Big Idea: Jesus is the King of Kings and worthy of our worship.
Bible Basis: Matthew 2:1–12
Key Verse: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 (NIV)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord, open now my heart to hear, And through your Word to me draw near. Let me your Word ever pure retain; Let me your child and heir remain. All this I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN
Simply ask your child to share one good thing that happened today or this week (thumbs up) and one not-so-good thing (thumbs down). This is a great way to share celebrations and struggles with one another.
BIBLE LESSON VIDEO
ASK THESE QUESTIONS
For younger kids:
What was your favorite part of this story? Why?
Why do you think the Wise Men traveled all that way just to see Jesus?
For older kids:
What do you think this story teaches us about Jesus?
In what ways do you think Jesus is different than an earthly king?
REFLECT AND RESPOND
After the video, have your child pick one or more of the prompts on the GO! Home Guide.
Prayer Station prompt: Write a prayer to Jesus and tell Him why He’s the best King ever.
Journal Station prompt: There are lots of ways to worship Jesus. You can sing, draw, write, read the Bible, or help people. What’s your favorite way to worship and why? Write about it.
Bible Station prompt: Read it for yourself: Matthew 2:1–12. Draw a picture of the story or write to God about your favorite part of the story. Tell Him why you liked it.
Art Station prompt: Imagine you were worshipping Jesus at the manger. Draw a picture of it.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
+ Light It Up Connection Question
- Say: Christmas is over—what a bummer! It’s also the last week of “Light it Up”—double bummer!! We’re not finished just yet, though! Today, we’re going to hear about some Wise Men who took a looooong Christmas road trip to see Jesus. But before we get started, I want to ask you a question.
- Question: What’s the farthest you’ve ever traveled? Where did you go?
+ Wise Men's Crazy Christmas (Application Activity)
- Say: In today’s story, the Wise Men brought Jesus a bunch of different gifts. Who remembers what they were and why they were so special? (Answer: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These were gifts people used to honor a king. It was the Wise Men’s way of saying that Jesus was the King of the Jews and Savior of the world.) The greatest gift that the Wise Men gave was the gift of worship. We’re going to play a game right now that will help us think about different ways that we can worship Jesus.
- Directions: Give each kid a paper plate and one marker or pen. Tell the kids to put the plate on top of their head. One at a time, read the drawing instructions below and have the kids draw while the plates are on their head. When finished with all of the instructions, have the kids take the plate off of their head and show their drawing to each other. The drawings will most likely be hilariously bad. That’s okay—have fun with it! Finally, ask the questions below, but follow the corresponding directions that indicate who gets to answer first.
- Drawing Instructions:
- Draw a line for the ground.
- Draw a cactus on the ground.
- Draw a star in the sky.
- Draw a camel or horse on the ground.
- Draw a Wise Man on the camel or horse.
- Draw a gift in the hands of the Wise Man.
- Question: One of the ways we can worship Jesus is through singing. Do you have a favorite praise or worship song to sing? What do you like about it? (A cactus can’t grow if it’s not in the ground. Allow kids who have their cactus touching the ground to answer first.)
- Question: Another way to worship Jesus is through prayer. What kind of things do you pray for the most? (Touching a cactus can hurt! Allow kids who have their cactus NOT touching the Wise Man or camel to answer first.)
- Question: We can also worship Jesus by reading the Bible. What is your favorite story from the Bible and why? (If you drop your gift it will break. Allow kids who have their gift touching the Wise Man to answer first.)
+ Word Drop (Bible Memorization Activity)
- Directions: Place the stack of “Word” cards in the middle of the group. Each card will have a small part of today’s Bible verse on it. Today’s verse is: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 (NIV). Begin by having your group sort through the cards and figure out what order they go in. Have them lay the cards in the correct order in the center of the group. Allow your kids to read the completed verse a few times. When finished, have one of the kids in your group roll the die. If they roll a 1–5, remove that number of cards from the verse. After removing the cards, have your group recite the verse again. If someone rolls a 6, the entire group must stand up, run counter-clockwise around the circle, and sit down in their original spot. Once seated, have the entire group recite the verse together. (See below for a possible younger kid modification.) Choose another kid to roll the die and continue doing this until all of the cards have been removed and your group can completely recite the verse from memory. If your group still needs more practice by the end, lay all of the cards back on the floor in the correct order and play another round.
- Possible Modifications for Younger Kids: If your kids still struggle to read, consider using the following modification. Lay the cards in the correct order for the kids to see. Slowly repeat the verse with the kids numerous times so they can begin to memorize it with you. When they seem ready, choose a kid to roll the die. If they roll an even number, have the entire group recite the verse together. If they roll an odd number, have everyone in the group make a silly face. Repeat until everyone has had a turn.
- Question: There are lots of ways to worship Jesus. Singing, prayer, writing, drawing, reading the Bible, and helping people are just a few of the ways. What’s your favorite way to worship Jesus? Why?
+ Prayer Charade (Prayer Activity)
- Directions: Tell the kids in your group to think of something they’re thankful for. Have the kids take turns silently acting out what they’re thankful for while the rest of the group guesses what it is. When everyone has had a turn, open the kids in prayer by saying “thanks” to God for something you are thankful for. Following your prayer, allow the kids who are comfortable praying out loud to do the same. When everyone is finished, close the group in a final prayer.
- Question: Why do you think God deserves our thanks?
(Due to copyright restrictions, the printable materials described in the activities above are only available to those who have registered for Our Savior’s Kids. To register your child(ren), click the button below)
CLOSING PRAYER
Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to forgive all my sins and make me part of your family. Help me to worship and thank you every day for all that you do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
DURING THE WEEK
Read in the Bible the story that was the basis for this week’s lesson:
Matthew 2:1–12
Do more of the activities list above with your child.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LESSON?
Leave them in the comments below!