BIG IDEA: God leads us.
This free Bible lesson, The Wise Men Visit Jesus, will teach preschool and elementary students about the true story of how God led the Wise Men to find and worship baby Jesus. This is a great lesson for Christmas time.
FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 2
All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.
Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.
PREP & SUPPLIES
- printed & trimmed “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt” cards
- tape
- printed “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt” papers
- pencils/pens
- printed “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt” Leader’s Guides for ALL leaders
LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY
(SLIDE) Think about a time when you had a big decision to make, or you were struggling with knowing what to do or what to say in a certain situation. (allow think time)
Now think about how you handled the situation. Did you make the decision on your own? Did you ask a friend or an adult for help with the decision? (allow time for students to share)
Share an age appropriate situation from your own life that fits this lesson. Guide students to realize that whenever we have a big decision or need guidance, we should seek God through prayer and Bible reading.
Whenever we have a decision to make or we need help or guidance with anything, who can we go to? (allow responses)
We can always go to God with our needs.
How do we talk to God and seek His guidance? (allow responses)
(SLIDE) We can talk to God through prayer and seek His guidance through reading His Word, The Bible.
The Holy Spirit lives inside of people who believe in Jesus and He will guide us when we seek Him and ask for His guidance. (1 Corinthians 2:12)
BIBLE LESSON
(SLIDE) We have learned that even though the world teaches differently, the true reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive.
Jesus is fully God, and He chose to come to Earth to live as a man so that He could take our place and receive the punishment that we deserve by dying on the cross. When He died on the cross, He took away the sins of all people who believe in Him.
(SLIDE) Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience when they ate the forbidden fruit. Sin separates us from God because He is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin. Jesus came as our Savior to die on the cross in our place, taking the punishment for our sins so that we can have a friendship with God and live in Heaven with Him forever.
(SLIDE) Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a woman named Mary and her husband, Joseph. The Holy Spirit placed Jesus in Mary’s womb, so He is called the Son of God.
The angels and the shepherds of the field praised Jesus and the shepherds spread the news of Jesus’s birth to everyone around them.
Just like the shepherds, we can tell others the good news about Jesus and what He has done for us. Jesus came to Earth to live a sinless, perfect life. He died on the cross to take away our sins, and He rose back to life. Now He is in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who love, trust, and follow Him to live forever.
(SLIDE) Today we are going to learn about some other visitors that Jesus had after He was born, the Wise Men from the east.
LEADER NOTE: It is a common misconception that the Wise Men visited Jesus the night He was born. However, the reality is that the Wise Men did not show up until later (possibly two years) after Jesus had returned from being presented at the temple. It is also unknown how many men visited Jesus, but because of the 3 gifts they presented it is commonly recognized that there were 3 men.
(SLIDE) MAP
When Jesus was a small child, He was living in Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph when some people known as Wise Men came to Jerusalem asking about Jesus. These men were most likely astrologers, meaning they were scientists who studied the stars and planets.
Old Testament prophecies had taught that a King would be born to rescue the Jews from all of their hard times. What is a prophecy? (allow responses)
A prophecy is a prediction of future events. There are many prophecies in The Old Testament that taught the people to be expecting a King, a Savior, a Messiah. Who is the promised King/Savior/Messiah? (Jesus)
The Bible says that the men asked people in Jerusalem:
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:2 NIrV
[“Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose. Now we have come to worship him.”]
These Wise Men were not Jewish. They were from far away in the east. How did they know anything about a promised King of the Jews? (allow responses)
These men had read the Jewish Scriptures, which are our Old Testament, and they knew that a King was coming to the Jews.
(SLIDE) Remember, The Old Testament teaches us about the time before Jesus came to Earth to live as a human. Did these people have The New Testament to read at this time? (no)
The New Testament was written during the time that Jesus was on the Earth and in the years shortly after He died and went back to Heaven.
The star that the Wise Men saw in the sky was a special sign from God that announced the birth of the King. The star led the men to Jerusalem where the prophets told them about the birth of the King.
(SLIDE) Herod the Great was ruling the area at this time, and when he heard that a King had been born, it worried him and made him upset. Why do you think Herod was upset? (allow responses)
Herod was afraid that the new King was going to take the place of his family line as rulers. Herod asked the teachers of the Jewish Law and the chief priests about where the Messiah was going to be born.
