5 Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus

luke 19:1-10Kids will understand:ThestoryofhowZacchaeusmetJesus.ThatwhenZacchaeusmetJesus,hehadachangeofheart.

ThatJesuscancauseachangeofheartinanyone.

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2014May 4

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Object leSSOn

The children will stand and form a circle, facing out. Choose one child to sit in the middle of the circle, while all the other children standing move as close together as they can. Play an I Spy game with objects that are around the classroom area. The children will guess what object you are describing, but only give one small clue at a time. For example, say I spy something soft. If no child guesses what you are thinking of, give another clue until the object is guessed. The child inside the circle plays the game, also, but must stay seated and in the center of the circle. Switch out the child in the center after each game. After playing several games, ask the children who were in the center of the circle how it felt to play I Spy from a seated position with other kids all around them. Discuss why it wasnt fair.

Our story today is about a man who knew just how it felt to be the shortest person in a crowd, and just how difficult it was to see the object he wanted to see JESUS! Something this man learned about, though, was that Jesus could always see him! Lets find out more about Jesus and Zacchaeus.

bIble AccOunt

Set a tall stepladder in the corner of the lesson area. The children are already standing from the I Spy game. Drop to your knees and start elbowing and pushing your way through the children. (shout angrily) Excuse me! Excuse me! What is all the commotion? Jesus is coming to Jericho? Well, out of my way sir! Dont you people know who I am? How dare you stand in the way of the great Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector! (wave money around) I am a very rich man! (Look right at one child.) Yes, I took your money! (Look right at another child.) Yes, I took more money from you than I should have! But I am very important and I cant see a thing around here! (sulk and grumble to self) Oh I wish I was taller. Then I could see Jesus coming. I heard He was coming through Jericho and little ol me cant even see Him. Im richer than all these men and I cant even see over their shoulders bummer! (Glance at the ladder.) Ah-ha! I know what Ill do. Ill climb this sycamore tree to see Jesus! (Climb the ladder and start pointing and waving your arms.) There He is! Jesus! Jesus! Over here! (look down) Yes, Jesus? You want me to come down? You want to go to my house today? (Climb down very excitedly. Walk through the crowd of children speaking to some of them.) You are right, I am a sinner. I understand why youre angry that Jesus is coming to my house, because I havent been a very good man. But Jesus has changed my heart. (Hand out the pretend money to kids.) From now on, Jesus, I will give half of all my money to the poor. And if I have cheated any of you out of your money, I will repay you 4 times the amount.(Pause and kneel down worshipping in front of an imaginary Jesus.)Really Jesus? You forgive me and you came to save me and others who are lost? You saved me!

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ActIvIty

Download this YouTube blacklight story of Zacchaeus: Blacklight Story, Zacchaeus Climbs a Tree www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4GwUiDXpuI.

When you preview it, you may find that you want to forward to about 1:45 to start. Thats where the actual story of Zacchaeus begins in the video. The preliminary part is an introduction to what blacklight stories are and the people who put them together.

GAme

Youve probably played musical chairs before. This time it will have a little twist to fit with our Bible story. Set up chairs in a circle facing out. The number of chairs will be one less than the number of children playing. The children will walk around the outside of the chairs while the Zacchaeus song is playing. (Go Fish has a great arrangement of Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man on their Snazzy CD. You could also just have a leader sing it and pause.) When the song stops, all but one of the children will possess a chair. However, instead of sitting, have the children stand on the chairs. This leaves the one child without a chair much shorter than the other children, just like Zacchaeus was! (For safety purposes, tell the children to possess their chairs sitting, and then go to standing positions. And, make sure youre using non-folding chairs.) Remove one chair each time a child gets out. Address the child who didnt get a chair as Zacchaeus and ask him/her one of the following questions (in this order).

