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Excerpts from the lesson: 'Zacchaeus could hardly believe his ears. Jesus knew his name! He not only knew his name, but he spoke his name the way it was intended to sound. Jesus spoke to him like he was important, like he was pure and innocent and righteous. Jesus saw Zacchaeus the way he was supposed to be. Jesus knew Zacchaeus before he every met him.
He knew what Zacchaeus needed, and he knows your name and what you need. He cares about you. The Bible says that God knew you before you were ever born. He loves you and made you special. He has a plan for your life. He wants to come live with you. He is calling your name.
All you have to do is invite him in. It says in John 14:23, 'Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.' (A complete lesson about Zacchaeus is available to members of Danielle's Place on The Resource Room. Member's ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. Zacchaeus In a Tree Bible Craft for Children's Ministry What you will need: Paper Green Construction Paper Glue Kid's Scissors What to do: 1.
Before class print out the Zacchaeus pattern and cut leaf shapes from green construction paper. Member's Instant Download Pattern $2.00 - 2. In class have your children draw a tree or help your children trace their hands and arms on a piece of paper to make a tree shape. Have them color the 'tree' and then glue on construction paper leaves. Make grass by cutting slits in strips of green paper and glue them to the bottom of the page. To finish have your children color the picture of Zacchaeus and glue him in the tree. Zacchaeus 'Find Your Friend' Bible Game for Sunday School Write each child's name on a half piece of card stock.
Write them in front of the class so that everyone can see you write them. Say each letter out loud as you write them. When you have written each name mix up the cards and hand one out to each child. Download manual programming tyt th-9000 free. Tell the children that they need to find the friend whose name is on the card and give them their card.
When a child has found his friend and has been given his card he should sit down. Tell the children that you will be timing them so they need to hurry. Do it a second time to see if they can beat their time. (A complete lesson about Zacchaeus is available to members of Danielle's Place on The Resource Room. Member's ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. Play 'Remember My Name' Bible Game for Sunday School Have the children sit in a circle.
Pick a child to start. He says his name and something interesting about himself. The child to his right repeats what the first child said and then adds his name. The child to his right repeats what the first two children said and then adds his name and something interesting about himself. Keep going until all the children have had a turn. For example, the first child may say, 'My name is Marty and I like to play softball.' The child to his right will then say, 'Marty likes to play softball.
My name is Steve and I have a dog named Spot.' The next child would say, 'Marty likes to play softball. Steve has a dog named Spot. Have the children sit in a circle. Pick a child to start. He says his name and something interesting about himself. The child to his right repeats what the first child said and then adds his name.
The child to his right repeats what the first two children said and then adds his name and something interesting about himself. Keep going until all the children have had a turn. For example, Marty may say, 'My name is Marty and I like to play softball.' The child to his right will then say, 'Marty likes to play softball. My name is Steve and I have a dog named Spot.' The next child would say, 'Marty likes to play softball.
Steve has a dog named Spot. And my name is Rudy and I have a brand new bike.' My name is Rudy and I have a brand new bike.'
(A Complete Lesson about Zacchaeus is available to members of Danielle's Place on The Resource Room. Member's ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. Free The patterns for this game are also available on the Zacchaeus 3.
Color the Zacchaeus picture and tape it to the bulletin board. Cover the picture with a leaf.
Tape the rest of the leaves on the tree. Write one word of the Bible verse on separate pieces of sticky notepaper and hide them under the leaves. Tell your children that Jesus knew exactly where Zacchaeus was all the time and he knew his name, but we don't know where Zacchaeus is. He is hidden behind one of the leaves on the tree. The children will take turns turning over the leaves one at a time to try and find Zacchaeus. If they pick one of the leaves with a word, they get to help figure out what the Bible verse says.
Stick the word papers up on the wall as the children find them. Have the children that find the word papers try to place them in order. If you have very young children, just place them in the correct order the read the words displayed each time a child finds a new word paper.
The child who finds Zacchaeus wins. If you haven't found all the words before Zacchaeus has been found, you can hide him again under a different leaf and keep playing. Before class draw and paint a tree with lots of branches (Draw one or two branches that would be good for Zacchaeus to sit on) onto butcher paper, approximately 4' x 4' and then tape the tree on the wall.
Print out the Zacchaeus picture, cover it with contact paper, front and back, and then cut him out. This pattern is available to members with the Zacchaeus Lesson - 3. Have the children color and cut out pictures of leaves to tape onto the tree. After reading the story about Zacchaeus, have the children play a 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' like game. Have them take turns trying to tape Zacchaeus to the branch. There doesn't have to be a winner.
The children will enjoy just seeing how close they can get Zacchaeus to the branch. As an alternative to taping on leaves, cut leaf shapes from sponges and have the children sponge paint leaves onto the tree. ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. 'What Do You See?' Zacchaeus Game for Sunday School Have your children stand in a circle and place a low stepping stole in the middle of the circle.
