Synopsis

Zacchaeus – The Story

As Jesus travelled the streets of Jericho , large crowds gathered around him as they heard of him healing the sick , giving sight to the blind and raising a person called Lazarus from the dead. In that crowd was a person named Zacchaeus who was excited to see Jesus too. But he had a difficulty in seeing Jesus as he was a very short person. So he decided to go ahead and climb a sycamore tree and wait for Jesus to pass that way.

   As Jesus  came to the place where Zacchaeus sat up in the tree,   He  stopped, looked up in the tree, and  said, "Zacchaeus, you come down, for I am going to your house today."

The people in the crowd were shocked! You see, Zacchaeus had no friends and was one of the most hated men in all of Jericho. He was the chief tax collector and he had become very rich 

because he was a thief and he cheated people by collecting     more taxes than they owed and kept  it for himself. The   people could not believe that Jesus would go to the home of a man like that! 

Zacchaeus   knew that he had cheated people and when he and  Jesus  arrived  at his house, he confessed and said that he was sorry for what he had done. He said to Jesus, "I am going to give half of all that I own to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Because Zacchaeus was sorry for what he had done and confessed his sin, Jesus forgave him and said, "Today salvation has come to this house." 

Summary 

• Zacchaeus was a little man with a big problem -- sin!
• He realized  he had cheated and lied to the people .
• He made a choice to make changes in his life .

Application

• It does not matter if you are tall or short , been rude , lied , cheated and fought with people.
•  When you come to Jesus and show him that you are truly sorry for the wrong doings and repent in your actions and not just with your words .
• God forgives and saves .
• God transforms and changes you.