WISE MEN VISITED JESUS - Amazon S3 · 2017-11-27 · unique astronomical phenomena—to tell them...

Unit 1, Session 5

LEADER BIBLE STUDY When a close friend or family member has a baby, you might be excited and anxious

to meet the new baby. Perhaps you’d bring a gift or drop off a meal to the family. The

birth of a baby is an exciting time for family and friends who have been awaiting his or

her arrival.

When Jesus was born, the wise men came searching for the baby. God’s Son, our

Savior, would truly be a Savior for all people, not just the Jews. God used the very

thing these wise men would be drawn to—the mysterious appearance of a star, some

unique astronomical phenomena—to tell them that the baby Jesus was unique.

Following that star, the wise men arrived with their gifts. The Bible tells us of their

great joy in finding the Christ child. These wise men, who followed the star because

of their pagan superstitions and interest in astrology, worshiped the child, God’s Son,

Jesus.

How can you keep the purpose and joy of Christmas fresh in your heart as you

enter the new year? _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

How can you help the children in your class begin to understand the connection

between the child the wise men worshiped and the Savior who died for our sins? ___

_________________________________________________________________

Where do you have opportunities to share your faith in Jesus with people from

other religious and ethnic backgrounds? Are you praying and prepared for this? _____

_________________________________________________________________

NOTE: Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle.

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

WISE MENVISITED JESUS

LIFE POINT: PeoPle should worshiP Jesus.

SUGGESTED DATE:week of December 31

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNINGPeople who love Jesus want to obey Him.

BIBLE PASSAGEMatthew 2:1-12

JESUS

WEEKLY BIBLE VERSECome, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:6

LIFE VERSEToday in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11

32 U n i t 1, S e S S i o n 5© 2017 LifeWay

›“Bible Book Bows” from the CD (used in Sessions 1-4), four index cards, a marker, and two gift bags

›Print the following questions on the cards, one question per card: Old Testament or New Testament? Book Before? Book After? Can you find it?

›Place the “bows” in one bag. Place the cards in the second bag.

›Option: If you printed the names of Bible books on real bows, use those.

BONUS ACTIVITYPlay “Christmas Toss”(Pack Item 8).

›DVD

PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS ►FOUR QUESTIONS

1. Remind the kids of the various ways they have used the “bows” to practice Bible

skills. Suggest they mix all the activities they have done as they play one last

game with them.

2. Invite one child to choose a bow and another child to choose a question card.

Guide the group to answer the question on the card about the Bible book named

on the bow.

3. After a few rounds of playing as a group, form teams. Guide the teams to take

turns choosing a “bow” and a card for the other team (without looking). Award

10 points if the team tells the Testament the book is in, 20 points for naming

the book that comes after, 30 points for naming the book that comes before,

and 50 points for finding the book in the Bible. On each turn, offer an additional

bonus question in a new category: “For 70 extra points, can you name the

Division in which the book is found?”

4. Just for fun, end the game by telling a volunteer to choose a “bow” from the bag

and for all the kids to work together to answer all five questions.

5. Option: “Wise Men Visited Jesus” Coloring Pages (CD).

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY ►COME, BOW, OR KNEEL

1. Guide the kids to practice these actions. As you say “Come,” they should walk

or march in place. As you say “Bow,” they should bend at the waist. As you say

“Kneel,” they should go to one knee. Practice a few times.

2. Form a circle. Explain that this time you will say, “Come,” and everyone will walk

or march in place until you say, “_______, you’re there!” Everyone will stop. The

person you named will put his hands in the air. The person to his left must bow

and say, “Bow.” The person to his right must kneel and say, “Kneel.” When all

three have completed their actions, the person you named will say “Come,” and

everyone will start walking in place again. Then he will say, “_______, you’re

there!” naming another child, and play will continue.

3. Explain that the three actions—coming, bowing, and kneeling—are part of

today’s story as the kids will learn that people should worship Jesus .

►Show the “Wise Men Visited Jesus: Introduction” video.

