaeus was to see Jesus coming down the street. The Lord loves to give gifts to His children, and He was about to give Zacchaeus the most significant gift of his life. A gift that someday would propel him into eternity with Jesus.
2 Corinthians 6:2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. [3]
To hear how you are being drawn to Jesus, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/seeking-the-lord-changes-my-life-zacchaeus
[1,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.