The Magi's Gifts

Lesson: Jesus' Divinity, Holiness and Death

This is a good lesson to use for Christmas or to start off a series on Jesus' life and ministry.
1. Story: 
Tell the story of the 3 Magi (wise men) based on Matthew 2:1-12.
You can use simple props like crowns or boxes in Christmas wrappers.
You can have a picture card of each box to depict the Magi's gifts or something to symbolise the gift (e.g. a gold ring/coin, incense sticks, and a small perfume bottle)

2. Lesson:

• The 3 Gifts: Gold, Incense, Myrrh
• These are unusual gifts to give a baby. But these gifts foretold what the baby will do when He grows up.

• What is gold?
• Have you seen gold? E.g. mummy's ring, daddy's gold coin, king's crown etc
• Gold is something very very precious. 
• Gold is something we give to the king because it's so valuable.
• The wisemen gave Jesus gold because they recognised Him as the King of kings.

• What is incense?
• People burn incense when they pray/worship in the temple. 
• The wisemen gave Jesus incense because they recognised Jesus as holy and wanted  to worship Him.

• What is myrrh?
• When someone dies, they put myrrh to keep the body from rotting so fast. It talks about death.
• The wisemen gave Jesus myrrh to symbolise His mission on earth — to give up His life and die for all of us. 
• “…just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:2)

• Ok ... let's revise:
• Gold tells us that Jesus is the ...? King!
• Incense tells us that Jesus is ...? Holy!
• Myrrh tells us that Jesus ...? Died for us!

• Do you know ... the wisemen gave special gifts to Jesus. Jesus also gave us special gifts!
• When we receive Jesus
• We become children of the King of kings
• “…by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…”  (2 Pet 1:4).
• We become holy
• …and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:24).
• We have His life
•  He died to take the punishment for our sins so that we can be ALIVE in Him
• “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Eph 2:4)

3. Prayer:

Who wants to be children of the King? Who wants to be holy? Who wants to have eternal life?

Thank you Jesus that though You were King, you came to be with us.

Thank you Jesus that You lived a holy life so that I can have your righteousness.

Thank you Jesus that You gave Your life for me so that I have eternal life.

Thank you Jesus that I’m now a child of God forever.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have kids to choose one of the 3 gifts and thank Jesus for what they mean to them. 

e.g. “Thank you Jesus that I can be the child of a King,” “Thank you that because of You, I am holy and clean,” “Thank you that Myrrh reminds me that I have eternal life because Jesus died for me.”

4. Activity Ideas:

a. Song: Three Wisemen (sung to the tune of "Three Blind Mice")

    Three wise men, three wise men.

    Followed the star, followed it far.

    They followed the star to Bethlehem

    Bowed down and worshiped the newborn king

    Gave gold, and myrrh, and frankincense,

    To Jesus the king. 

b. Activity sheet: Wisemen Maze

c. Colouring: 3 Wisemen

d. Craft: The Magi's Gifts

Stick items that depict each gift (e.g. gold chocolate wrapper, frankincense and myrrh incense sticks) onto a card and write what they remind us about Jesus.




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Youth Bible Study

Leader’s Guide

The Magi’s Gifts

1. Read Matthew 2:1-12

2. Who were the main characters?

Magi – Wise men, “Kings”; Learned astrologers / astronomers; advisors to kings; From the East; Followed star; How many??

King Herod – Greatly troubled; Prophecy: ruler from Bethlehem; Tricked Magi: “So that I may worship him”

Baby Jesus – Overjoyed; Bowed down and worshiped him; Opened their treasures: gold, incense and myrrh; Dream warning; returned to their country by another route.

3. What were the gifts presented to baby Jesus?

Gold, incense and myrrh

4. These were rather unusual gifts. What were they normally used for and what did they symbolise?
Gold: Most precious metal – Divinity: Symbol of Kingship; Recognised Jesus as GOD

Incense/Frankincense: Used in temple incense as worship – Holiness & Righteousness: Jesus lived a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS life 

Myrrh: Used as embalming agent for dead bodies – Suffering & Death; Jesus was born to DIE for us “…just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:2)

5. These gifts were prophetic of Jesus’ ministry. What do they mean for us today?
   
   a. Gold = We share Jesus’ divine nature when we accept Him as our Saviour
   “…by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…” (2 Pet 1:4).
   
   b. Frankincense = When we receive the gift of salvation (Gold), we will be holy
   ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool’”
   (Isaiah 1:18)
   …and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
   (Eph 4:24).
   
   c. Myrrh: He died to take the punishment for our sins so that we can be ALIVE in Him
   “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions”
   (Eph 2:4)
   

6. What is one thing that Jesus has done that you can thank God for?

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