Zaccheus

ZACCHEUS

 

Objectives:

  1. Students should be able to identify Zaccheus as the short man who wanted to see Jesus.
  2. Students should know how Zaccheus’s life was changed by meeting Jesus.

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.

 

  1. Scripture Reference: Luke 19:1-10. What did Zaccheus do for a living? Do we know another tax collector in the Bible? (Matthew, the disciple) Why couldn’t Zaccheus see Jesus? What did he do? What did Jesus say to Zaccheus? What did Zaccheus do for Jesus?

 

  1. Discussion: Jesus was a famous man; people from all over came to see Him. Why? Have students list several reasons why people would want to see Jesus. (to be healed, to hear His teachings, to see a miracle, just to say they saw Him) Zaccheus lived in Jericho, the City of Palms. Find Jericho on your maps. He heard that Jesus would be coming to town. Zaccheus was rich; he was the chief tax collector. Remember that tax collectors collected exorbitant taxes and kept the extra. Was Zaccheus popular? Do you think he had many friends? Make 2 columns on your board: “Things money can buy” and “Things money can’t buy.” Brainstorm to fill the lists. Zaccheus could have all he wanted in the first column. What about the second? Do we sometimes think that we’d be happy if only we had everything that money could buy? Was Zaccheus a happy man? Why do you think Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus? How did Jesus respond? How did Zaccheus’s visit with Jesus change him?

 

  1. Play a learning game: Musical Bridge. This is played as a cross between musical chairs and London Bridge. The teacher and one student form the bridge. The rest line up and circle while singing “Zaccheus was a wee little man…” Whoever the bridge catches at the end of the song must answer a question about Zaccheus. If he answers correctly, he gets to become part of the bridge. Sample questions might be:

What did Zaccheus do for a living?         What did Jesus say to Zaccheus?

Where did Zaccheus live?                         Where did Jesus have supper?

Was Zaccheus tall or short?                      How much did Zaccheus give to the poor?

What kind of tree did Zaccheus climb?    

 

  1. Make Popsicle Puppets: Take the Zaccheus and the Jesus patterns. Color and cut out. Tape Popsicle stick to the back. Have students take a piece of light blue construction paper. Cut out a brown tree trunk and green leaves. Glue to make a tree. Use this as your background to tell the story with your puppets.

6. Print the Pre-Lenten Path for the children to take home and color one square each day until Great Lent. 

  1. Close with Prayer.