Scripture Passage
Overview
It is the stuff legends are made from. Wise men from the east find a baby wrapped in rags lying in a manger. A jealous king kills all the babies because he did not get his way. Dreams in the night. Moonlight donkey rides with a new baby. Well, this is not a legend—it is the truth.
Opening Activity: Items for Baby Jesus
Give your students two minutes to write down three items that they could give to Baby Jesus if they were one of the wise men.
Questions
- Why did you choose the items you brought for Baby Jesus?
- How do your gifts compare to the ones the Magi brought to Jesus in Bethlehem?
- If you had unlimited resources, how might that have changed what gift you selected?
- What do you think Mary and Joseph would say to you in response to your gifts?
Transition
Jesus, the Son of God, has always been someone who was sought after, even as a baby. Our story this week is no different. Some in our story want to worship the new King and some want to kill Him. However, God has a plan to save His son. Our lesson today is about gifts and deceit.
Bible Study Guide
Read Matthew 2:1-8.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “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.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Questions
- Why do you think the star went to Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem?
- Is it odd that King Herod did not know the prophecy of the Messiah? Why?
- How long do you think it took the priests and teachers of the law to figure out where Jesus was to be born?
- How do you think the Magi felt when nobody at first seemed to know where the Messiah was to be born?
Read Matthew 2:9-12.
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Questions
- How long had the Magi been looking for the Messiah?
- The Magi were extremely generous with Joseph and Mary. What was their motive(s)?
- On their long trip back home, what do you think the discussion was like regarding finding Jesus and how Herod felt about the newborn baby?
Read Matthew 2:13.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Questions
- In what other dream did God appear to Joseph?
- How much faith do you think it would have taken in order to leave in the middle of the night to go somewhere you’ve never gone before?
Read Matthew 2:19-23.
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Questions
- How many dreams does this make that God has used to communicate with Joseph?
- In what ways would this journey back to Nazareth be easier or harder than the journey to Egypt?
- What do you think Mary and Joseph thought of all the running and escaping?
- What could God ask you to do that might take a similar amount of faith?
Application
This is a very unusual story. Kings bearing gifts, and a king bearing a sword. It must have been incredibly stressful for Mary and Joseph, but we hear very little about that part of the story. Being afraid is mentioned in verse 22, but it is a very short comment.
Questions
- What does it say about how much trust Mary and Joseph had in God?
- How much faith do you have in God?
- Mary and Joseph were the kind of people that were completely sold out to God. What about you? Can your faith withstand the uncertainty of life?
Follow-Up
- Make a list of things that you are thankful that God has put in your life.
- Sit down with your family and ask them to think about things that they are thankful for too.
- Share your list with them, and ask them to share their items with you.
- Pray together and let God know how blessed you feel.
- Try doing this a couple times during the week.
- God is taking care of you, but have you noticed?
Scripture Passage
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
Overview
This week’s lesson focuses on the Magi—the wise men from the east. While this story is familiar, challenge your youth with a few pieces of trivia to possibly expose some holes in their understanding regarding this often-heard story, such as:
- How many wise men were there?
- Where did the star take them?
- True or False: The wise men found Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the stable.
- What did the wise men say to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph?
- What was the main purpose for the wise men’s visit?
The answers are:
- We don’t know. The number three comes from the three gifts mentioned (gold, frankincense, and myrrh—Matthew 2:11) and maybe because of the Christmas carol “We Three Kings.”
- First to Jerusalem (Matthew 2:2) and then to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9).
- False. They were in a house by the time the wise men arrived (not the same night the shepherds visited them in the stable; compare Matthew 2:11 with Luke 2:16).
- Nothing is recorded about what the wise men said in Bethlehem, although they were “filled with joy” and “fell down and worshiped him” and “gave him gifts.”
- The stated reason for their search was to find the newborn king and then worship Him (Matthew 2:2).
Invite the youth to take a fresh look at this story and to be sensitive for the Holy Spirit’s impressions for them to live as the wise men in contrast to the religious leaders at that time, and especially in contrast to Herod.
Star Chasers
What has caught your attention in the night sky?
Read Matthew 2:1-23.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “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.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
1. Where did the star lead the wise men?
- Bethlehem.
- Jerusalem.
- Toward the east.
- To the religious leaders of the Jews.
- To King Herod.
- To the Bethlehem shepherds.
- To the throngs waiting for the Messiah.
- To Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
- Other.
2. Why was Herod upset?
- He wasn’t.
- He was upset, but hid it so no one could tell.
- Just the mention of another king threatened Herod.
- The fact that the new king was a baby.
- The religious leaders hadn’t told him the Messiah’s birthplace.
- Herod wasn’t the first person to see the star.
- Jewish fervor for a Messiah could easily erupt into anarchy.
- Herod got upset easily.
- Other.
3. Why didn’t the religious leaders go to Bethlehem themselves?
- They didn’t believe the Messiah had been born.
- It was more than four miles away—too long a distance for them.
- They were offended non-Jews were looking for their Jewish Messiah.
- They weren’t that interested in the Messiah themselves.
- They never saw the star.
- They were offended that low-life shepherds had seen the Messiah there.
- They didn’t want to make Herod more upset than he already was.
- The whole thing was just a major inconvenience.
- Other.
4. What happened when the wise men left Jerusalem?
- Nothing much—they went back home.
- The star of angels led them to Bethlehem.
- The star led them to the very house where Jesus was.