The priests and the teachers of the Law told Herod that the King was expected to be born in Bethlehem. How did they know that the King was going to be born in Bethlehem? (allow responses)
An Old Testament prophecy in The Book of Micah told them where the King was going to be born. When Herod asked the teachers of the Law and the priests where the Messiah was going to be born, this is what they said:
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:5-6 NIrV
[In Bethlehem in Judea…This is what the prophet has written. He said, “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah. A ruler will come out of you. He will rule my people Israel like a shepherd.”]
This prophecy is from The Old Testament Book of Micah (5:2).
(SLIDE) Micah 5:2 NIrV
God told the prophet Micah that a “ruler” would come out of the small town of Bethlehem. The “ruler” Micah was talking about was Jesus.
The Bible tells us what Herod did next:
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:7-8 NIrV
[Then Herod secretly called for the Wise Men. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report it to me. Then I can go and worship him too.”]
Do you think Herod really wanted to go and worship Jesus as King? (allow responses)
Herod did not want to worship Jesus. He wanted to kill Jesus.
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:9-11 paraphrased
The Bible tells us how the Wise Men were led to Jesus by the star. The star stopped over the house where Jesus was staying and the Wise Men went inside, bowed down, and worshiped him.
The Wise Men also gave gifts to Jesus to honor Him as King. Does anyone know what 3 gifts were presented to Jesus? (allow responses)
The Bible says that after the Wise Men bowed down to Jesus and worshiped Him,
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:11 NIrV
[They opened their treasures. They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh.]
These three gifts were suitable for a king.
(SLIDE) We know that gold is a very valuable and beautiful precious metal. Gold is a symbol of royalty.
Does anyone know what frankincense and myrrh are? (allow responses and discussion)
Frankincense and myrrh are both materials that were considered to be very valuable and both smelled very good.
(SLIDE) Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and worship.
(SLIDE) Myrrh is a symbol of humanity.
Jesus is fully God and fully human, and He is the promised King. All three gifts were symbols of Jesus and His royalty, holiness, and humanity.
After the Wise Men visited Jesus, the Bible tells us:
(SLIDE) Matthew 2:12 NIrV
[God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road.]
Why did God warn the Wise Men not to go back to Herod? (allow responses)
Herod felt threatened by the birth of Jesus, so Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Herod was afraid that the new promised King was going to take the place of his own family line as the rulers and kings.
Herod had told the Wise Men to go and find the child in Bethlehem and then come back to him and report where Jesus was staying. He told them that he wanted to worship Jesus, but that wasn’t true. God warned the Wise Men in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Jesus’s earthly father, Joseph, also had a dream. In the dream an angel came to him and told him to take Jesus and Mary and escape to Egypt because Herod was going to search for Jesus because he wanted to kill Him. So that is what Joseph did. (Matthew 2:13-14)
(SLIDE) MAP
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stayed in Egypt until after Herod died and then they returned to Joseph’s hometown of Nazareth. Nazareth is where Jesus grew up. (Matthew 2:19-23)
God led the Wise Men to Jesus.
God led Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to safety in Egypt.
God led Jesus, Mary, and Joseph back to their hometown.
Who else does God lead? (allow responses)
(SLIDE) Big Idea: God leads us.
When we have a relationship, or a friendship, with God, He protects us and guides us.
He leads us in the ways that He wants us to go.
He has a plan for each of our lives.
What are the two ways that we can seek God’s guidance? (prayer and reading His Word, The Bible)
Everyone is born into sin. What is sin? (anything we think, do, or say that is against what God wants for us; doing things our own way instead of God’s way)
Who does sin separate us from? (God)
Why does sin separate us from God? (God is perfect and He cannot be in the presence of sin)
So, if we are all sinners, and sin separates us from God, how can we have a friendship with God? (allow responses)
We can have a friendship with God through Jesus.
(SLIDE) Sin separates us from God, but Jesus saves us so we are no longer separated from God.
Jesus came to the Earth to live a perfect and sinless life. Jesus died on the cross to take our sins away. Then, Jesus rose from the dead and is now in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who trust and follow Him to live forever.
When a person accepts Jesus and becomes a believer in Jesus (a Christian), Jesus sends The Holy Spirit to live inside of the person. The Holy Spirit guides believers and leads us in the way we should go.
