The Story of Zacchaeus - Luke 19 | Sunday School Bible Lesson for Kids |HD| ShareFaithkids.com

Summary

In this script, we follow the story of Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector who is disliked by the community due to his dishonest practices. Curious about Jesus, Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Him. Jesus stops, calls Zacchaeus down, and invites Himself to his house, shocking onlookers, especially religious leaders. Jesus shows love and forgiveness to Zacchaeus, teaching him the value of repentance. Deeply moved, Zacchaeus vows to give half of his wealth to the poor and repay those he cheated four times over. Jesus affirms Zacchaeus’s salvation, demonstrating the transformative power of Christ's love.

Takeaways

• 😀 Zacchaeus was a wealthy man who became wealthy by taking more tax money than required from people, making him disliked by many.
• 😀 Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus and wanted to see Him but struggled to do so due to his short height and the crowded streets.
• 😀 Despite the crowd, Zacchaeus found a solution by climbing a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus.
• 😀 Jesus noticed Zacchaeus in the tree, smiled at him, and told him to come down, as He must stay at his house.
• 😀 Zacchaeus was surprised and excited that Jesus chose to visit him, despite being a person hated by many.
• 😀 The religious leaders were shocked and murmured about Jesus dining with a sinner like Zacchaeus.
• 😀 Jesus visited Zacchaeus to teach him the truth and show him how to obey and serve God.
• 😀 Zacchaeus felt deep sorrow and regret for his sins after experiencing Jesus's love and forgiveness.
• 😀 Zacchaeus committed to giving half of his wealth to the poor and compensating those he had wronged by returning four times what he took.
• 😀 Jesus forgave Zacchaeus's sins and declared that salvation had come to his house that day.
• 😀 The story demonstrates that Jesus's love is powerful and transformative, capable of changing hearts and lives, even for sinners.

Q & A

Why was Zacchaeus disliked by the people?

Zacchaeus was disliked because he was a tax collector who cheated people by taking more money than he was supposed to, making him wealthy at the expense of others.

What made it difficult for Zacchaeus to see Jesus?

Zacchaeus was too short to see over the crowds of people who had gathered to listen to Jesus, which made it hard for him to get a glimpse of Jesus.

What solution did Zacchaeus come up with to see Jesus?

Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus as he passed by.

How did Jesus respond when he saw Zacchaeus in the tree?

Jesus stopped, looked up at Zacchaeus, and called him down from the tree, saying that he must stay at his house that day.

Why were the religious leaders shocked by Jesus' actions?

The religious leaders were shocked because Jesus, a respected teacher, chose to eat with Zacchaeus, a man they considered a sinner due to his past actions as a tax collector.

What was Zacchaeus' reaction to Jesus’ visit?

Zacchaeus was overjoyed and quickly climbed down from the tree to lead Jesus to his house, eager to host him.

What change occurred in Zacchaeus after meeting Jesus?

Zacchaeus, deeply moved by Jesus' love and forgiveness, vowed to give half of his wealth to the poor and repay those he had wronged four times the amount.

How did Zacchaeus plan to make restitution for his wrongdoings?

Zacchaeus promised to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated four times the amount he took from them.

What did Jesus say about Zacchaeus after hearing his promise?

Jesus declared, 'Today salvation has come to this house,' affirming Zacchaeus' transformation and repentance.

What lesson can we learn from Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus?

The lesson is that Jesus' love is unconditional and transformative, offering forgiveness and a path to repentance even to those who have wronged others.