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E 1s t & 2nd G R A D E 33© 2017 LifeWay

›Pack Items 1-4, and 13: “Unit 1 Banner,” “How the World Was Saved,” “Luke 2:11,” Unit 1 Questions,” and “Gifts of the Wise Men”

›Teaching Picture 5

›CD

›DVD

STUDY THE BIBLE

LEARN THE WEEKLY VERSE►Use Bibles.

• Guide the kids to find Psalm 95:6 in their Bibles.

• Read the verse aloud. Ask whether kids heard the words from the game they

played. Lead the kids to repeat the verse, doing the actions for the three words.

Repeat the verse a few times.

TELL THE BIBLE STORY►Use Bibles.

• Guide the kids to find Matthew 2:1. Ask what people are named in the verse.

(Jesus, King Herod, wise men) Explain that today’s Bible story involves all these

people.

►Provide Bible background.

• Invite the group to repeat Luke 2:11. Explain that as today’s Bible story begins,

Jesus had been born and the shepherds had visited Him and gone back to their

fields. Some time had passed, and Jesus was no longer a “new born” baby.

• Challenge the kids to listen for the answer to this tricky question: How many wise

men worshiped Baby Jesus?

• Be ready to show the “Gifts of the Wise Men” pack item during the story. With

your Bible open to Matthew 2, tell the Bible story in your own words.

►Tell the Bible Story: Wise Men Visited Jesus

One day, Jerusalem had unexpected visitors. Wise men arrived after a journey

from somewhere in the east. They asked, “Where is the One born King of the

Jews? We saw His star and are here to worship Him.”

When King Herod heard about the wise men, he was upset along with

everyone else in Jerusalem. King Herod called for the people who studied

the Scriptures. He asked them where the Messiah would be born. Because

the priests knew Micah’s prophecy, they knew the Messiah would be born in

Bethlehem.

Herod secretly called for the wise men. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying,

“When you find the Child, come tell me so I can worship Him, too.”

The wise men went on their way—and there was the star! They were filled

with joy as it led them to the place where Jesus was.

The wise men found Mary with Jesus. The men fell to their knees and


worshiped Jesus. They brought out treasures and gave Jesus gifts of gold,

frankincense, and myrrh. [Show the pictures. Share some or all of the information.]

As they slept, God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod.

The wise men obeyed and returned to their country another way.

— B A S E D O N M A T T H E W 2 : 1 - 1 2

►Ask the tricky question.

• Ask how many wise men came. Explain that the Bible does not tell how many

there were but because there were three gifts, people often think of there being

three wise men.

PEOPLE SHOULD WORSHIP JESUS►Show the Teaching Picture.

• Ask what the picture shows. Ask kids to tell how the wise men worshiped Jesus.

Continue by asking kids how they can worship Jesus. If no one mentions it,

explain that worship can include how a person feels about Jesus and the person’s

attitude and intent. Explain that the Bible says obedience can also be an act of

worship that people can give to Jesus.

►Show the “Wise Men Visited Jesus: Life Action” video.

• Ask why Chuck said people worship Jesus. (because the Bible tells people to worship

Jesus; because people love Jesus; because people are thankful for all Jesus did; so that

others can see how amazing Jesus is) Discuss these ideas with the kids.

WORSHIP WITH PRAYER AND SONG • Explain that prayer is one way to worship. People can pray and tell God how

much they love Him. Invite the kids to bow or kneel if they would like to. (Do not

insist.) Ask the kids to quietly pray to God and thank Him that they can know and

worship His Son, Jesus. After a few moments, say, “Amen.”

• Tell the kids that worship can be quiet or like a celebration. Sing “How the World

Was Saved” (track 1).

REVIEW • Ask the questions from this session. Tell the kids to stand and bow if they know

the answer, and to kneel if they are not quite sure. Tell the kids who bowed to

whisper the answer to kids who knelt. Ask everyone to tell the answer aloud.

PeoPle should worshiP Jesus. LIFE POINT


LIVE IT OUT

CHOICE 1►My Gifts to Jesus

1. Complete the Kids Activity Page.

2. Show the Teaching Picture. Let kids tell their favorite parts of the story and

whether those parts are shown in the picture or not. Show the “Gifts of the Wise

Men” pack item and recall what gifts the wise men gave to Jesus. Point out that

each of their gifts were things they could buy, but that other gifts to Jesus do not

have to be purchased. Explain that whenever people obey Jesus or show love to

Him or others, they are worshiping Him.

