Preparation
You will need one set of cups for each team.
If you are using this game to introduce the Bible story about Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus, you can have up to 11 players per team since there are 11 characters in the Bible reference. (Luke 19:1-10)
Whereas if you are using this game to introduce the Bible story about Saul’s conversion, you can have up to 10 players per team. (Acts 9:1-21)
Use a permanent marker to write the mirror image of each character of the Bible reference on the bottom of each cup. (Choose one.)
Zacchaeus:
Saul:
The letters will appear the correct way when viewed through the inside of the cups.
Alternatively, write on small pieces of papers and tape each character on the bottom of a transparent cup.
Fill each cup with any snack item that you like.
You should not be able to see what was written at the bottom of the cup.
(Whipped cream works very well.)
Be aware of the food allergies of your players. Avoid nuts.
Place these cups, arranged in the correct order, on a table.
Place a spoon next to each cup. If you are using milk, you will need straws instead.
Place the tables on one end of the room.
How to Play
Divide into teams.
Each team stands in a line at the opposite end of the room (away from the tables).
Give each team one piece of paper and a pen.
On “go”, one player from each team runs to their table to finish eating (or drinking) from one cup to see the character underneath the cup. Remember that character and run back to your teammates and write that character on the piece of paper.
The next player runs to eat/drink from the next cup.
Depending on the size of the teams, some players may have to go more than once.
The first team to write down the correct Bible reference wins.
Bible Lesson – Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
2. Did you like your snack?
3. Could you see the character underneath the cup before you ate the snack? Was it easy to see the character after you finished eating?
4. Is the Bible reference familiar to you? Do you know what the Bible story is about?
Read
Luke 19:1-2
Discuss
5. Who was Zacchaeus?
Say
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector.
The Jewish people hated tax collectors because they were thieves and traitors who worked for the Roman rulers.
Tax collectors were typically rich because they kept some of the taxpayers’ money for themselves.
Being a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was also in charge of other tax collectors and kept a portion of what they collected.
Read
Luke 19:3-10
Discuss
6. Why did Zacchaeus climb up a tree?
7. What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus?
8. Were the rest of the people happy? Why or why not?
9. What was Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus?
10. How did Jesus explain what just happened?
Conclude
Zacchaeus climbed up a tree because he really wanted to see Jesus.
He must have been thrilled when Jesus spoke to him and said he wanted to stay at Zacchaeus’ house that day.
Zacchaeus immediately welcomed Jesus gladly.
And Zacchaeus offered to give up half of his possessions to the poor and to pay back whoever he had cheated four times more.
Jesus is the Son of God who came to bring us salvation and restore our relationship with God.
Jesus came to dwell amongst us to die on the cross so that all our sins can be forgiven. And on the third day, Jesus became alive again! Because our sins can be forgiven, we can be with God and have a relationship with him. We can become his children and will one day be with him in heaven.
If we want to receive the salvation that Jesus offers, we must acknowledge our sinfulness before God and repent of our sins, just as Zacchaeus did.
Bible Lesson – Saul’s Conversion
Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
2. Did you like your snack?
3. Could you see the character underneath the cup before you ate the snack? Was it easy to see the character after you finished eating?
4. Is the Bible reference familiar to you? Do you know what the Bible story is about?
Read
Acts 9:1-2
Discuss
5. What do we know about Saul from these 2 verses?
Read
Acts 9:19-21
Discuss
6. What do we know about Saul from these 3 verses?
7. Are these verses referring to the same Saul?
Say
In the beginning of Acts chapter 9, we read about Saul (whose name was subsequently changed to Paul) before he encountered Jesus.
Then in Acts 9:19-21, we read about a totally different Saul.
Let us read about what happened in between these verses.
Read
Acts 9:3-19
Discuss
8. What happened to Saul on his way to Damascus?
9. Why couldn’t Saul see?
10. According to verse 17, why did Jesus send Ananias to go to Saul?
11. How was Saul’s attitude and behavior different after his encounter with Jesus?
12. In what ways did your attitudes and behavior change when you began following Jesus?
Conclude
In our game today, you could not see the characters underneath the cups because they were blocked by the snacks inside the cups.
In today’s passage, Saul could not see because there were “something like scales” in his eyes (verse 18).
But the important thing about this passage and Saul’s conversion was not about the healing of Saul’s physical blindness, but his spiritual blindness.
In the beginning, Saul did not know Jesus, and so he was going around catching Jesus’ followers and putting them in prison.
But after Saul encountered Jesus, Saul declared that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
Jesus is the Son of God who came to bring us salvation and restore our relationship with God.
Jesus came to dwell amongst us to die on the cross so that all our sins can be forgiven. And on the third day, Jesus became alive again! Because our sins can be forgiven, we can be with God and have a relationship with him. We can become his children and will one day be with him in heaven.
If we want to receive the salvation that Jesus offers, we must acknowledge our sinfulness before God and repent of our sins, just as Paul did.
