Luke 19:1-10 | Jesus and Zacchaeus

LUKE 19:1- 10 | JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS

LUKE 19:1-10 | JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS

Main Point: Jesus changed Zacchaeus forever. Key Passage: John 14:6 Big Picture Question: Who did Jesus say He is? Jesus said He is the Messiah. Christ Connection: Jesus came to look for and rescue people who sin. He came to rescue people like you and me. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. He is happy when we are sorry for our sin, and He wants us to trust in Him.

Twos and Threes • Tell the story: Tell the Bible story below or use the Preschool video found on our YouTube channel. Work through these ‘gospel gems’ with your kids.

Jesus and His friends traveled through Jericho. A man named Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. He was rich because he took money from people. People did not like Zacchaeus! Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but so many people were around Jesus that Zacchaeus could not see over them! He climbed into a sycamore tree to see Jesus. When Jesus got to the tree, He stopped. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I am going to stay at your house.” People were mad that Jesus went to Zacchaeus’s house, but Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus said, “Lord, I will give half of my things to the poor. I will pay back people more than what I stole.” Jesus said, “I have come to rescue people who do not know God.”

1. People did not love Zacchaeus, but Jesus did. 2. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. 3. Jesus came to rescue us.

• Serve a Meal: Provide toy dishes and toy food for your toddler to play out a meal. Mention that Jesus ate at Zacchaeus’s house.

• Color Story Picture: Invite your toddler to color the weekly story picture. Review back over the Toddler Gospel Gems. Say: Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah!

• Pray together: Take time to thank God for sending Jesus. Thank God for what you learned today!

1 LUKE 19:1- 10 | JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS

Pre-K and Kindergarten • Tell the story: Walk through the attached Bible lesson with your kids. Do a quick review to help them remember and talk about what just happened in the story. Ask them these review questions and help them to make connections to their own lives.

• Ask some questions: Take some time to work through some questions about the passage and how it applies to their own lives. 1. What was Zacchaeus’ job? (tax collector) 2. Why did the people not like tax collectors? (many of them were dishonest) 3. What did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus? (he climbed into a sycamore tree) 4. Where did Jesus tell Zacchaeus He wanted to go with him? (Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house with him) 5. What did Zacchaeus tell Jesus he would do? (give half of what he had to the poor, pay back money he took)

• Take a Nature Walk: Take a walk outdoors and observe the trees. Use a mobile device to show your kids what a sycamore tree looks like and challenge them to find one. Discuss what it would be like to climb a tree to see Jesus.

• Key Passage Reading: Open your Bible to John 14:6. Read the key passage aloud several times. Encourage your kids to say it with you. Say: Jesus said He is the truth. Jesus made God’s true words happen. God kept His promise to send a Savior when He sent His very own Son, Jesus.

• Pray together: Take time to thank God for His presence in our lives, for being faithful to keep His promises, and for sending Jesus. Ask God to make Himself know to us and help us worship and serve Him faithfully.

2 LUKE 19:1- 10 | JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS

Elementary (1st-5th Grade) • Tell the story: Read through the attached Bible story together. Open your Bible and also read Luke 19:1-10 together as family.

• Ask some questions: review the story and to see how the gospel fits into it. Briefly re-tell what happened in the story. 1. What was Zacchaeus’ job? (tax collector) 2. Why did the people not like tax collectors? (Many of them were dishonest) 3. What did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus? (He climbed into a sycamore tree) 4. Where did Jesus tell Zacchaeus He wanted to go with him? (Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house with him) 5. What did Zacchaeus tell Jesus he would do? (give half of what he had to the poor, and pay back money he took) 6. Did Zacchaeus giving away his money cause Jesus to grant him salvation? (No! Jesus’ offer of grace came first and changed Zacchaeus from the inside out)

• Why is Jesus better? Ask your kids to think about what we learned in today’s lesson. What are some ways that this story shows us that Jesus is better than anything else? Share answers as a family. Possible answer: Jesus gives us generous hearts.

• Key Passage Review: Read John 14:6 together. Have your kids write each word of the verse on separate sheets of paper. Tape the papers in random order onto the floor, close enough for successive words to be reached in a step. Kids should step on one word at a time in the proper order to complete the key passage.

• Pray Together: Take time to thank God for His presence in our lives, for being faithful to keep His promises, and for sending Jesus. Ask God to make Himself know to us and help us worship and serve Him faithfully.

3 The BIBLE STORY Note: For younger children you can focus on the bolded parts. Jesus and Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus was traveling, and He came to a town called Jericho. A man named Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. Zacchaeus was rich. He was a chief tax collector, so he was in charge of collecting money from the people in Jericho to give to the Roman government. The people in Jericho did not like tax collectors because many of them were dishonest. When Jesus was in Jericho, a large crowd of people came to see Him. Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus, and he wanted to see Him too! But Zacchaeus was too short to see over the other people. So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed into a sycamore tree. When Jesus walked by, He looked into the tree and saw Zacchaeus. “Come down, Zacchaeus,” Jesus said. “I want to stay with you today.” Zacchaeus was happy! He hurried down from the tree and welcomed Jesus into his house. But other people were not happy. They complained and said, “Zacchaeus is a sinner, and Jesus is going to stay at his house!” Later that day, Zacchaeus told Jesus that he wanted to do the right thing. “I will give half of everything I have to the poor,” Zacchaeus said. “And if I took anything from someone that I should not have taken, I will pay him back even more than I took.” Jesus told Zacchaeus, “Today, you have been saved. You have shown that you are one of God’s people.” Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save the lost.” Jesus had come to earth to find people like Zacchaeus—people who did not know God—and to rescue them from their sin.

Christ Connection: Jesus came to look for and rescue people who sin. He came to rescue people like you and me. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. He is happy when we are sorry for our sin, and He wants us to trust in Him.

Jesus is better than anything else because He loves all kinds of people.

Bible Storytelling Tips

Act it out: Encourage boys and girls to act out various scenes of the story as you tell it. Shield eyes and look around. Jump up and down, trying to see over something obstructing the view. Pretend to climb a tree. Shield eyes as Zacchaeus sees Jesus. Climb down the tree at Jesus’ request. Walk, walk, walk with Jesus to Zacchaeus’s house. Sit and visit with Jesus. Go outside: Invite a guest to dress in Bible times clothes, go outside, and climb up into a tree. Take preschoolers outside and discover the guest. The guest storyteller could tell story from the tree or climb down and address the group as Zacchaeus.