The adolescents in your life are asking big questions around meaning, truth, and belonging. “What’s my purpose?” “How is life supposed to work?” “Do I fit in?” “Do you like me?” “Do I like you?” They might not even always know it, but they’re asking!
Yet, it can seem to young people in Gen Z and Gen Alpha (everyone born after 1997) like they’re traveling a lonely road without the answers. These young friends are looking for life. But do they realize the Life is actually looking for them? Jesus said he’s the life everyone is searching for. The real kicker, though, is that he’s been searching for us a lot longer! In the story of Zacchaeus (from Luke 19), we see five practical ways to make an introduction between an adolescent and Jesus …
LOST IN LIFE
Remember the last time you were lost? How did you feel? Disoriented, fearful, confused, uncertain, out of place, possibly even in danger?
Now imagine these feelings in the life of an adolescent. Kids have always been searching for connection, meaning, and purpose. Sadly, we know firsthand far too many who’ve looked for these in the wrong places. The end result? They’re even more lost than they were before.
In Young Life, we’ve been working to make introductions between adolescents and Jesus since 1941. Our secret? There’s a guide already out there — in the life of Jesus himself …
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
In Luke 19 Jesus encounters Zacchaeus, a short man who is also short on friends due to his profession as a tax collector. Working for the despised Romans, he charges extra money from his fellow Jews to line his personal pockets.
Yet, Zacchaeus has heard of Jesus and wants to get a look at him, so he climbs a tree (literally goes out on a limb!) to see him. Here’s what happens next:
“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”
Engaging!
How does Jesus respond to the one the townspeople call “a sinner”? He …
- Stops and initiates the encounter. He doesn’t make Zacchaeus run after him.
- Looks up. No one ever looks up (in any sense of the word!) to Zacchaeus, only down.
- Calls him by name. Jesus knows about the man’s reputation, but is warm anyway!
- Invites himself to Zacchaeus’s home. He offers a sign of friendship.
- Says he must stay at his house today. Jesus implies that this encounter has God’s fingerprints on it.
Up until now Zacchaeus believed he’d been chasing Jesus; really, it’s the Savior who’s been the pursuer all along.
The lonely tax collector has never felt such joy, and as a result, acknowledges Jesus as Lord. He vows to make things right with those he’s cheated. He’s been found.It’s the very reason, Jesus explains, that he came. The account closes with Jesus proclaiming, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
NOW IT’S OUR TURN
Let’s take our cues from Jesus. This is what we do in Young Life, but it works just as well wherever God has you:
- Initiate with kids. We don’t make them come to us — we go where they are. On their turf. On their terms. After all, it’s where we’re going to find them! We believe they’re worth it, so we seek them out in their element, where they’re comfortable.
Who’s near you that you could initiate with today? - See young people. Kids are longing to be seen, to be known. Having a caring adult take a genuine interest is not the norm, and that’s why it’s so satisfying when they do have someone older they can trust. Bonus: just as Jesus looked up to Zacchaeus, we can look up to what kids can do!
Who can you see today — and look up to, rather than down at? Maybe this means asking a young person to teach you something or explain something to you! - Call young people by name. If you’re old enough, you might remember the TV show Cheers — “You want to go where everybody knows your name.” Every kid is unique — their name is just one part of that. Learning their name shows them you recognize them as an individual, one who isn’t like any other person on the planet.
Are there kids in your church or that you see regularly where you could make it a point to ask their name and remember it the next time you see them? - Build friendships. This takes time. It takes patience. It takes consistency. But we want to earn their trust. In Young Life, we’re not looking at this as a short-term venture. We want to walk alongside these young men and women for as long as that serves them — for life if possible.
Is there a young person near you who might be looking for consistency? Think about where you see young people — maybe as close as your family or someone regularly taking your coffee order! - Share Jesus with them. If we’re all about friendships, then it’s only natural that we’ll share the most important person in our lives with them. We know how Jesus has changed our lives and we truly want that for everyone. What kind of friend would we be if we weren’t making that introduction?
Sharing Jesus can be as little as praying before a meal or as big as asking a young person what they think about God (because they might ask you the same)!
We can say without reservation that Jesus is the hope of every human being, which of course includes Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And it’s our privilege to walk alongside the next generation as they seek the one who is already seeking them.
Want to learn more about reaching Gen Z? Check out Three Messages Gen Z needs to hear
