Teaching Time

Make one copy of each of the two Emoji Card Pages on cardstock in color and black and white.

Cut out the ten individual cards from the two pages.

Lay the cards face up in numerical order on the table.

Hold up the Emoji cards as indicated to discuss the Bible story.

Something big was about to happen in Jericho. Jesus was coming!

Hold up Card #9. The crowd was excited as they waited to see Him.

Jump up and down if you’ve felt excited while waiting for something. Children respond.

Let’s all try to make an excited face like this card I am holding. Make an excited face with the children.

There was a man named Zacchaeus who lived in Jericho. He was the chief tax collector. He became rich because he was not an honest man and took more money than he should for people’s taxes.

Hold up Card #8. This made the people angry.

Raise your hand if you have ever felt angry. Children respond.

Hold up Card #10. Because Zacchaeus wasn’t honest, no one liked him, so he must have felt lonely.

Raise your hand if you have ever felt lonely. Children respond.

Zacchaeus stood in the crowd and waited to see Jesus, but there was a problem. He couldn’t see Jesus over the crowd because he was so short! How do you think Zacchaeus felt now? Sad, disappointed.

Hold up Card #6. Yes, I think he must have felt disappointed and sad.

Raise your hand if you have ever felt disappointed or sad. Children respond.

What could he do? Suddenly Zacchaeus had an idea. He saw a tree that Jesus would walk beside. Zacchaeus ran to the tree and climbed it.

Hold up Card #5. This made Zacchaeus feel happy. Now he could see Jesus!

When Jesus was near the tree, He looked up and called to Zacchaeus. He said, “Zacchaeus, quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Hold up Card #3. Zacchaeus was confused and surprised. He wondered how Jesus knew his name and why he stopped to talk to him.

Hold up Card #9. Zacchaeus was so excited! He climbed down from the tree as quickly as he could and took Jesus to his house. How do you think the crowd of people felt? Confused and angry.

Hold up Card #3 and Card #8. Yes, they wondered why Jesus talked to Zacchaeus and even worse, they wondered why Jesus went to his house because Zacchaeus was dishonest and cheated them!

Hold up Card #6 and Card #7. After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus became an honest person. He felt ashamed and sad when he remembered how he had cheated the people.

Raise your hand if you have ever been ashamed or embarrassed. Children respond.

Hold up Card #4. After he met Jesus, Zacchaeus was so changed that he stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Jesus forgave Zacchaeus of his sins and told everyone that He came to the world to seek and save those who are lost! Jesus doesn’t want to punish us; He wants to forgive us!

Conclusion: Jesus saw Zacchaeus and knew His name. When no one else wanted to spend time with Zacchaeus, Jesus did. Even when we mess up and sin, Jesus will never leave us or stop loving us!

Hold up Card #9. That’s exciting! Let’s jump up and down and thank Jesus for His love and kindness! Jump up and down and thank Jesus.