Dear God,
Thank You for the true story of how You led the Wise Men to see Jesus, how You led Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to safety, and back to their home, and how You lead us in the ways that we should go. Thank You for Jesus’s birth, the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Please help us to understand the lessons and Truths You teach us in the Bible and please help us to be bold enough to ask questions when we don’t understand.
We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.
LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY
We are going to review today’s Bible Truths by completing a scavenger hunt.
Around the room, you will see some cards with pictures and words on them. After you get your BIBLE STORY SCAVENGER HUNT paper, you will:
- find each picture card that matches the pictures on your paper
- READ THE WORDS ON THE CARD
- write the underlined word or phrase in the box on your paper
- repeat with all of the pictures on your paper
You will have a chance to review the Truths that you find during the scavenger hunt with your Small Group Leader today.
HANDOUT: Each student should have a “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt” paper and something to write with.
You may choose to pair non-readers with proficient readers and/or have volunteer leaders work with younger readers so they can comprehend the Truths from the activity.
You may choose to set a timer for students to work, or allow them to work until most of them have completed the hunt.
Students will be reviewing their answers with their Small Group Leaders.
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Now that everyone has had a chance to fill in some or all of the “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt”, you will have time with your Small Group Leader to go over the answers and the Truths that you learned from today’s lesson and activity.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.
Leader: Use the “Bible Story Scavenger Hunt Leader’s Guide” to lead the discussion today.
Talking points about each card are listed below.
Discussion Prompts for Leaders:
- Card 1: Why is Jesus the greatest gift anyone can every receive? (He saves us from our sins and gives us eternal life)
- Card 2: What is sin? (anything we think, say, or do that is against what God wants for us – doing things our own way instead of God’s way) Who does sin separate us from? (God) If we are all sinners, how can we have a relationship with God? (through Jesus – Jesus came to Earth to live as a human and died on the cross to take away our sins so that we don’t have to be separated from God – we must accept Jesus’s free gift of salvation to have a relationship with God)
- Card 3: How did the Wise Men know to go to Jerusalem? (they followed the star – it was a special sign from God that led them to Jesus)
- Card 4: Why do we need a Savior? (we are sinners and sin separates us from God – Jesus came to take away our sin so we don’t have to be separated from God anymore)
- Card 5: Look up and read Genesis 1:14. How does this verse relate to the star the Wise Men followed? (God created stars to show signs and seasons in addition to giving light – the star was a sign for the Wise Men to follow and find Jesus)
- Card 6: Herod was from the family line of Esau who was not a part of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Look up and read God’s message to King David in 2 Samuel 7:16. What connection can you make to King Herod’s fear of losing the throne? (God promised King David that his family would rule and reign forever as kings – Herod was not from David’s family line of the Tribe of Judah)
- Card 7: The prophecy in The Book of Micah tells us that the ruler (Jesus) would be born in Bethlehem. Look up and read the prophecy in Revelation 21:1-3. What is the name of the city where Jesus will live with His people some day? (Jerusalem; The New Jerusalem)
- Card 8: How do the three gifts from the Wise Men symbolize Jesus? (gold – royalty; frankincense – holiness and worship; myrrh – humanity)
- Card 9: Why were the Wise Men and Joseph warned in a dream to stay away from Herod? (Herod wanted to kill Jesus – the Wise Men did not report back to Herod after finding Jesus – Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Egypt for safety)
- Card 10: Are there any times in your life when you know God was leading you?
- Card 11: Who does Jesus send to believers to guide us through prayer and understanding our reading of The Bible? (The Holy Spirit)
- Card 12: How do we receive The Holy Spirit into our lives? (believe in and trust Jesus – ask Jesus to save us – follow Jesus – Jesus sends The Holy Spirit to all believers)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
- Use any extra time to discuss the lesson and/or the memory verse.
CLOSING REFLECTION
We learned that God led the Wise Men to see Jesus, and He led Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to safety from King Herod and then back to their home. God also leads us through the power of The Holy Spirit when we believe in and trust Jesus as our Savior. Sin separates us from God, but Jesus came to Earth to live a sinless life, die on the cross to take away our sins, raise back to life, and now He is in Heaven preparing a place for the people who love, trust and follow Him to live forever.
Reflection Questions:
- What are the two ways you can seek God’s guidance? (prayer and Bible reading)
- What examples of God leading people did we hear about in the Bible story? (Wise Men were led to Jesus by the star; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were led away from Herod to safety in Egypt; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were led back home after Herod’s death)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
Find other free Bible lessons for kids:
