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Index
Topic: Do you know what salvation means?
“And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham”. Luke 19:9.
The purpose of the lesson is to show that, in order to receive salvation in Jesus, we need to recognize and confess our sins, repent and abandon what does not please God.
Note: The teachers should read Luke 19:1 to 10 when preparing this lesson.
Introduction
This month we will answer a very important question: “Do you know what salvation means?” In each class we will learn a little more about salvation in Jesus. But think: Have you ever done something that you knew didn’t please God? What did you do after it happened? Did you hide it or admit that you had made a mistake and ask for forgiveness? Today we are going to meet Zacchaeus. He really wanted to meet Jesus. But that meeting showed that something needed to change in his life. Let’s find out.
Development
The Lord Jesus walked long distances, traveling from place to place to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. One day, Jesus entered Jericho, and a crowd followed Him. A man named Zacchaeus lived in that city; he was a chief tax collector and a wealthy man. Tax collectors gathered taxes for the Roman Empire, and Zacchaeus held an important position among them. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. But there was a problem: he was short and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.
So, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a tree to get a view of Him. He likely imagined he would merely see Jesus passing by. But something unexpected happened. When Jesus arrived at that spot, He stopped, looked up, and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5b). What a surprise for Zacchaeus! Jesus knew his name! Zacchaeus hurried down and joyfully welcomed Jesus into his home.
When the people saw this, they began to grumble because Jesus had entered the house of a man they considered a sinner. Yet, something very important took place during that encounter. Zacchaeus spoke up and said, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” (Luke 19:8).
What was Zacchaeus saying? He recognized that he had done wrong. To take something from someone that is not rightfully yours is acting dishonestly. Zacchaeus made no effort to hide or deny what he had done. He acknowledged his sin, showed repentance, and resolved to make amends for the harm he had caused.
Then Jesus declared: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9b-10). Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus. But Jesus wanted to do something much greater in his life: save him.
And what does the story of Zacchaeus teach us? You might think: “I go to church, attend Sunday School, know the worship songs, and am learning God’s Word. Is this lesson for me, too?” Yes! We all need to reflect when we do something that doesn’t please God.
For example: you disobeyed your mother and then claimed you didn’t hear what she asked. You broke something and blamed your sibling. You took something that wasn’t yours and hid it. You were rude to a classmate. You secretly watched a video you knew your parents wouldn’t allow. When we do something wrong, we might try to hide it. But hiding the mistake doesn’t make it go away. Zacchaeus could have hidden what he had done. But he chose a different path: he acknowledged he had done wrong. There is a difference between being sad because someone found out that we did what was wrong and being truly sorry because we understand that it didn’t please God.
Imagine a child telling a lie. No one finds out. Even so, the child realizes: “I did something that doesn’t please God.” So, the child tells the truth, asks for forgiveness, and decides not to lie again. That is true repentance. It’s not just saying, “I’m sorry.” It involves acknowledging our mistake and desiring not to keep doing it.
Zacchaeus showed this. He didn’t just say he had done wrong; he decided to change. And we need to learn to do the same. If I lied, I will tell the truth. If I disobeyed my parents, I will ask for forgiveness and obey. If I took something that wasn’t mine, I will return it. If I was rude to someone, I will ask for forgiveness. If I am watching or doing something that does not please God, I will stop. Repentance produces a change in attitude.
And who helps us realize what does not please God? The Holy Spirit.
We can pray, asking: “Lord, show me if there is anything in me that doesn’t please You.” And when the Lord shows us, let us not hide it or make excuses. Let us admit that we were wrong and ask for forgiveness.
The Word of God teaches us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). What a wonderful promise! Oh Lord, forgive us and cleanse us. But remember Zacchaeus: he didn’t stop at words. He decided to change his ways. And we want to do the same.
Conclusion
Zacchaeus wanted to meet Jesus. But that encounter did something much greater in his life: Zacchaeus recognized his sin, repented and decided to change. Then Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house…” Luke 19:9b.
This month we will still learn many things to answer the question: “Do you know what Salvation means?” But today we learned something very important: when we realize that we have done something that does not please God, we should not hide it or continue doing it.
Let’s recognize that what we did was wrong, ask the Lord for His forgiveness and change our way of living. Maybe there is something you need to stop doing. Don’t hide it, talk to God instead. Ask Him for forgiveness and make the decision to change. Jesus came to seek and save what was lost.
Suggested Praises: : Do you know what it is to be saved?; I’m going to tell a story (Zacchaeus).
Question for Intermediates
Read Luke, chapter 19, verses 8 and 9, and answer: What happened after Zacchaeus recognized his error and decided to change? Answer: Jesus declared that salvation had come to that house. “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord: Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.” Luke 19:8-9.
