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Zacchaeus Meets Jesus

Reference: Luke 19:1-10

Big Idea: No matter what we have done, Jesus loves us and wants to change our hearts.

Teacher Quick Reference

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Lesson: Zacchaeus Meets Jesus
Scripture: Luke 19:1-10
Big Idea: No matter what we have done, Jesus loves us and wants to change our hearts.
Three Main Points:
  1. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector who stole money to get rich.
  2. Because he was short, he climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.
  3. Jesus stopped, looked up, and called Zacchaeus by name.
  4. The crowd was angry that Jesus went to the house of a 'sinner.'
  5. Jesus' love changed Zacchaeus, and he gave his money back to the people.
Activity: The Tax Collector Game (Active Roleplay)
Memory Verse: Luke 19:10
Take-Home Truth:
"Jesus loves me even when I mess up, and His love helps me do what is right."

Teacher Preparation

Before class:

  • Read Luke 19:1-10 (BSB). Pay attention to the contrast between the grumbling, self-righteous crowd (verse 7) and the radically repentant tax collector (verse 8).
  • Prepare the fake coins or tokens for The Tax Collector Game.
  • Write the memory verse on the board.
  • Decide which age adaptation will work best for your classroom.

[!IMPORTANT] A note for the teacher It is easy to teach this lesson as simply “a story about a short man who climbed a tree.” Don’t miss the profound theology here! Zacchaeus was considered a traitor to the Jewish people. Jesus intentionally sought out the most hated man in Jericho to demonstrate that grace is for everyone. Zacchaeus’s extreme generosity at the end is the visible proof that salvation had come to his house.

Opening Activity: The VIP Treatment

Ask the children: “If the President, or a famous athlete, or your favorite singer came to our town today, who do you think they would want to have dinner with?” (The mayor, other famous people, rich people, good people). “Would they pick the meanest bully in your school to have dinner with?” (No!).

Explain: “Usually, important people only want to hang out with other important, good people. But Jesus is the King of the Universe, and when He came to the city of Jericho, He skipped all the ‘good’ people and chose to have dinner with the biggest bully in town!”

The Bible Story

1. The Hated Tax Collector

In the city of Jericho, there lived a man named Zacchaeus. He had two main characteristics: he was very short, and he was very rich.

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. In those days, the Romans ruled over Israel, and they hired Jewish men to collect taxes from their own neighbors. Tax collectors were famous for stealing. If a person owed 10 coins, Zacchaeus would force them to pay 20 coins, and he would keep the extra for himself. Because of this, everyone in Jericho hated him. They viewed him as a thief, a liar, and a traitor.

2. Climbing the Tree

One day, Jesus passed through Jericho. Everyone wanted to see Him! A massive crowd lined the streets.

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, too. But because he was so short, all the tall people in the crowd blocked his view. No one was going to let the hated tax collector step to the front of the line. So, Zacchaeus did something very undignified for a wealthy, grown man. He ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore-fig tree.

3. Called by Name

Jesus walked down the road, surrounded by hundreds of people pushing and shouting. But when Jesus got to the sycamore tree, He stopped. He didn’t just walk past the hated tax collector. Jesus looked right up into the branches.

“When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:5, BSB)

Jesus knew his name! Out of all the ‘good’ people in the crowd, Jesus chose to go to the house of the worst sinner in town. Zacchaeus scrambled down the tree and welcomed Jesus gladly.

4. The Grumbling Crowd

The people in the crowd were furious.

“All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’” (Luke 19:7, BSB)

They thought Jesus had made a mistake. They thought God only loved people who obeyed the rules. They couldn’t understand why a holy Teacher would want to eat dinner with a lying thief.

5. A Changed Heart

But something amazing happened inside Zacchaeus’s house. Being in the presence of Jesus completely changed him. Jesus didn’t yell at him or demand that he pay people back. Jesus just loved him. And that love melted Zacchaeus’s greedy heart.

Zacchaeus stood up and made a shocking announcement:

“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8, BSB)

Zacchaeus didn’t just say “I’m sorry.” He proved he was sorry by fixing what he broke! If he stole $10 from someone, he was going to give them $40!

Jesus smiled and said, “Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Zacchaeus was no longer a lost, greedy thief. He was a forgiven child of God.

The Deeper Meaning

Why did Zacchaeus pay back four times what he stole? Under the Old Testament law, if you stole a sheep, you had to pay back four sheep (Exodus 22:1). But Zacchaeus hadn’t been caught in a trial; he volunteered to do this!