QuestionsandAnswers

WhatcitywereyouinwhenJesuscametotown? (Jericho)

Whatwasyourjob? (tax collector)

Wereyouwellliked?Whyorwhynot? (not well liked, because tax collectors took extra money)

Whydidyoustruggleinthecrowd? (because Im short)

Howdidyousolveyourproblem? (climbed a tree)

Whatkindoftreedidyouclimbupin? (sycamore)

WhatdidJesussaytoyouwhenyouwereupinthetree? (to come down because He wanted to go to my house for dinner)

WhywasthecrowdangrythatJesuswasgoingtoyourhouse? (They knew what a rotten person I was.)

Whattwopromisesdidyoumakeregardingyourmoney? (give half of what I make to the poor, and anyone I cheated I would pay back 4 times the money I took)

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WhatgloriousthingdidJesusdoforyou? (forgave me)

Howcouldotherpeopletellyouhadachangedheart? (by the way I acted)

ActIvIty

Think about Zacchaeus and the problem he had in the beginning of the Bible story. What animal did Zacchaeus probably wish he was when Jesus came through Jericho? The answers and reasons may vary and be silly. Allow the kids the opportunity to make a few guesses and maybe even debate their thoughts. I bet Zacchaeus wished he was a giraffe. Then, he would not have needed that sycamore tree to see Jesus. Does anyone want to guess how tall the average male giraffe is? The average male giraffe is 19 feet tall and nearly 3,000 pounds! Lets measure some of you and then compare you to this amazing creature that God made.

The children will line up against the wall. Place a piece of painters tape on the wall to measure their heights. Then, get the tape measurer out to measure 19 feet tall. You will need to go all the way up to the ceiling, then along the ceiling, and put a piece of tape at 19 feet. Make a big deal of the fact that the ceiling isnt tall enough and you have to go sideways on the wall. Good thing you already have a stepladder in the room!

God created this unique animal with such a long neck so it can reach the leaves from tall trees. Here are some other giraffe facts you can share with the children.

Giraffes have small horns or knobs on the tops of their heads to help defend them.

Giraffes typically eat leaves from acacia trees.Giraffes live to be around 25 years old in the wild.Giraffes live in Africa. If needed, giraffes can go days without any water, staying

hydrated by the moisture from leaves.Giraffes travel in large herds.God thought of everything when he created this tall animal!

If youd like to watch a video about giraffes, we recommend this YouTube download: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5JVxtR89Gs.

meSSAGe

(show slide #2) SinnerwithoutJesusuhoh!

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At the start of our Bible story, Zacchaeus was in big trouble. Zacchaeus job was a tax collector. He collected money from people, and often he took more than he was supposed to. Tax collectors were known for doing that. That is cheating, and that is a sin! And because of his behavior, people didnt like him very much.

Have you ever cheated on anything? How did it make you feel?Have you ever had other people mad at you because of your

awful behavior?Have you ever been upset with someone because they cheated

you? Or they didnt play by fair rules?

(show slide #3) ZacchaeuswantedtoseewhoJesuswas!

Luke 19:3 tells us that Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he couldnt, because the crowd was in the way. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus. Zacchaeus could have given up when his situation got difficult, but he didnt. He worked hard to get a chance to see Jesus, and Jesus knew that. Even though the other people in Jericho only knew Zacchaeus as a mean, cheating robber of their money, Jesus knew Zacchaeus heart was really looking for Jesus! Zacchaeus was excited to get a glimpse of Jesus, and Jesus blessed him for that.

Have you ever been excited to see Jesus? Maybe youve been excited to go to Sunday School, VBS, or church to learn more about Him? Jesus will bless you for having a heart that is excited to see Him! Look up and read Hebrews 11:6. What will people who seek Jesus receive?

(show slide #4) Jesusreachedthespot!

Jesus already knew Zacchaeus was up in that tree waiting to see Him. Luke 19:5 says that when Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and told Zacchaeus that He was going to his house today. Right there, right in that spot, right then was the day Zacchaeus met Jesus!

Do you remember when you met Jesus?What was your spot?

(show slide #5) Unforgivingpeoplenogood!