Pick one child to stand on the stole and pretend to be Zacchaeus. Have the other children hold hands and walk around in a circle repeating this rhyme: As the people were waiting patiently, Zacchaeus climbed up in a great big tree. They said, 'Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus, what do you see, way up there in the Sycamore Tree?' 'Zacchaeus' then holds one hand up over his eyes and says something he sees. Keep playing until all the children have had a chance to be Zacchaeus. If you have older children have them repeat everything the previous children have said and then tell what he sees.
Or you can have Zacchaeus repeat this rhyme: I can see everything from up in this tree, and I can see Jesus pointing at me. (A complete lesson about Zacchaeus is available to members of Danielle's Place on The Resource Room. Member's ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc.
Zacchaeus Songs for Sunday School 1. I Am Special (Sing to the tune of Frere Jacques) I am special (Point to yourself) I am special. Don't you see? (Make binoculars with your fingers) Don't you see? Someone very special (Put hands out to the side, palms up) Someone very special, 'cause God (Point to heaven) made me (Point to yourself) God made me! ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc.
There is No One Just Like Me (Sung to 'Here comes Peter Cottontail') There is no one just like me Look around and you will see There is no one Like me to be found Some are short and some are tall Some are big and some are small I am very special Cause I'm me! ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man Zacchaeus was a wee little man. A wee little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree, the Savior for to see. And when the Savior passed that way, he looked up in the tree, And he said, 'Zacchaeus, you come down from there; For I'm going to your house today, for I'm going to your house today.' And Zacchaeus came down from that tree, and he said, 'What a better man I'll be.
I'll give my money to the poor. What a better man I'll be.
What a better man I'll be.' Elizabeth shared this on our bulletin board: 'Our preschool & kindergarten children always like singing this with actions, crouching down for 'wee', pretending to climb up the tree.
We put our hands over our eyebrows for 'the Lord he wanted to see'. And we sing at the end, 'and the Lord said, 'Zacchaeus, you come down from there cuz I'm going to your house for tea', to this we point up in the tree for each syllable and then pretend to hold a saucer in the palm of one hand, and a tea cup in the other, and make loud slurping noises!! ©2005, Digital by Design, Inc.
Scripture Reference: Suggested Emphasis: Jesus was willing to help Zacchaeus change his life and he can also help us when we try to be better. Story Overview: When Jesus passed through the city of Jericho a man named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better look. Jesus amazed the crowd by calling Zacchaeus down to say that he would be coming to his house. In a true act of repentance for what had probably been a dishonest tax collecting career, Zacchaeus declared that he would pay back the people he had cheated and give half of his wealth to the poor. Background Study: What child has not had to stretch and climb on top of something to get a good view.
This is a great story for them because they know what it is like to have their view blocked by a bunch of adults! Jericho was about one mile west of the Jordan River and about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. This a city rebuilt by Herod the Great.
The Romans ruled the land and Jews were subject to Roman tax. The Roman government paid Jews to collect taxes from their own people. Better lover seminar. Zacchaeus is referred to as a “chief tax collector”. This is the only time the term is used in the bible. Perhaps he was manager over a large number of tax collectors. Because of this and because Jericho was in a prosperous region, Zacchaeus would have been quite wealthy. The Romans expected a set amount from the tax collectors.
Any money the tax collectors raised above that amount was theirs to keep. This set-up invited corruption. Tax collectors were hated because of the way they cheated the people. The Jews especially hated the Jewish tax collectors because they saw them as traitors of their own people.
Some have suggested that short Zacchaeus was willing to climb a tree because it had the added benefit of keeping him out of the way of a crowd of potentially hostile “former customers.” A sycamore fig tree was a very sturdy tree that grew to 30-40 feet. It had a short trunk and spreading branches. It bore a fig-like fruit and was good for timber. Amos tended sycamore fig trees (read ).
If Jesus were concerned about being popular then he would certainly not have gone to the house of someone whom the people hated. Verse 9 explains exactly why Jesus chose to go to Zacchaeus’ house. He did not come to praise the people that were already good. He came to “seek and to save what was lost.” Zacchaeus must have been ready for a change of heart because he was eager to see and hear Jesus. The scripture does not record the conversation that took place between Zacchaeus and Jesus. Possibly Jesus showed him the error of his ways and then Zacchaeus repented. More probably, Zacchaeus already knew what he was doing wrong.
The fact that Jesus took an interest in him and came to his house humbled him in such a way that led him to do what he needed to do. Zacchaeus was a Jew when he was cheating and stealing from people. But in verse 9 Jesus points out that it was on this day that salvation truly came to Zacchaeus. Just being born into a Jewish family was not being a true Jew.
His repentance showed that he really was a Jew- son of Abraham. Sometimes children (and adults) know the right thing to do and even want to do it. Changing just seems too difficult. We need to let children know that we will love them and help them be better.
Jesus believed in Zacchaeus and gave him the encouragement he needed. We can do the same for others. Even children know how to encourage their friends and tell them “I know you can do it.”.
Way to Introduce the Story: Explain to the children what a tax collector in Jesus’ time did. If a person owned something then the tax collector would decide how much it was worth and how much tax the person had to pay. The tax collector would take the money and give it to the government leaders. Sometimes the tax collector would make the person pay extra money and the tax collector would keep it for himself. Let the children take turns acting out the following play–or have two people from the congregation come into your class and perform it: Tax Collector: What are you bringing into Jericho? Traveller: (holding bundles) I have four bundles of cloth. Tax Collector: Let me see your cloth.
