The wise men follow the star

Teacher background

Matthew’s Gospel tells this story right after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12). Wise men from the east see a new star and travel to Jerusalem to find a newborn king. King Herod is worried, because he wants no rival. Teachers of the Scriptures point to Bethlehem, the town the prophet Micah named. The star leads the visitors to a house in Bethlehem, where they find the child Jesus with Mary. They kneel, give gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and go home another way after God warns them in a dream.

The wise men were probably Persian stargazers. Matthew never says there were three of them or that they were kings; those ideas grew up later from the three gifts and from psalms about kings bringing gifts. Children enjoy learning that the Bible never counts the wise men.

The main idea for children is that God’s love is for everyone. The first people in Matthew’s Gospel to worship Jesus came from another country and another faith, and God led them to Jesus with joy. Some children in your group may have come from far away, or have family who did. Let the story tell them they belong.

This lesson stops at verse 12. Matthew goes on to tell of Herod’s anger and the family’s escape to Egypt as refugees (Matthew 2:13–23), a story better saved for older children.

For more background, read The wise men.

Welcome activity

Star search (5 minutes). Before class, cut out one paper star for each child and hide the stars around the room. When the children arrive, tell them that stars are hiding everywhere and each person can find one. A child who finds a star can help a friend who is still looking, until everyone has one.

Then gather in a circle and ask:

• Have you ever followed something to find your way, like a map, a sign, or a grown-up?
• What is the longest trip you have ever taken?
• If a new king were born, what gift would you bring?

Say: “Today’s story is about some travelers who followed a star for a long, long way. Let’s find out where it led them.”

Telling the story

10 minutes. Open your Bible to Matthew 2 and show the children where the story is. Then read this version aloud, or tell it in your own words. Pause where the notes in italics suggest. If you can dim the lights, hold up a flashlight as the star.

Far away in the east, there lived some wise men. They studied the night sky. They knew the stars by heart.

One night they saw something new. A bright new star! (Point up high.) “Look!” they said. “This star means a new king is born. Let’s go and find him. We will bring him gifts.”

So they packed their bags. They brought their best treasures. Then they set off on a long, long trip. (Walk in place.) They traveled for many days and many nights.

At last they came to the big city of Jerusalem. “This is where kings live,” they said. They went to the palace of King Herod. “Where is the new baby king?” they asked. “We saw his star. We came to worship him.”

King Herod did not like that question at all. (Make a worried face.) He wanted to be the only king. Everyone in Jerusalem was worried too.

Herod called the teachers who knew God’s book. “Where will this king be born?” he asked. The teachers read the words of the prophet Micah. “In Bethlehem,” they said. “God promised that a great leader would come from little Bethlehem.”

Herod called the wise men in secret. “Go to Bethlehem,” he said. “Look for the child. When you find him, come back and tell me. Then I can worship him too.” But Herod had a mean plan in his heart. He did not really want to worship the child.

The wise men set off again. And look! There was the star, going ahead of them. (Move your hand slowly across the sky.) It led them all the way to Bethlehem. Then it stopped. It stood right over one house. (Hold your hand still.)

When they saw the star stop, the wise men were so happy. They were filled with joy! (Jump and cheer.)

They knocked on the door and went inside. There was the child Jesus with his mother, Mary. The wise men knelt down on the floor. (Kneel.) They worshiped him.

Then they opened their treasure boxes. (Pretend to open a box.) They gave Jesus gold, a gift for a king. They gave him frankincense, a sweet-smelling gift that people burned when they worshiped God. And they gave him myrrh, a sweet-smelling spice for perfume and medicine.

That night the wise men had a dream. In the dream, God warned them, “Do not go back to King Herod.” So in the morning they went home a different way. (Turn around and walk a new way.)

The wise men came from far away. They came from another country. God led them to Jesus too. God’s love is for people from every land. And God’s love is for you.

Wondering questions

5 minutes. Wondering questions have no wrong answers. Ask one at a time, wait in silence, and welcome every answer without correcting it. Repeat back what a child says so they know you heard them.

