The Crown College of the Bible
Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Zacchaeus
Lesson Topic: Jesus Changes Lives
Time Duration: 20 Minutes
Date Taught: 4/11/23
Teacher: Christina Volante
Subject: Bible Class
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Location: Temple Baptist Academy
Objectives:
 To relay how Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ life.

To show that Jesus knows our names and knows all about us.

To share that Jesus can forgive our sins and change our lives.
Evaluation:
 Review Questions
Materials:
 Abeka Flashcards CD 6-1 to CD 6-4

Memory Verse Poster Board

Spin the Wheel Review Game
Procedures:
 Sing Songs
o Zacchaeus was a wee little man.
o There is Nothing my God cannot do.
o I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.
 Introduction: Can you think of 4 things that change?
o Possible Answers: Don’t have to be exactly these.
o Possible answers: caterpillar into a butterfly,
o Seasons
o Time
o Attitudes
 Anywhere Jesus went, there was always a big crowd of people following close
behind. Many people wanted to see Jesus. Some wanted to hear Him teach; others
wanted to be healed from some sickness. Jesus was passing through on His way to
Jerusalem. Word had spread that He was coming. There was much excitement in
the city as they waited for Him to come. “Jesus is here!” people were saying. “He
has just entered through the gates of the city!” “There He is!” someone shouted.
The crowd of people pushed their way to see Jesus and be closer to Him.




Jesus comes to Jericho - CD 6-1 But there was one man in the crowd that was
very troubled because he could not see Jesus. The Bible says that this man’s name
was Zacchaeus and that he was little of stature.
Zacchaeus was also the chief of the publican, or we would call a tax collector.
The Bible even goes so far as to tell us that he was rich. Publicans were rich
because they worked hard, but because they had cheated people and the
government of money. Everyone knew this; therefore publicans were looked
down upon and thought of as traitors.
Though Zacchaeus was wealthy and had all that he desired, he had no friends
because of his work. People would see him coming and whisper to each other,
“There comes that thief Zacchaeus!”
Zacchaeus knew that what he did was wrong. He often thought about it and
wished that he could stop. He wished that he wouldn’t steal and cheat people
anymore. Every time he tried though, he failed. He just couldn’t stop cheating
people. He knew no one liked him. He was lonely and miserable. He thought to
himself, “I wish someone would help me. I have heard about this Jesus. Maybe
He could help me. If only I could see Jesus. If I could just ask Him, I know He
could help me.”

Today was his opportunity. Jesus was coming. But he had a problem he could not
see Jesus with all that the crowd that was surrounding Him. In desperation to just
even get a glimpse of Jesus.

Zacchaeus climbs the sycomore tree - CD 6-2
He climbed a sycomore tree and pulled himself out on one of the branches. Now
he could see just fine. He could see the whole crowd; and most of all, he could see
Jesus. Jesus might not be able to see him, but he could see Jesus. He didn’t care if
people laughed at him or if he tore his clothes. This was his one chance to see
Jesus, and he wanted so much to see Jesus. This was the person that so many
people were talking about. Some people even thought He might be their
Messiah.
Jesus tells Zacchaeus to come down - CD 6-3
Jesus and the crowd began moving down the road. When Jesus and the crowd
arrived at the sycamore tree, Jesus looked up into the tree and called him by
name! “Zacchaeus!” Jesus called, “Come down! I want to go to your house and
eat dinner with you today!”
Zacchaeus was so surprised that he almost fell out of the tree! Zacchaeus said to
himself, “Jesus knew my name; He called me by my name! How did He know it,
and how did He know that I’ve wanted so much to talk to Him? No one ever
comes to my house, but Jesus wants to come! I didn’t realize He’d see me in the
tree.” But Jesus knows everything. He knows everybody’s name, and He knows
where we are and what we are like! We can’t hide from him. He is looking for us
and wants to do something wonderful for us.
Not only did Jesus know Zacchaeus’ name, but He also knew what Zacchaeus
was like. He knew all about him – his cheating, his lying, his unhappiness, his
loneliness, and his desire for somebody to help him. He saw all the sins in




Zacchaeus’ life. And Jesus was the only One who could do something for
Zacchaeus’ sin.
 Without wasting a minute, Zacchaeus slid down the tree and came before Jesus.
He was ready to take Jesus to his house.
 The people couldn’t understand why Jesus would go home with this cheating tax
collector. He was probably one of the worst men in Jericho! They began to talk
among themselves, “He says He is the Messiah, but look at what He is doing –
going home with a dishonest tax collector of all people! What is that?”
 Jesus eats at Zacchaeus’ Hous - CD 6-4
 So Zacchaeus took Jesus to his beautiful house. Zacchaeus ordered his servants to
bring cool drinks and the best food for his most important Guest. It was a
wonderful meal that Zacchaeus had with Jesus. We don’t know all that Jesus said
to Zacchaeus as they sat together, but we know that Zacchaeus came to know that
Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God. He admitted to Jesus that he was a
sinner and confessed all his sins to Him. He realized that he could never change
himself, but that he needed Jesus to help him. He put his faith in Jesus as the
Savior, the one who could forgive sin.
 Not only did Jesus forgive him of his sin, but Jesus also changed him and made
him a different person. No longer did Zacchaeus want to cheat and lie. Now he
told Jesus, “From now on I’m going to give half of all that I own to the poor. If I
have overtaxed anyone on his taxes, I’m going to pay them back four times as
much as I took!” What a change!
 So Zacchaeus went all over the city making things right with people he had
wronged. All the people of Jericho were talking about what Jesus had done for
Zacchaeus. Do you think they could see that Zacchaeus was a new person? Yes,
they could. Because of the way he lived and acted, Zacchaeus showed others that
Jesus had changed his life.
Biblical Application:
 Some of you may be feeling like Zacchaeus did. You see something in your life
that you don’t like. Maybe even you don’t have plenty of friends because of the
way you are. Maybe you want to be different - to change how you are. Maybe
you cheat or steal or lie. Or maybe you get angry very quickly or say mean things
to others. Maybe you don’t obey or are unkind. There are many bad things we do.
Maybe you have tried to stop but just couldn’t. Do you need someone to help you
as Zacchaeus did?
 Just like Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name and all about him, so Jesus knows our
names, and He also knows all about us. He knows the bad things we do. And
Jesus is the only One who can do something for our sin. We can’t hide from him.
He is looking for us and wants to do something wonderful for us just like He did
for Zacchaeus. Have you ever admitted to Jesus that you are a sinner and
confessed your sin to Him? This is the beginning of how Jesus can change you.
Review Questions:
 What was the name of the man I talked about? Zacchaeus
 How does the Bible describe his height? Little in stature.
 What did Zacchaeus do for a living? Publican or Tax Collector.
 What city did the Bible Account take place in? Jericho




Why did everyone hate tax collectors? Because they cheated them of their money.
Who was it that was passing through Jericho? Jesus
What did Zacchaeus climb to try to see Jesus? A Sycamore Tree
What happened to Zacchaeus when Jesus was with him at his house? Zacchaeus
realized that he was a sinner and needed to be forgiven. Salvation came to him
and from there he became a changed man.
 What did Zacchaeus do once he got saved? He went and gave everyone that he
overtaxed four times as much as he took.
 Bonus points: What is my name? Miss Christina.
Assignment:
 None