Lesson 8 – The Visit of the Wise Men

The Wise Men came to see the Savior and honor Him with gifts. In church, we see the Savior in His Gifts of Word and Sacrament, which honor and bless us.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible. Also paper and pencil will be needed.

 Watch the video, "Jesus: King of Kings".

What kings did the video show? The video identifies God the Creator as a king; sin and its many other names (e.g., lust, greed pride); and Jesus, the King of kings, who returned amidst poverty, violence, and oppression to break sin's power and make a way for humanity to return home.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be born as a baby, to live a perfect life, and to pay for our sin when He died on the cross. In His resurrection, You give us riches that even kings covet. Open our hearts to Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

What is a legend? An urban legend? A legend is a story told as historical fact about a person or place. The story of young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree is a legend. Urban legends rapidly circulate on the Internet or by word-of-mouth. Some embellish facts; others are untrue.

A nativity scene with a baby, parents, shepherds, angels, and Wise Men give a sense of peace. In this lesson, we will separate legends from truth.

Using the Student Page at the end of the lesson, read the Bible verses and answer the questions.

SECTION 1: The Visit

 

Read Matthew 2:1-12

 

The Greek word magoi is translated as Magi, Wise Men, or kings. Magi advised kings. Where did the Wise Men who came to Jerusalem live? The Wise Men were Gentiles from "the East”. They were astronomers who saw God's sign of the Messiah: a rising star. They may have been Persians who learned about the Messiah from Jews in exile in Babylon.

What did they want? Why did they look in Jerusalem? They came to find and worship the newborn king of the Jews after seeing His star rise. Jerusalem was the capital city. It seemed logical to look for Israel's king there.

How did King Herod and the people respond? They felt troubled.

What did Herod ask the chief priests and scribes? Herod asked where the Christ would be born. Verse 6 tells us the religious leaders said "Bethlehem" and quoted Micah 5:2. Bethlehem, also known as "the city of David' was a little town about six miles south of Jerusalem.

What did Herod want when he summoned the Wise Men secretly? What did he ask them to do? Herod wanted to know when the star appeared. He told the Wise Men to find the child and send word so Herod could worship Him. In reality, Herod wanted to destroy this possible threat to his power.

What did the star do for the Wise Men? How did they respond? It led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and rested over the place where the child was. They rejoiced exceedingly.

What did the Wise Men do when they saw the child and His mother? What gifts did they give? They fell down and worshiped Him and then offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Why did the Wise Men decide not to go back to tell Herod about Jesus? God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. They heeded this warning and returned to their homeland by another route.

 SECTION 2: The Aftermath

Read Matthew 2:13-23

How did Joseph hear about Herod's evil plans? An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod's search.

What did Joseph do? When did he do it? He rose and took Mary and Jesus to Egypt that very night.

What made Herod angry? The Wise Men not telling him where the child was

Why did Herod kill male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area? To kill off any possible threat to his crown and kingdom.

How did Herod decide which children to kill? He reckoned from the timing of the rising star to kill all male children two years or younger.

Who told Joseph to return to Israel? Why? An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, telling him to return to Israel because Herod was dead.

One of Herod's sons, Herod Archelaus, administered part of the kingdom for Rome after Herod died. Archelaus ruled Judea, the region with Bethlehem, the city where the Holy Family had fled. Why did Joseph take his family to Galilee instead? To avoid Archelaus

Let’s separate legend from truth.

How many Wise Men were there? We don't know. Art often shows three men because there were three gifts. Eastern Christian tradition suggests twelve Magi.

What were the Wise Men's names? Scripture provides no names. Legend offers Gaspar, king of India; Melchior, king of Persia; and Balthasar, king of Arabia.

Did the Wise Men ride camels? It’s possible, but Scripture doesn't say.

Did the star lead the Wise Men from their homeland? No, it led them only from Jerusalem to the place where the child Jesus lived.

Did the Wise Men visit Jesus when He was a newborn lying in a manger? No, they found Jesus and Mary in a house.

God had a plan for His Son and for us. Coming to this world in the flesh was immediately life-threatening for Jesus, but life-saving for us. God protected His Son until the time was right for His work of redemption. The search for Jesus didn't stop at Bethlehem; it ended at His empty tomb.

We Live

Many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah are fulfilled in this chapter of Matthew. This matters because Jesus' claim to be the Christ, the Messiah, relies on His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

In Matthew 2:3-6, we see that religious teachers quoted Micah 5:2. Why did they do this? To show they understood that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:15 quotes Hosea 11:1. How did Jesus fulfill this prophecy? Jesus parents took Him to Egypt to escape Herod. By sending an angel messenger to tell Joseph it was time to come home, God called His Son out of Egypt.

Matthew 2:18 quotes Jeremiah 31:15. How was this prophecy fulfilled? Children in Bethlehem were killed, and their mothers mourned. Jeremiah spoke about Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife, who had been buried long ago in Ramah (near Jerusalem). Years later, Jeremiah pictured Rachel weeping for her children as they went into exile in Babylon. Minor differences in wording result from different translations of the text.

Matthew 2:23 says the prophets said the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Jesus grew up in the small town of Nazareth, but no Old Testament book has specific prophecies that say “Nazarene”. Bible scholars suggest this verse has deeper meaning. Nazareth comes from the same Hebrew word as "sprout" or "branch" (netzer).

Read Isaiah 11:1 (on Student Page). This verse calls the Messiah "a shoot from the stump of Jesse" (David's father) and "a branch from his roots."

Did Jesus come from the "stump of Jesse"? Yes, Jesse was King David's father. Joseph and Mary came from this lineage (Luke 3:23-38; Matthew 1:1-17).

Many Old Testament verses prophesied that kings would visit and bring gifts of gold and frankincense. Read Isaiah 60:3, 6 (on Student Page).

What was significant about the gifts the Magi gave? Gold is a gift for kings. Frankincense is a gum resin, a gift for priests that reminds us of prayers rising to God. Myrrh was an aromatic resin that was used to embalm the dead. Jesus is the King of kings and the Priest who intercedes on our behalf. He died to pay for our sins. Myrrh was used to prepare His body for burial (John 19:39-40).

This is a list of Old Testament prophecy verses with correlating New Testament fulfillment references and brief descriptions.

• Matthew 2:3-6/Micah 5:2 - Messiah born in Bethlehem
• Matthew 2:15/Hosea 11:1 - Son called out of Egypt
• Matthew 2:18/Jeremiah 31:15 - killing of children
• Matthew 2:23/Isaiah 11:1 - Nazarene
• Matthew 2:1-11/Isaiah 60:3, 6 - kings visit and bring gifts

Closing

 Prayer: Jesus, with the Wise Men we worship You and give You thanks for being our Savior. Hide Your Word in our hearts. Empower us to live in Your grace. In Your name we pray. Amen.