After discovering Zacchaeus in a tree, Jesus is an unlikely guest in the home of this despised tax collector. However, Zacchaeus’ greed is transformed into generosity as a result his encounter with Jesus, and this becomes good news for the poor and those he had defrauded.

This week we explore how we are changed by meeting Jesus.

Prepare your session

Provide the following play materials throughout the session: toy food and tea set.

Gather

 Gathering song

Sing to the tune: Hickory, dickory, dock

We have a friend we can trust,
who shows us that faith is a must.
When things get tough, and life feels rough,
walk even closer to God.

The same but different          5 mins  S

Investigate different versions of the same thing

You will need: water, ice, metal spoon and containers, bubble mixture and blowers.

Let children touch, feel and play with different states of water: liquid, solid (ice), gas (create water vapour by breathing on the back of a spoon) and bubbles. These are all forms of water but it’s what they’ve encountered or been mixed with that has made the difference. When we encounter Jesus, we’re still us but a different version of us.

Share the Word

Tell the story while drawing the images in brackets.

No one liked Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector who took money from others (Zacchaeus).
Jesus was coming to town (a second person) and Zacchaeus wanted to see him, but couldn't see over everyone’s heads.
So Zacchaeus climbed a tree. (a tree) Jesus walked by and shouted, 'Zacchaeus I am coming to your house for tea.’ (house)
The crowd were not happy! (crowd)
Zacchaeus said, “I will give back the money I owe, and even more.” (coins)
Jesus said, ‘You have put things right with God and with the people – you are changed.’ (add a heart to Zacchaeus)

Explore and respond

Dressing up

Play and explore changing, outside and inside

• Provide dressing-up items and encourage the children to make themselves look different.
• Remind them that Zacchaeus changed on the inside, not the outside, when he met Jesus.
• Provide paper hearts for them to fix to their costumes.

Making a change

Make symbols of change

Cover biscuits with white icing. Provide bowls of thin, coloured icing and ask the children to drop blobs onto the white icing. What difference does it make? As they do this, chat about how Jesus changes people.

0-5s song(s)

Our God Is a God Who Makes Friends (WGRG, Sing with the World, CH4/HGSP 792)
Jesus' love is very wonderful

Pray with plates

Give the children paper plates with a face on one side and a heart on the other.
Turn the plate face up and pray, ‘Thank you, Jesus, that we....’
(turn plate over) ‘can be changed by meeting you’.

Activity sheet

Click on the image to view and download a PDF

All change          5 mins  E S

See how one small encounter can cause a big change

You will need: a bowl of full-fat milk, different-coloured food dyes, cotton bud, liquid hand soap.

• Pour some full-fat milk into a bowl. Add a few drops of different-coloured food dye to the milk.
• Dip the tip of a cotton bud into some liquid hand soap and gently touch it to the surface of the milk. The colours will instantly start moving around and blending into each other.
• Draw the parallel that it only takes one quick encounter with Jesus to change everything.

Go with God

 Sing to the tune: This old man

As we go, we must show
all the ways God helps us grow.
We’ve a toolkit, stop and think, what would Jesus do?
He’ll always be guiding you!