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.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Discovery Guide, and the Lesson 1 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Jesus talking with Zacchaeus. Also paper and pencil or crayons will be needed.

Read the Faith Words on page 4 of the leaflet.

From the time of Adam and Eve's fall into sin, all people are the lost, sinners who need both pardon from sin and salvation, which comes only through faith in Jesus Christ."

Listen to the tune and read the words of the hymn (or sing along)  " I Am Jesus' Little Lamb".

This hymn reminds us of the parable of the lost sheep and of the care that Jesus, our Shepherd, provides for us. We remember that we are guilty of sin, yet we are grateful that Jesus does receive us poor, miserable sinners because He loves us. This lesson, Jesus receives another sinner, just like us, who needed God's love and forgiveness.

Prayer:  Lord, in Your mercy, You forgive us and welcome us into Your kingdom as Your dear children. By Your Holy Spirit, help us know the depths of Your love and forgiveness. Help us forgive others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

Using the map on page 2-3 of the Bible Discovery Guide, locate Jericho. Jericho was the city where the walls fell down and God, through Joshua, led the Israelites to victory over the people who lived there. In this lesson, which happened hundreds of years after that Old Testament event, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Although His life on earth is almost over, He continues to show mercy to sinners along the way. In Jericho, He sees yet another sinner - Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus means “pure or innocent" from the Hebrew Zakal.

Follow the directions on page 2 of the leaflet. Read the scripture in the scroll and use the underlined words to complete the crossword puzzle.

Puzzle Answers

• Across: (1) crowd; (2) sinner; (3) salvation; and (4) Jesus.
• Down: (1) Zacchaeus; (2) lost; (3) tree; (4) Jericho; (5) house; and (6) seek.

We Live

Jesus found Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a short man who needed to climb a tree to see Jesus. He knew that Jesus was someone special, so Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. But Zacchaeus was also a tax collector, and he wasn't liked by the Jews who lived around him. Tax collectors faced many problems because the Jews knew that tax collectors were usually dishonest.

Climbing into a tree would certainly draw the crowd's attention to him, but Zacchaeus was intent on seeing Jesus. He knew something was missing in his life, and he looked to Jesus to provide it. He was a sinner, one of the lost, who needed pardon for his sins.

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong or like you really wished you could fit in? At times everyone has felt ostracized from a group for any number of reasons. That is probably how Zacchaeus was feeling. He was excluded or separated from the people around him because he was a chief tax collector who had cheated the people.

How are we like Zacchaeus? Sins separate us from God and other people. The truth is that we, like Zacchaeus, are separated from Jesus and other people because of our sin. Sometimes we do or say something that separates us from others. Telling a lie makes people not trust us. Sometimes we are not as kind and loving with others as we should be. We may get angry easily, say mean things behind our friend's back, or steal something from a brother, sister, or parent. These sins and others separate us from one another, just as Zacchaeus felt separated from the other Jews.

What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus? "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today" [verse 5]. Out of everyone in the whole crowd, Jesus picked out Zacchaeus, called him by name, and told him that He wanted to spend time with him. This must have been quite a surprise to Zacchaeus and to the people around him.

What did the people grumble about? Jesus was planning to go into the house of a sinner.

Zacchaeus may have heard their grumbling. How did he respond? He said that he would donate half his money to the poor and pay anyone he had cheated four times as much.

Complete the Jesus Saves Zacchaeus maze on page 3 of the leaflet then the Jesus Saves US activity.

Jesus found Zacchaeus and assured him, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." The good news for Zacchaeus and for us is that Christ comes to us. We, like Zacchaeus, are among the lost whom the Son of Man seeks. God commands us to forgive others as He has forgiven us, no matter how they may sin against us. Oftentimes, we do not want to admit our own wrongdoing but rather focus on the sinfulness of others. We think we're better than others and don't want to have anything to do with them. God knows that we cannot live according to the Law. He sent Jesus to seek us out, even when we fail to forgive others, and He forgives us for Jesus' sake. Christ's blood covers all the sins of every sinner, no strings attached.

How does Jesus seek us sinners? In His Word and Sacraments, He comes to us to give us forgiveness and salvation.

What happened when we were baptized? Our sins were washed away, we became children of God, and we received faith in Jesus, our Savior.  In Baptism, through faith, we are saved. We are delivered from sin, from death, and from the power of the devil. Through Baptism, we came into Christ's kingdom and now will live with Him forever. He will care for us always.

Closing

Listen to people sing “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”.

On page 4 of the leaflet:

• Review the Key Point of this lesson.
• Read the Bible Words.
• Read the Prayer.

This lesson connects to the Catechism on the topics of Holy Baptism and Confession. The Weekly Devotions can be used to review the lesson and related scriptures.  The Family Connection can be used for family discussion.

Complete the Jesus and Zacchaeus activity at the end of this lesson.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for all the many gifts You give us, especially forgiveness and eternal life. Please help us to cling to You in faith, strengthened through the Sacraments and Your Holy Word. Thank You for welcoming us into Your kingdom, just as You welcomed Zacchaeus. Like him, we are sinners in need of forgiveness, which You freely give. Help us share this message with others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.