March 1: Zacchaeus

March 1: Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

I have a {worksheet} that I use to start the lesson off. Students find ten differences between the two pictures of Jesus talking to Zacchaeus. After they're giving a few minutes to search, I ask them what the picture is about.

Jesus liked to travel to different places to talk to others about Him. One place He went was Jericho.

Now people in Jericho at the time hated to pay taxes. It wasn't because they didn't have any money to pay. It wasn't because they didn't support the government. They hated to pay taxes because of one man: the Tax Collector. His job was to collect the money to give to the government, but he was dishonest. He would tell the people in Jericho that they owed more money than they really did, and they would have to pay or go to jail. The people would pay Zacchaeus the money, and he would keep the extra profit for himself. People knew that he did this, but they couldn't stop him. If they didn't pay what he said, they would go to jail!

When Jesus was passing through Jericho, it was very crowded. Many people wanted to see Jesus, so they pushed and shoved in front of one another to be first. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, too. He was too short to look over the people, and people wouldn't let him through since he was mean to them, so he decided to climb a tree and look down at Jesus as he walked by.

When Jesus came closer, Zacchaeus was excited! He was even more surprised, though, when Jesus stopped and started talking to him.

"Zacchaeus," Jesus said. "I will go to your house to eat this evening."

Zacchaeus didn't know what to say. He was shocked. "Okay," he finally replied.

The people who saw this couldn't believe it. Jesus was going to Zacchaeus' house. He was a sinner. Why would Jesus want to go there? Jesus told them that He came to save the lost, and Zacchaeus' heart was lost.

After Jesus and Zacchaeus talked, Zacchaeus understood that it was wrong for him to cheat people out of their tax money. He was ready to stop sinning and start following Jesus. He told Jesus, "I will give half of my possessions to the poor, and I will pay everyone back four times the amount I cheated from them."

Jesus was happy that Zacchaeus changed. The people were, too. They watched as he started to live his life for God. Jesus told them, "Today salvation has come into this house."