Lesson Objective:
The children will learn where the idea of giving gifts at Christmas originated.
Scripture:
Matthew 2
Arrival:
As the children arrive, talk to them about a favorite Christmas gift they have either received or given. Sing Christmas songs.
Prayer:
Thank the Lord for His gift of Jesus Christ.
Lesson:
Ask the children if they have any idea who gave the first Christmas gift. Take responses. They will likely talk about Santa Claus. They may even talk about the shepherds (who may have given sheep to baby Jesus, but this is not recorded in the Bible). Then, tell the story:
We know the first people to welcome baby Jesus into the world were the shepherds, but the Bible doesn’t tell us whether or not the shepherds gave Jesus any gifts. It does, however, tell us of some others who did.
When Jesus was born, some men who lived in the East saw something. They saw a brilliant star in the heavens, one that they had never seen before. We do not know much about these men, but chances are they were learned men, maybe even scientists, who spent many days studying the heavens. They knew according to the star’s position and prophecy they had studied that the star meant a king had been born. They set out right away to visit the king. We call these men the “wise men.” In most Christmas stories and songs, we say there were three of them, but the Bible does not tell us how any there were. (Read Matthew 2 aloud to prove this).
Before the wise men left on their journey, they discussed the best possible gift for the newborn king. After all, they could not come to meet a king without something precious. They brought three things: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We know what gold is, and this is obviously a valuable gift for a king, but what are frankincense and myrrh? These were very valuable oils that were sometimes used to burry people and preserve their bodies. Maybe the wise men knew that one day Jesus would have to die for His people.
The journey took a long time. In your Christmas storybooks you probably see the wise men kneeling by the manger scene, but this is not what happened. The Bible says that the wise men came to a house where the child (Jesus) was. Jesus was probably a couple of years old when they came.
The wise men followed the star to Israel, and they went to the leader Herod’s palace. They explained that they had followed the star and wanted to meet the new king.
Herod, however, was not excited about a new king. He did not want someone to take his place. He told the wise men, “The scriptures say the king will be born in Bethlehem. Go, find him, and tell me where he is so I can worship him too!”
Herod didn’t want to worship baby Jesus. He wanted to kill him!
The wise men did not know this, so they agreed. They traveled to Bethlehem, still following the star, until it stopped over the house where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived. They gave their gifts to the child and spent some time worshiping him. During the night, an angel came in a dream and warned the wise men about Herod’s plan. They did not tell Herod where the child was, but left a different way.
So that is the story of the first Christmas gift. Today on Jesus’ birthday, we give each other gifts to remember what the wise men did. We can also remember the ultimate gift, the gift of a Savior, which was given on the first Christmas so many years ago.
Memory Verse:
Help the children learn Matthew 2:11b. This verse will help them remember the three gifts the wise men gave.
Craft/Game:
Color the wise man picture or find an appropriate image of your own. Be careful not to use one showing the wise men visiting an infant, as this is not accurate.
Dismissal:
Remind the children to think of the gift of Jesus this Christmas.