Luke 19:5

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Said unto him, Zacchaeus ... "The Lord's perfect knowledge is clearly shown in this case. He knew not only the name of the man in the sycamore tree, but the state of his heart."[8] We are unable to find any grounds of accommodation with those who question whether or not the omniscience of Jesus is in view here, asking, "Did someone identify the rich tax collector in his unusual perch for Jesus?" nor with the conclusion that "In the synoptics, there is none of the emphasis in John on Jesus' remarkable intuitive knowledge of men."[9] On the contrary, there is such an emphasis here. Furthermore, the synoptics repeatedly stress it:

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)

And knowing their thoughts, he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself, etc. (Matthew 12:25).

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me? (Matthew 22:18).

Behold, I tell you beforehand (Matthew 24:25).

And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? (Mark 2:8).

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd ... to see her (he already knew it was a woman, that she had been healed, that she was a woman of faith, and that he would save her soul) (Mark 5:30).

But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? (Luke 5:22).

But he knew their thoughts (Luke 6:8).

But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, etc. (Luke 9:47).

Furthermore, the incident before us, as well as that in Luke 22:10, makes it absolutely certain that the Gospel authors intended that we should understand that Jesus was omniscient. Of Jesus' knowing Zacchaeus, Henry said, "Commentators in general rightly refer our Lord's knowledge of the name and circumstances of Zacchaeus to his divine omniscience."[10]

[8] J. C. Ryle, op. cit., p. 295.

[9] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 222.

[10] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1960), Matthew-Acts p. 294.