This teaches us a huge lesson about repentance. Repentance doesn’t just mean crying or saying “I’m sorry” so you don’t get in trouble. True repentance means your heart actually changes, and you try to make things right. Because Zacchaeus truly loved Jesus, he no longer loved his money. Grace didn’t make Zacchaeus lazy; grace made him incredibly generous!

Three Things to Remember

1. Jesus Knows Your Name

Jesus was surrounded by a massive, noisy crowd, but He stopped specifically for Zacchaeus. Jesus sees you, He knows your name, and He knows exactly what is going on in your heart. Teacher Question: How does it make you feel to know that the Creator of the universe knows your name?

2. Jesus Loves “Sinners”

The crowd thought Zacchaeus was too bad to be loved by God. But Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost. You can never be too bad, too mean, or too messed up for Jesus to love you and save you. Teacher Question: How should we treat kids at school that everyone else thinks are “bad” or “annoying”?

3. Grace Changes How We Act

Zacchaeus didn’t pay the money back so Jesus would love him. He paid the money back because Jesus already loved him. When Jesus changes our hearts, it changes the way we treat other people. Teacher Question: If you steal your brother’s toy, what is the difference between just saying “sorry” and actually repenting? (Repenting means giving the toy back and choosing not to steal anymore).

Age Adaptations

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Younger Children

For younger children (ages 5–7), focus on Zacchaeus climbing the tree and Jesus wanting to be his friend.

Simplified concepts:

  • Zacchaeus was a very short man who did bad things. He stole money from people.
  • Because he was short, he couldn’t see Jesus over the crowd. So he climbed a tall tree!
  • Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down! I am coming to your house today!”
  • Jesus loved Zacchaeus, and that love made Zacchaeus want to be a good person.
  • He gave all the money back to the people!

Developmentally appropriate questions:

  • Why did Zacchaeus climb the tree? (Because he was short and wanted to see Jesus).
  • Was Jesus mean to Zacchaeus? (No, He went to his house for dinner).
  • Does Jesus want to be our friend even if we have done bad things? (Yes!).
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Older Children

For older children (ages 8–11), focus on the crowd’s self-righteousness vs. Zacchaeus’s true repentance.

Deeper discussion: Pre-teens have a very strong sense of “fairness.” They might actually agree with the crowd—it isn’t fair that Jesus hangs out with the bully! Help them see their own need for grace.

Discussion Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: Imagine the worst bully in your grade. Now imagine the coolest person in the world comes to your school and gives the bully a front-row ticket to a concert. Would you be mad? That’s how the crowd felt! Why does Jesus’ grace sometimes make us uncomfortable? (Because it reminds us that we don’t earn His love).
  • Concept: Restitution (making things right). If you break your mom’s vase and say “I’m sorry,” she will forgive you. But true repentance means offering to sweep it up or pay for a new one. How did Zacchaeus practice restitution?

Discussion Questions

Understanding

  1. What was Zacchaeus’s job, and why did people hate him?
  2. Why did Zacchaeus climb the sycamore tree?
  3. What did Jesus say when He looked up into the tree?
  4. Why was the crowd grumbling and complaining?
  5. How did Zacchaeus prove that his heart had changed?

Thinking

  1. If Jesus knew Zacchaeus was a thief, why do you think He wanted to go to his house?
  2. Did Jesus force Zacchaeus to give the money back? (No, Jesus’ love inspired him to do it).
  3. Who were the “lost” people that Jesus came to seek and save? (All of us!).

Personal Application

  1. Have you ever felt like you did something too bad for God to forgive you? What does this story tell you about that?
  2. Is there anything in your life right now that you need to make right? (e.g., apologizing to someone you hurt, or returning something you took).
  3. How can you be like Jesus this week to someone who is left out or unpopular?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: The Tax Collector Game View Standalone →

Type: Active Roleplay Game
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: 5+
Materials:

  • A pile of fake coins (or poker chips, or crumpled paper wads).
  • A small bag for the “Tax Collector.”

Purpose

To help children physically experience the unfairness of having their things taken away by a greedy tax collector, making Zacchaeus’s repentance and repayment (giving back 4x as much) feel incredibly satisfying.

Setup

Give every child exactly 5 coins (or chips). Tell them they need to protect their money. Choose one child (or the teacher) to be the “Tax Collector” and give them the bag.