The people watched Jesus go to Zacchaeus house, and they were mad because Zacchaeus was a sinner. They wondered why Jesus would go to the home of such a bad person. Zacchaeus was lost, and Jesus came to save the lost. The people did not notice a change in Zacchaeus heart yet, but Jesus did! Jesus elevated, noticed, and lifted up Zacchaeus right there in front of the townspeople, because Jesus knew Zacchaeus was truly seeking Him!

Have you ever been angry because somebody you know to be a sinner was blessed?

How would you have reacted to Jesus going to Zacchaeus house instead of your own? When one person turns to Jesus,

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no matter how bad that person has been, you need to be super happy for that person!

Look up and read Luke 15:7. What happens when one sinner repents?

(show slide #6) PraisetheLordachangedheart!

How can you tell Zacchaeus heart was changed? Wow! Zacchaeus tells Jesus that he is going to give half his money to the poor and repay the people he cheated 4 times the amount of money that he took from them! Now thats a changed heart! The most important thing to Zacchaeus was his money, and now it means nothing to him because now the most important thing to him is Jesus!

How have you changed since meeting Jesus?Are there things that you still focus on too much that you

would like to change? Tell Jesus about them, and ask Him to help you change.

(show slide #7) JesusblessedZacchaeus!

Luke 19:9 tells us that on that day, salvation came to Zacchaeus house. Jesus changed Zacchaeus heart and life! To the townspeople, Zacchaeus was a small man, but to Jesus, Zacchaeus was a great man! Jesus elevated Zacchaeus, forgave his sins, gave him the free gift of salvation, and saved him! Jesus has offered this same blessing to you!

crAft

Zacchaeus had a changed heart. The children will make an object lesson that will help them tell the story of Zacchaeus. This craft/object lesson will give them a way to compare Zacchaeus to a caterpillar that changes into a butterfly.

The children will glue wiggle eyes on top of one flat side of a clothespin. Next, they will use the markers to color the coffee filter. Then, guide them through these steps.

Hold up the clothespin to the brown sack. The clothespin represents a caterpillar. When we first met Zacchaeus today, he was selfish and unkind.

Stick the clothespin in the little brown sack. The caterpillar builds a cocoon around itself. No one wanted to be around Zacchaeus. Even when he was in a crowd, he was all by himself.

Down inside the sack, pinch the coffee filter in the middle so that the two butterfly wings are formed. Clip the clothespin where the coffee filter is gathered. Pull out the butterfly youve made! A miracle happens inside the cocoon and a new creature comes out. It was a caterpillar and now its a beautiful butterfly! When Zacchaeus realized his sin and asked Jesus to forgive him, his heart was changed. He was changed

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so drastically that he was like a brand new mantotally new and different. How can we tell Zacchaeus was so different? The Bible tells us that he gave half of his money to the poor. He would not have done that in his old self. How have you seen people change when they become a Jesus follower?

Look up and read 2 Corinthians 5:17: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Just like an old caterpillar emerges as a new butterfly, the old Zacchaeus emerged as a new creation!

Give the kids a chance to practice going through the steps and telling someone else how each of the 3 parts reminds them of what happened to Zacchaeus. They will enjoy putting their hand down in the bag and pulling out their butterfly.

GAme

The more Toss Across games you can gather, the more kids who will get to participate at a time. Cut out 9 red paper hearts for each Toss Across game and tape each of them to one of the sides of the pieces that flip over. Divide the kids into groupsone group for each game. The games should be where each group can play and interact with only their group members. Breaking the kids up into smaller groups gives more kids an opportunity to play and contribute. Determine a stand-behind line where players will stand and toss a beanbag at the game.

Each time a player tosses a beanbag and successfully turns over one of the pieces so that a heart is exposed, they will say, A changed heart! Then, that player will share with their group an example of what a person was like before they met Jesus, and how their actions or attitudes changed after they met Jesus. Example: Zacchaeus was a cheater before he met Jesus. After his heart changed, Zacchaeus repaid the people he had cheated. Example: Jordan used ugly language whenever he got angry before he met Jesus. After his heart changed, Jordan didnt want to use bad language.

