Lesson 1 – Jesus and Zacchaeus

Like Zacchaeus, we are among the lost whom the Son of Man came to seek and to save. Jesus asks us to forgove those who sin against us, as He forgives us unconditionaly.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

What makes us welcome some things but reject others? Answers will vary but will  include beliefs, attitudes, family values, and friends' influence.

Watch the video “Teacher starts each day with compliments for every kid" .

How did the teacher welcome and accept his students? He started each morning by giving each person individual compliments. He worked to enthusiastically engage them, such as with music or movement.

 

How do you think the students benefit from the teacher's words and actions? The students feel loved, appreciated, accepted, and motivated to participate and learn.

In this lesson, Jesus welcomed and accepted an unlikely person.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, open our hearts to welcome others in Jesus' name. Empower us to grow in awareness, empathy, understanding, and forgiveness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

This lesson involves a tax collector. How do people feel about tax collectors today? They may be positive or negative.

How do you think people felt about tax collectors from the New Testament era?  

• Tax collectors worked for the Roman government as contract workers. They bid for regional jobs and paid specific amounts to Rome. Winning bidders, called "chief tax collectors" hired helpers. Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho, would have been wealthy and well known.
• Any amount collected above the contracted amount was used to pay salaries and profit the chief tax collector. Taxes varied according to the contract and greed. Unscrupulous tax collectors defrauded and cheated people.
• The Israelites loathed paying money to the Romans. They reviled Jewish tax collectors and considered them national traitors, cheats, and frauds. Tax collectors were deemed "unclean sinners" because of this association with Gentiles (Matthew 9:10-11; 11:19).
• Taxes included tolls on roads and bridges, plus export and import fees.
• In addition to Roman taxes, Israelites paid an annual two-drachma tax to the temple (Matthew 17:24-27), gave donations, and paid temple fees to make sacrifices, change money, and buy sacrificial animals.

Read and follow the directions on the Student Page at the end of the lesson.

Read Luke 19:1-10 and answer the questions or do the activity.

Verses 1-3

Draw a simple outline of a person. Write Zacchaeus at the top. Draw or list facts about Zacchaeus from these verses. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. He wanted to see Jesus but couldn't because of the crowd.

Verses 4-10

Jesus called Zacchaeus by name and invited Himself to stay at Zacchaeus's house. How did Zacchaeus respond? Hurried down, received Jesus joyfully.

What made it surprising that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus and welcomed Him to his house? Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus even though religious leaders usually shunned tax collectors. Zacchaeus obviously had heard about Jesus and knew He was different. He probably heard about Jesus' miracles and mercy. Zacchaeus was wealthy; Jesus said wealth was a barrier to spiritual concerns (Luke 18:25).

Why were people surprised that Jesus, unlike other religious leaders, wanted to spend time with Zacchaeus? In human terms, they felt surprised that Jesus connected with this public sinner. Other religious leaders shunned sinners with public sins.

How was Zacchaeus poor despite his wealth and status? Zacchaeus was a poor and lost sinner. Born in sin, Zacchaeus could not change his sinfulness, poor attitudes, and bad behavior or repair his reputation. These things separated Zacchaeus from God and the riches of His grace.

Identify ways Jesus changed Zacchaeus's life in verses 6, 8, and 9. Show these visually on your profile of Zacchaeus. Jesus sought and saved Zacchaeus, giving him life and salvation, motivating him to repent of his sins, to love others, and to give away his wealth.

Zacchaeus joyfully received Christ (verse 6). Zacchaeus showed the Holy Spirit's work when he showed repentance in his changed attitudes and behaviors (verse 8). Jesus recognized and announced Zacchaeus's faith and salvation (verse 9).

What does this meeting between sinner and Sinless One tell you about Jesus? Jesus loves everyone. The Sinless One loved us so much that He gave up the joys of heaven to become our Savior. Jesus lived without sin (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:14-16) and willingly died on the cross to pay for our sin (Colossians 1:19-20; 2:13-14). Those who believe in Him receive grace, acceptance, forgiveness of sin, and a new life, now and forever.

 Whom does Jesus seek and welcome? Lost sinners

 Debriefing

Although materially rich, how was Zacchaeus lost and poor? He was a lost sinner who needed God's grace.

How did Jesus' love and acceptance make Zacchaeus spiritually rich?  Zacchaeus received the riches of God's grace from Christ: faith, life, salvation, acceptance, forgiveness, and motivation and power to repent of his sins, love others, and give away his wealth.

Although Zacchaeus's own people rejected him, Jesus called him "a son of Abraham.  "What did He mean? Jews were known as “children of Abraham”, God promised to send the Savior through Abraham's family.  Jesus, a Jew from Abraham's lineage, fulfilled these promises. Calling Zacchaeus "a son of Abraham”, Jesus proclaimed Zacchaeus as part of the family, one saved by grace through faith in Him.

How are we lost and poor? Born in sin, we can't stop sinning or remove it or its said result, death. We are powerless. We experience sin's effects in broken relationships, poor attitudes, failing motivations, and sinful actions.

What riches does Jesus give us through His grace? Read Ephesians 1:7 (on the Student Page). In His rich grace, Jesus redeemed us through His blood and forgives our sins. Through God's Word and Sacraments, the Holy Spirit gives us faith in Christ, accepts us, forgives our sins, and makes us part of Gods family, sons and daughters of Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29).

 

We Live

A Rich Life in Christ

 

Did Zacchaeus's changed behavior come before or after he trusted Jesus as his Savior? After. Eating with someone, staying in their home, meant you considered them family. Jesus first treated Zacchaeus as a trusted family member, accepting, loving, and forgiving him in his own home. Zacchaeus's generosity to the poor results from the forgiveness Jesus extends to him by asking to stay in his home. Zacchaeus' reaction is a sign of his repentance and his reception of Jesus' forgiveness by faith.

To help us understand, look at Luke 19 and infer before-and-after characteristics of Zacchaeus.

Possible Before Characteristics: ambitious, greedy, proud, rich, Roman friend.

Possible After Characteristics: repentant, forgiven, thankful, generous, happy.

How could someone change these serious "before" qualities? Only the Holy Spirit working through God's Word and Sacraments can begin to change our inborn sinful attitudes, motivations, and actions.

If we're honest, we see that we possess the same "before" characteristics as Zacchaeus. How does the Holy Spirit work to change our attitudes, motivations, and actions? Through His Word, the Holy Spirit shows us our sin, provokes repentance, and offers forgiveness of sins and power to live for Him. He helps us forgive and serve others in His name.

Jesus ate with people who are sinners, and His presence brought about repentance. How does Jesus eat with us sinners today? With Jesus, sinners eat the Holy Meal that Jesus gave the Church, the Lord's Supper. We eat His body and blood in the bread and wine of the Sacrament.

What riches of grace do we receive in Christ's Holy Supper? We receive forgiveness of sins, life, salvation, and strength to live a new life in Him, just as Zacchaeus received from Jesus.

God forgives us. How can we forgive other people? The Holy Spirit empowers us to forgive freely, as God forgives us.

Christ filled Zacchaeus's poor and lost soul with His rich gifts of grace and new life. Christ sees our poor and lost souls, too, and dwells with us in His grace through His Word and Sacraments. He is our life.

Closing

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, by Your Word, fill us with Your new life that lasts to eternity. Amen.