3. Let kids take turns choosing “My Gifts to Jesus” cards from the gift bag and telling

what is on them. Ask kids whether the action is something possible for them

to do. Ask if it could be done with a poor attitude or a good attitude, and what

difference that would make.

4. Guide kids to print or draw on index cards ways they will worship Jesus. Give each

child a gift bag in which to keep her cards. Challenge the kids to use the cards at

home to remind them to do the actions because people should worship Jesus.

CHOICE 2 ►Ring in the New Year!


2. Review the Bible story. Emphasize that the wise men worshiped Jesus when they

visited Him. Invite kids to tell ways they know to worship Jesus.

3. Explain that people often begin the new year by celebrating with party blowers.

Suggest kids make party blowers with reminders about worshiping Jesus. Guide

kids to:

-Fold the long edges of their paper strips toward the center of the strips and

crease the folds.

-Tape the edges together from one end to the other.

- Fold one end and tape it completely closed.

-Print down the length of the untaped side either a way they will worship Jesus

or a message such as I will worship Jesus in 2018!

- Insert a straw half into the open end, fold the paper closely around the straw,

and tape it closed.

4. Help kids roll up the paper tubes beginning at the taped end. When they release

the roll and blow into the straw, the paper will unfold, showing the new message!

5. Lead the kids to say the Life point: People should worship Jesus.

CHOICE 1

›Kids Activity Pages

›Pack Items 13 and 14: “Gifts of the Wise Men” and “My Gifts to Jesus”

›Teaching Picture 5

› Index cards, markers or pens, and gift bags for each child plus one extra

›Place the “My Gifts to Jesus” cards in the extra gift bag.

CHOICE 2


›Plastic drinking straws, scissors, 3-by-11-inch strips of colorful paper (wrapping paper or thin scrapbook paper), tape, and markers

›Cut the straws in half.

TEACHING TIPPlastic straws are not all the same. Fatter straws will work better for this activity. Papers are also different. For this activity you want a thinner, flexible paper that will roll up more easily.


CHOICE 3►Worship Wall


2. Review the Bible story. Emphasize that the wise men worshiped Jesus when they

visited Him. Invite kids to tell ways they know to worship Jesus.

3. Enlist the boys and girls to help you tape the art paper to a wall (or pin it to a

bulletin board). Across the paper, print or ask a child to print WORSHIP in large

letters. Challenge kids to think of ways to worship that begin with each letter

in the word “Worship.” For example: welcoming people to church, offerings,

reading the Bible, singing, hearing Bible stories, inviting people to church, and

praying. Print the kids’ ideas on or around the appropriate letters. Point out that

some of the ways to worship involve money such as offerings, but that most are

things that you do with the proper attitude.

4. Ask the kids to think about ways they can worship Jesus in other places besides

church. Guide them to print or draw pictures of the places and activities they

name. They can write or draw directly on the art paper or on separate sheets

of paper and add them to the wall when finished. Option: Help the kids to add

bulletin board borders.

5. Lead the kids to say the Life point: People should worship Jesus

WRAP UP

►Missions Emphasis:

• Review the missions story or replay one of the videos. Remind the kids that Trey

Haun chose to follow Jesus and become a Christian. Thank God that the kids are

learning about Jesus. Ask God to continue to work in each life.

►Show the “Wise Men Visited Jesus: Wrap Up” video.

• Lead the kids to repeat Luke 2:11. Remind the kids to give their One Conversation™

pages to their parents.

• Lead everyone to say, “Happy New Year!”

►This week:

• Ask God to guide you as you prepare to lead the new study, “The Bible Is True.”

Ask Him to help make the stories of Old Testament heroes of the faith come alive

for girls and boys.

CHOICE 3


›A large sheet of colored craft paper or a bulletin board, tape or thumb tacks, markers, and plain paper

›Option: Provide bulletin board borders.

WRAP UP

›DVD

LIFE POINT PeoPle should worshiP Jesus.


WISE MEN VISITED JESUS - Amazon S3 · 2017-11-27 · unique astronomical phenomena—to tell them...

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