- They worshiped Baby Jesus when they saw him.
- They shared the story of their journey.
- They gave expensive gifts as part of their worship.
- They warned Mary and Joseph about Herod.
- Other.
5. Why did Herod massacre all the little Bethlehem boys?
- The wise men never returned to report what they found in Bethlehem.
- His rage needed some outlet.
- Bethlehem was too close to Jerusalem.
- Mighty King Herod was just a pawn in the hands of Satan ( Revelation 12:4 ).
- It was reminiscent of Pharaoh throwing all the baby boys in the Nile.
- To eliminate any threat of another king in his realm.
- The angels were no longer in Bethlehem protecting the baby boys.
- Other.
6. What role did angels play in the story of the wise men and Baby Jesus?
- They formed the guiding star for the wise men.
- They guided religious seekers to find answers in Scripture.
- They warned the wise men to not return to Herod.
- They sang to the Bethlehem shepherds.
- They protected Jesus from Herod.
- They provided protection for all the baby boys in Bethlehem from Herod.
- They alerted Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt.
- They informed Joseph when to return from Egypt.
- Other.
7. Where do you go to worship Jesus?
8. The wise men gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What do you give Jesus?
Summary
The statement, “Those who are wise still seek Him,” remains true. Are you wise? To what extent do you seek Jesus? The wise men studied and then acted on what they observed, traveling by night to follow the star. The star first took them to Jerusalem, where their interest piqued the interest of Herod, but not the religious leaders. The book Desire of Ages has a fascinating chapter about this (chapter 6 “We Have Seen His Star”) that is definitely worth reading!
It’s easy to treat this as a children’s play, dressed in bathrobes and messing up partly memorized lines while child-size “wise men” appear by the manger, right after the shepherds. But the reality was much more intense.
They “fell down and worshiped.” That’s something we rarely do! They gave him expensive gifts. What have you given to Jesus lately? The religious leaders chose to ignore the whole thing, while Herod went to the other extreme and massacred all the little boys in the small village of Bethlehem. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to a foreign country immediately after Joseph’s dream. That doesn’t sound much like a children’s Christmas play.
How will you respond to this familiar story in this year? You’re not a little child—you haven’t been for quite a while. Will you respond like the religious leaders, like Herod, or like those who were wise? Those who are wise still seek him!
Application
Here are a few application ideas for you to move from Sabbath School into action this coming week. Here are some ways for you to be like the wise men.
- FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP
Worship can take many different forms. The song “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me asks the question, if you were unmistakably in the presence of Jesus, would you:
- Dance for Jesus?
- In awe be still?
- Stand in Christ’s presence?
- Fall to your knees?
- Sing “Hallelujah”?
- Not be able to speak at all?
Play the song “I Can Only Imagine” and then try the various responses, including actions and sounds. Do this at least once a week for the four weeks of February.
- GIFT-GIVING TO JESUS
Gift-giving might not be fresh in your mind any longer since Christmas was more than a month ago. However . . .
- Imagine being one of the wise men who visited Jesus and gave Him highly valuable gifts.
- Ask yourself what you have given to Jesus in the past.
- Then take the bold step of making a valuable gift to Jesus for the rest of 2025.
- If that’s too long for you, try the rest of this school year or the month of February. Your “valuable gift” might be money, but what might be even more valuable to you is your time, your talent, and/or your influence. While all of these are from God, He has given them to you to invest as you choose.
- What will you give to Jesus, and what will that look like?
- For example, if you give Jesus your valuable gift of time, will that mean you spend 10-15 minutes in private time with Him each day?
- Will you use it in 1-2 hour blocks of service?
- Will you create video content the preacher can use to make church sermons more visual?
- How about including someone left out to be part of your friend group?
- Would it be a gift to Jesus if you were proactive in gathering your family for a time of worship once a week?
- Choose a valuable gift to give Jesus this week. And then give it to Him.
- GO AND LISTEN
The most religious people in this story, the Jewish religious leaders, are the only ones in the story who didn’t actually go to Bethlehem—less than five miles from Jerusalem. Most of the lambs sacrificed in Jerusalem were born and bred in Bethlehem (clue!), so they were quite familiar with Bethlehem. But they couldn’t imagine that God would reveal the Messiah to lowly shepherds instead of the spiritually elite priests. They were further offended that non-Jews claimed to know about this as well. So, they refused to go. Even Herod went, although not to worship or even be a curious observer.
- Consider someone who hasn’t known God as long as you have. Those younger than you, and those who are homebound and not able to go to church as much as you are, are good candidates, as are people who aren’t religious and don’t even go to church at all.
- Go to one of these people and ask them about their thoughts and experiences about God.
- You aren’t there to convert them. Go to listen. You might be surprised by what you hear if you simply GO and LISTEN.
Quick Start Prayer Guide for Generation Z
By Kymone Hinds
It seems like such a simple request. It was a request made by the disciples to Jesus one day. They saw Him praying and were so impressed and impacted by His prayer that they wanted to learn to pray like Him.
Prayer can be one of the easiest things to do and one of the most difficult things at the same time. It’s like talking to a friend – that’s easy. It’s talking to a friend you can’t see or hear audibly – that’s hard. Let’s be honest, you look weird talking to someone that is invisible.
Even though God is unseen it does not mean that He is not accessible. He can be reached. He is just a prayer away. This guide will help you to connect with Him deeper and get more out of your time in prayer.