(Looks at cloth) That will cost you seven coins. Traveller: (angrily) That’s more than it cost last time! You charge too much. You’re cheating me. Tax Collector: (smirking) Either pay it or don’t sell your cloth in Jericho.
Traveller: (giving up) Oh, all right, but I know you tax collectors charge too much! No wonder no one likes tax collectors!
After you have acted this out a few times say, “Children, today we are going to learn about a tax collector who met Jesus. This tax collector was named Zacchaeus.”. The Story: One time, when Jesus was travelling, he came to the city of Jericho.
Even though he was just passing through the town a large crowd gathered round him. Everyone wanted to have a look at Jesus. Everyone wanted to see the great teacher who had made sick people well. A man named Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. He was very rich but he did not have many friends. That was because Zacchaeus was a tax collector.
People did not want to be a friend to a tax collector because tax collectors usually cheated people. Zacchaeus was rich because he cheated people. Lots and lots of people gathered around to see Jesus. Zacchaeus was a very short man and he could not get to the front of the crowd. He could not see over the heads of the other people. Zacchaeus was worried.
He didn’t want to miss out. If he didn’t do something soon then Jesus would just pass by and he would never get to see him. Zacchaeus had a great idea. Do you know what he did?
Zacchaeus Bible Story
He climbed up into a big tree! Now Zacchaeus could see Jesus really well. He saw Jesus walking along the road. Then he saw Jesus walking right by the tree.
Then guess what happened next. Jesus stopped right by the tree. Zacchaeus could probably see the top of Jesus’ head. All of a sudden, Jesus looked right up at Zacchaeus and said, “Zacchaeus, come down right now.
I am coming to your house today.” Zacchaeus could hardly believe what he was hearing. How did Jesus know his name? They had never met. Besides, Jesus was a very good man. Why would he want to come to the house of a bad man like Zacchaeus? All of the people were surprised too. Why would Jesus want to go to Zacchaeus’ house?
But Zacchaeus quickly climbed down the tree and took Jesus to his house. Zacchaeus was so happy that Jesus visited him. He thought about how good Jesus was.
It made him want to be good too. Zacchaeus said, “Jesus, thank you for coming to my house. I have decided that I want to try to be good now. I used to not even think about poor people. Now I want to help them. I have lots of money.
I am going to give half of all my money to help poor people.” Everyone must have been so surprised. Zacchaeus was very rich. Now he was going to give half of his money to the poor people. It really did sound like Zacchaeus meant it. He was really going to try to be good. But Zacchaeus was not finished yet. “I want to help the poor people but I also want to do something else.
I want to pay back all of the people I have ever cheated. If I have cheated anyone, I will give them back four times the amount I cheated them.” He was very happy that Zacchaeus was sorry for what he had done wrong. Jesus wanted people to be good. He was happy that Zacchaeus was going to try to be good now.
Now everyone knew why Jesus had gone to Zacchaeus’ house. He went to Zacchaeus’ house to help him learn how to be good. Ways to Tell the Story: This story can be told using a variety of methods. Always remain true to the facts found in the Bible but help children connect to its meaning by using drama, visual aids, voice inflection, student interaction and/or emotion. Be selective. Each teacher is unique so only use the illustrations that best relate to the way YOU are telling the story in THIS lesson.
Too many illustrations can be confusing so eliminate any that cover other stories or details you do not wish to emphasise in this lesson. Learning Activities and Crafts:. Bring a measure and let the children measure each other to see who is the most like Zacchaeus (shortest). Sing.
Draw a vertical line down the centre of a chalk/white board or on a large sheet of newsprint. Entitle one column “wrong” and the other “repent”. Have the children use the “wrong” side to list things that a child their age might do wrong. Opposite to each of those list ways that person would show they were sorry and had really repented. Example: Wrong- pushing little brother when you are angry. Repent-help him up, say you’re sorry, and play a game with him to cheer him up and then not doing it again.
If the weather is nice and the class is cooperative, take the class outside and let each child climb a tree and tell everyone what they see. A really industrious teacher might climb the tree before class and tie a picture of Zacchaeus to a branch for the child to find ? Or, if you have a really nice low tree you could have everyone sit on a branch while you tell the story. Children will always remember these kinds of lessons.
Printable Puppets Templates
Draw the trunk and big limbs of a tree on a sheet of paper before class begins. Give each child a spring-type clothes peg and a small square of sponge.
Children can dip the damp sponge in green tempera paint and then sponge-paint leaves onto the tree. Use yellow, red, and orange for an autumn tree. Each child can make an individual picture or the whole class can make on big one to put on the classroom wall. Glue on a picture of Zacchaeus when the “leaves” are dry. Since Zacchaeus was a tax collector make money wallets out of duct tape. Search “how to make duct tape wallets” in a search engine or use the instructions here.
Check the page on this website for ideas that are adaptable to any lesson.