PuPPetS/SkIt

#1: LookatJohnnyoverthere.Eversincehepulledhisbabysister fromthedeependoftheswimmingpoolhesbeenactinglike hesfamousorsomething!

#2: Well,hedidsaveherlife!Itwasaprettybigdeal.


#1: Isuppose,buthispicturehasbeeninthenewspaper.TheTV newsguyseveninterviewedhim.Thepoolmanagerrewarded himwith freesnacksforthesummerallthenachosand gummywormshecaneat!Boy,Ievensawonelittlekidaskfor hisautograph.Thatissounfair!

#2: Whatdoyoumeanitsunfair?

#1: Well,Ivehelpedmylittlebrothercrossthestreetsafelybefore andnobodyevengavemeapatonthebackforthat.Justlast nightIhelpedmyneighborfinishhisyardwork,andIdidnt evengetathankyou!

#2: Wearentsupposedtobenicejustsowegetsomethingback inreturn.

#1: Iknowthat,butitwouldbeniceifsomebodywouldnoticeme onceinawhile.SometimesitslikeIminvisibleorsomething.

#2: Somebodydoesnoticeyoueverytimeyoudoagooddeed. Jesusnotices!

#1: Hedoes?

#2: Well,ofcourse,Henoticesyou.Dontyourememberthatstory atchurchaboutZacchaeus?EventhoughZacchaeuswasshort andtookeveryonesmoney,Jesusstillnoticedhimandeven wenttohangoutwithhimathishouse!

#1: OhyeahIdorememberthat.

#2: Sometimeswhenyoudoagoodthing,peoplenotice,and sometimestheydont.ButJesusalwaysnoticesyouandJesus alwayslooksatyourheart.

#1. Myheart?Myheartisntwalkingmybrotheracrossthestreet myfeetare.

#2: No,silly!Whenyourewalkingyourbrotheracrossthestreet, Jesusisnoticingthekindnessandhelpfulnessinyourheart!

#1: Wow!Thatsreallycool!

#2: Hesthecoolest!Youmightnotgetblessingsfromthepeople aroundyou,buttheblessingsyoureceivefromJesusareWAY betterthananyrecognitionyoucouldgetfrompeople!Jesus patsonthebackarethebest!

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ScIence exPerIment

The children will look at some small, seemingly insignificant bugs under magnifying glasses. We recommend flies, mosquitos and ants. If you dont have real ones, then use a very small picture. Talk to the children about food chains. These bugs are important in our world because they feed other animals, which in turn, feed more animals. The bugs are tiny, but important JUST LIKE ZACCHAEUS! Zacchaeus was a small man, but very important to Jesus!

Flies feed frogs, frogs feed snakes, snakes feed large birds, large birds feed wolves, and wolves feed bears.

Ants feed spiders, spiders feed lizards, lizards feed birds, birds feed foxes, and foxes feed bears.

Mosquitos feed bats, bats feed cranes, cranes feed wolves, wolves feed mountain lions, and mountain lions feed bears.

These small bugs affect the lives of so many animals. I bet Zacchaeus affected the lives of many people after he became a follower of Jesus Christ. When he started giving money to the poor and started to repay extra money to the people of Jericho, people probably wondered why Zacchaeus was so different all of a sudden. He probably told his family, friends, co-workers and clients about Jesus and I bet some of them got excited to know Jesus, too! Matter of fact, Zacchaeus is still affecting the lives of people today with the story we have been studying from the book of Luke!

You will affect others as you follow Jesus. How have you affected someone else because of the change Jesus brought to your life? When have you shared Jesus with someone?

