No more hiding
Children's sermon
Object:
a branch of leaves (sycamore leaves, if possible)
When Jesus came to the place [the sycamore tree], he looked up and said to
him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." (v.
5)
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever tried to see a bird in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever watched a squirrel jump from branch to branch in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen an apple or an orange on a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen a boy or a girl play in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen a man in a tree? You will not find a man sitting in a tree very often. Most men just don't do it.
Jesus saw a man in a tree as he was walking into Jericho. Jesus did not seem surprised when he saw him. There was a man sitting on a branch and looking down at Jesus. (hold the branch up to your face so that you are looking through the leaves) The man in the tree could not see over the heads of other people. How many of you know his name? (let them answer) That's right, his name was Zacchaeus and he did not have a lot of friends. He collected taxes for the Romans. He was not always the most honest man, either. Sometimes he charged people more taxes than he was supposed to. Do you remember what happened to Zacchaeus? (let them answer) Very good, some of you know the story very well. Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down out of the tree because he wanted to eat at his house that day. Do you think Zacchaeus was surprised? (let them answer) Zacchaeus was shocked.
The people who heard Jesus tell him to come down were also shocked. Zacchaeus was not liked; he was like a traitor. Jesus was a holy man and he was going to eat with a sinner. Zacchaeus was very happy that Jesus had spoken to him, and he scrambled down the tree and stood beside Jesus. The moment he started to walk with Jesus, Zacchaeus knew that he wanted to change his life. He wanted to be a follower of Jesus and be an honest man. He began to make promises to Jesus, like giving half of everything he owned to the poor and to every man that he had cheated. Zacchaeus wanted to be like other people that followed Jesus.
Jesus reached down and touched Zacchaeus. He said that in spite of what he had done in the past to separate himself from God, God was going to forgive him and make him one of his own.
Zacchaeus came a long way that day. One moment he was hiding behind leaves and the next he became a disciple of Jesus. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever tried to see a bird in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever watched a squirrel jump from branch to branch in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen an apple or an orange on a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen a boy or a girl play in a tree? (let them answer) Have you ever seen a man in a tree? You will not find a man sitting in a tree very often. Most men just don't do it.
Jesus saw a man in a tree as he was walking into Jericho. Jesus did not seem surprised when he saw him. There was a man sitting on a branch and looking down at Jesus. (hold the branch up to your face so that you are looking through the leaves) The man in the tree could not see over the heads of other people. How many of you know his name? (let them answer) That's right, his name was Zacchaeus and he did not have a lot of friends. He collected taxes for the Romans. He was not always the most honest man, either. Sometimes he charged people more taxes than he was supposed to. Do you remember what happened to Zacchaeus? (let them answer) Very good, some of you know the story very well. Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down out of the tree because he wanted to eat at his house that day. Do you think Zacchaeus was surprised? (let them answer) Zacchaeus was shocked.
The people who heard Jesus tell him to come down were also shocked. Zacchaeus was not liked; he was like a traitor. Jesus was a holy man and he was going to eat with a sinner. Zacchaeus was very happy that Jesus had spoken to him, and he scrambled down the tree and stood beside Jesus. The moment he started to walk with Jesus, Zacchaeus knew that he wanted to change his life. He wanted to be a follower of Jesus and be an honest man. He began to make promises to Jesus, like giving half of everything he owned to the poor and to every man that he had cheated. Zacchaeus wanted to be like other people that followed Jesus.
Jesus reached down and touched Zacchaeus. He said that in spite of what he had done in the past to separate himself from God, God was going to forgive him and make him one of his own.
Zacchaeus came a long way that day. One moment he was hiding behind leaves and the next he became a disciple of Jesus. Amen.
