Free Bible lesson for kids · On the Way to Jerusalem
Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus, a rich chief tax collector, was too short to see over the crowd, so he climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus stopped, called him by name and came to his house. Zacchaeus said he would give half his goods to the poor and pay back four times anything he had taken wrongly.
- Bible passage
- Luke 19:1–10
- Big idea
- Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
- Memory verse
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
As Jesus passed through Jericho, a rich chief tax collector named Zacchaeus was there (Luke 19:1–2). He wanted to see Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree (Luke 19:3–4). When Jesus came by, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house” (Luke 19:5).
Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Jesus with joy (Luke 19:6). But the people grumbled that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a sinner (Luke 19:7). Zacchaeus stood and said he would give half his goods to the poor. If he had cheated anyone, he would pay back four times as much (Luke 19:8). Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Read it in the Bible: Luke 19:1–10 (KJV)
1And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Questions to ask
Why did Zacchaeus climb a tree?
He was little of stature and could not see Jesus for the crowd.
What did Jesus say to him?
“Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”
How did Zacchaeus change?
He said he would give half his goods to the poor and restore fourfold to anyone he had wronged.
What this story teaches
- Jesus knows each of us by name (Luke 19:5).
- We should welcome Jesus gladly into our lives (Luke 19:6).
- Meeting Jesus changes the way we live (Luke 19:8).
- True repentance makes things right with others (Luke 19:8).
- Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Jesus Came to Save Sinners
Jesus called Zacchaeus, a sinner, by name. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners like Zacchaeus, and like us.
1 Timothy 1:15
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank Jesus for seeking us. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Luke 19:10 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors or out · about 10 minutes
Come Down, Zacchaeus!
You need: Hula hoops or chairs as trees, one fewer than the players
- Spread the “trees” around the room. Every child but one stands at a tree; the extra child is Zacchaeus.
- When the leader calls “Come down, Zacchaeus!”, everyone must leave their tree and find a new one, while Zacchaeus grabs one too.
- Whoever is left without a tree is the next Zacchaeus. Now and then the leader calls “Today I must abide at thy house!”, and everyone gives someone a high five.
Jesus knew Zacchaeus by name and went to his house. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 15 minutes
Make It Right
You need: Index cards, pens
- Read Luke 19:8 together: Zacchaeus gave half to the poor and paid back four times over.
- Each person privately writes one thing they need to make right with someone, and how.
- Pray in pairs for courage. No one has to share what they wrote.
When Jesus came to Zacchaeus’s house, it changed how he lived. Meeting Jesus changes us too.
Pray
Thank Jesus for seeking us.