Exact Instructions

  1. Explain the rules: “The Tax Collector is going to walk around the room. If he points at you, you HAVE to give him some of your coins. Because he is cheating you, he can take however many he wants!”
  2. Let the Tax Collector walk around for 2-3 minutes. Have them point to kids and take 2 coins from one person, 4 coins from someone else, etc.
  3. Make sure the children feel the mild frustration of losing their coins to the “cheater.”
  4. Call everyone back to the center and have the Tax Collector stand in the middle with the heavy bag of stolen coins.
  5. Say: “Zacchaeus was a tax collector just like this, except real! He stole real money from real people. Nobody liked him. But then, Zacchaeus met Jesus.”
  6. Tell the Tax Collector: “Zacchaeus realized he was wrong, and he wanted to fix it. He didn’t just give the money back. He gave back FOUR TIMES as much!”
  7. Have the Tax Collector walk around and give out handfuls of coins to the people he stole from, making sure they get way more than they started with.

Discussion

Ask: “How did it feel when the Tax Collector took your coins?” (Unfair, made me mad). “How did it feel when he gave you back way more than he took?” (Surprising, happy).

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Explain: “When someone truly meets Jesus, their heart changes. Zacchaeus didn’t have to give the money back; he WANTED to give the money back because Jesus’ love had completely changed him from the inside out.”

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Zacchaeus Tree Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • Empty toilet paper rolls (one per child)
  • Green tissue paper or construction paper
  • White paper (for drawing Zacchaeus)
  • Liquid glue or glue sticks
  • Crayons or markers

Templates:

📄 Zacchaeus Cutout Template

Purpose

To create a fun 3D model of the sycamore tree with Zacchaeus hiding inside, reminding children that Jesus sees them and loves them.

Setup

Finished Zacchaeus Tree

  1. Cut small rectangular slits vertically into the sides of the toilet paper rolls (about an inch down from the top). This is where the paper Zacchaeus will “sit.”

Instructions

  1. The Tree Trunk: Give each child a toilet paper roll to be the trunk of the tree. Let them color it brown with markers if they want.
  2. The Leaves: Have the children take green tissue paper or construction paper and glue it around the top opening of the toilet paper roll so it looks like the leafy branches of a sycamore tree.
  3. Zacchaeus: Have the children draw a tiny picture of Zacchaeus on a small piece of white paper. Cut it out.
  4. Climbing the Tree: Have them slide their little Zacchaeus cutout right into the slits you cut in the trunk, so it looks like he is sitting up high in the branches, peaking out of the leaves!

Discussion While Crafting

  • “Why did Zacchaeus climb the tree?” (Because he was short and wanted to see Jesus).
  • “Did Jesus walk past the tree, or did He stop?” (He stopped and looked up!).
  • “What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus?” (Come down, I’m going to your house today!).
  • “Just like Jesus spotted Zacchaeus hiding in the tree, Jesus always sees you, and He knows your name!”

Memory Verse

Luke 19:10 (BSB)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Practical Way to Teach:

  • “For the Son of Man” (Point up to heaven).
  • “came to seek” (Put your hand over your eyes like you are searching).
  • “and to save” (Cross your arms over your chest like a hug).
  • “the lost.” (Look confused and shrug your shoulders).

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

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Application

When we realize how much Jesus loves us, it makes us want to be generous and kind. If you have done something wrong, don’t just hide like the old Zacchaeus. Confess it to Jesus, and ask Him to help you make it right. Remember, Jesus came to save the lost!

Take-Home Challenge

This week, practice “restitution.” If you hurt someone’s feelings, don’t just say “sorry.” Try to say “I’m sorry, and I want to make it right. What can I do to help you?”

Closing Thought

The crowd saw a short, greedy thief. But Jesus saw a lost child who needed to be found. Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to clean up his act and become a good person before He loved him. Jesus loved him first, and that love is what cleaned Zacchaeus up. No matter what mistakes you have made, Jesus is calling your name, and He wants to change your heart today.

Closing Prayer

“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to seek and to save the lost. Thank You that You know our names and love us, even when we make huge mistakes. Change our hearts just like You changed Zacchaeus. Make us generous, honest, and brave enough to make things right when we do wrong. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

One-Minute Teacher Quick Reference

ZACCHAEUS MEETS JESUS
Luke 19:1-10

Big Idea

No matter what we have done, Jesus loves us and wants to change our hearts.

Memory Verse

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” — Luke 19:10 (BSB)

Three Points

  1. Jesus Knows Your Name
  2. Jesus Loves “Sinners”
  3. Grace Changes How We Act

Opening

The VIP Treatment (Discussion about who a famous person would want to eat dinner with).

Activity

The Tax Collector Game (Active roleplay game demonstrating unfair taxation and radical generosity).

Take-Home Truth

Jesus loves me even when I mess up, and His love helps me do what is right.

Closing

Pray, thanking Jesus for loving us while we were still sinners and asking Him to change our hearts.