• I wonder which part of this story you like best.
• I wonder what the wise men talked about on their long trip.
• I wonder how the wise men felt when the star stopped over the house.
• I wonder what Mary thought when visitors from far away knocked on her door.
• I wonder what gift you would bring to Jesus.
• I wonder who God might bring to us from far away.

After the wondering questions, play the quiz on the slides, or ask the questions aloud and let the children call out the answers.

Craft: a shining star

10 minutes. Each child makes a shining star to remember that God led the wise men to Jesus with a light.

You will need thin cardboard from cereal boxes, aluminum foil, tape, craft sticks or paper straws, pencils, safety scissors, markers, and paper strips. Draw a star about 6 inches across on cardboard ahead of time for children to trace, or trace a large star cookie cutter.

1. Help each child trace a star on cardboard.
2. Cut out the star. Help with the points, which can be tricky.
3. Wrap the star in aluminum foil, folding the edges over to the back. Smooth it flat so it shines.
4. Tape a craft stick or paper straw to the back as a handle.
5. Write “God’s love is for everyone!” on a paper strip and tape it to the handle.

Let the children hold their stars high and lead each other to the game.

Game: follow the star

7 minutes. Put a baby doll or a folded blanket on a chair at one end of the room. It stands for the house where Jesus was. Choose one child to be the star leader and give them the big paper star on a ruler, or let them use their own craft star.

1. The star leader walks slowly around the room, holding the star high. Everyone else follows in a line, like the wise men.
2. When the star leader stops, everyone freezes. Then the leader starts again.
3. When the leader reaches the house, everyone kneels and says, “We found Jesus!”
4. Everyone walks back to the start by a different path, like the wise men going home. Then a new child becomes the star leader.

Play until every child who wants a turn has led. Remind everyone to walk slowly in a small room. The game has no winners; everyone reaches the house together.

Memory verse

3 minutes. Teach the memory verse with motions.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Matthew 2:10

• “When they saw the star”: shade your eyes with one hand and point up with the other.
• “they rejoiced”: throw both arms in the air.
• “with exceedingly great joy”: jump up and down, or wiggle all over if you are sitting.

Say the verse together in a whisper, then in a regular voice, then with exceedingly great joy. The memory verse coloring page lets children color the words in bubble letters.

Snack idea

Optional. Serve star-shaped crackers, or cheese cut with a star cookie cutter, with orange slices as “gold.” Check for food allergies before class, and serve water or juice.

Closing prayer

Ask the children to hold up their stars or fold their hands. Read each line and let them repeat it after you.

Dear God,
thank you for the star
that led the wise men to Jesus.
Thank you that your love
is for people from every land.
Lead us to Jesus too,
and fill us with joy.
Amen.

Take-home note for families

Send this note home with the activity sheets. It also prints by itself on the printables page.

Today in Sunday school

Today your child heard the story of the wise men (Matthew 2:1–12). Visitors from the east followed a new star to find a newborn king. The star led them to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus with Mary, worshiped him, and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Churches tell this story at Epiphany, because it shows that God’s love is for people from every land.

Talk about it

• What was your favorite part of the story?
• How do you think the wise men felt when the star stopped?
• Who has come to our town or our church from far away? How can we welcome them?

Try this at home

Read Matthew 2:1–12 together. Go outside after dark and look for the brightest star you can see. Then take turns naming a gift you could give someone this week, such as a kind word, a helping hand, or a drawing.

Pray together

Dear God, thank you for leading the wise men to Jesus. Lead our family by your light, and help us welcome everyone. Amen.

Adapting for younger or older children

Younger children (ages 4 to 6). Tell the story with a flashlight star, three small boxes for the gifts, and a doll for Jesus, and keep it short. Leave out Herod’s secret plan. Skip the crossword and the word search, and use the maze, the coloring pages, the shining star, and the follow-the-star game. Teach only the memory verse motions.

Older children (ages 10 to 12). Read Matthew 2:1–12 together from a Bible, taking turns. Look up Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 60:1–6 to see the promises Matthew had in mind. Talk about why the first people to worship Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel came from another country. Use the crossword without the word bank, and invite the children to write a page of the wise men’s travel diary.