PrAyer

Give the children empty balloons that represent themselves. Talk to the children about inviting Jesus into their lives, how He fills them with His Holy Spirit and how He makes them new creations. The children will now put pinches of confetti inside their balloonsrepresenting the Holy Spirit being inside them. The kids will blow up their balloons. (This is a great opportunity for the kids to help one another.) Tie off the balloons. Give the kids permanent markers to draw their own faces on their balloons. The children will think about how God made them unique and special. Remind them that He elevates those who want to see Him, and that He always notices them! Our desire should always be to see Jesus. Hold the balloons up in the air and say together, I want to see Jesus!

Next, remind the children how Zacchaeus was a different person after meeting with Jesus and then Zacchaeus taught others about Jesus through the way he lived. The children will pray asking God to help them

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teach others about Jesus and spread the good news to those around them. Encourage the children to think about one certain person who God wants them to talk to about Jesus. The children will then pop their balloons and watch the good news spread!

bleSSInG

May you bless others, because your heart has been changed.

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ScrIPture memOrIZAtIOn

2Timothy3:16-17All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

Make copies onto red paper of the heart puzzle at the end of the lesson. The children will work in groups of 2 or 3 to cut the puzzle into pieces and then put the heart back together.

Zacchaeus had a change of heart after he met Jesus. Jesus accepted Zacchaeus and showed him how he could have a new lifea different life. God changes the hearts of people through His Word, also. Look at this passage closely and tell how God uses scripture.

tAke HOme remInder

Give each child a fresh copy of the scripture memorization heart puzzle to take home. Suggest that they put the pieces in a ziplock bag once its been cut apart, so they can work it over and over.

SnAck

When Jesus approached Zacchaeus, He didnt care that Zacchaeus was shorter than most people. Jesus was only concerned about the state of Zacchaeus heart.

Look up and read together 1 Samuel 16:7. This verse says that the LORD does not look at the things the way man looks at them. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. The people only saw Zacchaeus from the outside. They didnt bother to try to understand what was in his heart. Jesus didnt care that Zacchaeus was short and disliked and a cheat! Jesus saw the condition of Zacchaeus heart and knew it could be changed.

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The kids will look at the assortment of apples to compare the different colors, sizes and shapes. Do you get it? Jesus doesnt care if you are tall, short, blonde, brunette, light skin, or dark skin. Jesus cares about your heartwhat is on the inside of you! Jesus cares for everyone. Run an apple slicer through the apples and distribute pieces to the kids. Happy eating!

knOw yOur bIble

The Bible tells us that Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. Really, it was a specific kind of sycamore, called a sycamore-fig. This was an interesting tree. The kids (and you, too, for that matter) may think the tree looked like one of our broadleaf trees, like a maple, or even one of the sycamores of our continent. But, this sycamore was actually an evergreen tree.

It grew to be 40-50 feet tall, which is about the height of a 4-story building. The trunk was a whopping 6-7 feet in diameter. You couldnt wrap your arms around this one! More often than not, the sycamore-fig did not have a straight up and down trunk. In fact, it was so slanted from the ground that many times you could literally walk up the trunk to climb it.

The limbs hung very low and extended out from the trunk not very far off the ground. You can see why a very short person would be able to climb this tree. No way would Zacchaeus have been able to climb a palm tree, which was another common tree in that region.

The unusual bark on the sycamore-fig makes for a somewhat funny mental picture. It was slick! Cant you just see Zacchaeus trying to hold onto the slick branches and struggling to hold still? He may have even slid down the angled trunk like a sliding board when Jesus told him to come down!

The leaves of this tree are believe it or not heart-shaped! Sitting right there in the middle of thousands of heart-shaped leaves, Zacchaeus meets his Savior and has his own heart changed. The sycamore-fig also produces a fruit that is much like the fig that we see in our grocery stores.

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AllscriptureisinspiredbyGodandisusefultoteachuswhatistrueandtomakeusrealizewhatiswronginourlives.Itcorrectsuswhenwearewrongand

teachesustodowhatisright.GodusesittoprepareandequipHispeopletodoeverygood

work.2Timothy3:16-17

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5 Zacchaeus