Jesus' Birth through the Eyes of the Wisemen

Games Workshop
Christ Seekers (Magi) – "Temple Courtyard"

Summary of Lesson Activities:
Children will play an action multiple choice game to help them remember the details of the magi story.

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 2:1-23

Lesson Objectives

• Children can name all three gifts given by the magi.
• Children can remember details from the magi story.
• Children can sequence events in the Magi story.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the Scripture and Background materials.
• Gather the materials.
  
  

Materials List:

• Bibles
• 9X12 posters for each of the three gifts
• circle to step into (such as a hoola hoop, or a piece of posterboard)
• note cards
• markers or pens

Advance Preparation Requirements:

• Make 9X12 (minimum) posters of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Make a picture of gold coins for gold.
• Make an incense box for frankincense with smoke coming out.
• Make a picture of a perfume bottle for myrrh
• Place the item name under each picture.
• Place the letter A under “gold”, B under “frankincense”, C under “myrrh”
  
  Optional: The questions can be put on notecards, which enables you to shuffle the cards and/or put the questions back in the deck to be asked again later, if they missed the answer the first time through.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers you have.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection
Ask the children what they know about the Magi story. Explain that some of what we know is stuff that was made up by hymn writers, or drama writers, and isn’t actually in the Bible. Invite them to pay close attention to the story as it comes from scripture.

Read Matthew 2:1-23 in unison. Pause after every few verses and ask children to explain what you just read.

The Game

1. Divide children into three teams (ABC) and give them their corresponding posters.
2. Read a question.
3. Instead of calling out the answer “A, B or C” to multiple choice questions, the children with the correct answer will step into the circle with their poster, and call out the correct answer. For example: If the children think the answer is B then the group with frankincense will step in the circle and say “frankincense.” The answer only counts if (a) it is right; (b) they say the name of the gift, not the letter; (c) everyone in the group is standing inside the circle.
   
   Note that for a couple of questions, there is more than one correct answer. In that case, both (or all) groups need to step into the circle and call out their name.
   
   You may wish to switch gifts periodically to allow all children to get a turn at “frankincense.”
4. If the children are just guessing, and don’t seem to know the answer, you can stop, and re-read that section of the story in the Bible.

Life Application

1. Give each group 3 note cards and, using their Bibles, write three questions (with multiple choice answers) that weren’t covered in the game. Play with these nine cards if you have time, or simply read out questions and answers. Make sure answers are correct.
2. Give the children copies of the questions and encourage them to test their parents and see how much they know.

Journaling
Three questions I would like to ask the Magi...

To take home
Copy of questions to quiz parents.

Adjustments for age levels and abilities
You make want to rearrange groups mid-game or have teams switch who holds the poster and calls out the answer to make sure one group doesn’t dominate.

How rowdy do you let this game get? This lesson was written to be fun for kinesthetic learners (learn through movement) and children absorb what they are learning through action, even if it appears that they aren’t paying 100 percent attention. In other words, a little rowdiness is expected, and okay, and you don’t have to wait for complete composure before asking the next question. If one child or group seems to run to the middle regardless of the question, then it’s time to slow things down and/or switch groups around.

If you have extra time…
Ask the children to retell the story in sequential order. If they forget something, go back to the Bibles and see what they missed.

Look up the prophecies quoted in Matthew (see background notes)

If time runs short…
Before class, highlight the ten questions you think are most important in yellow, the next ten in blue. After ten minutes of game play, see how far you have gotten. If you’re not as far as you’d hoped, read only yellow questions or only yellow and blue questions for the rest of the game.

Be creative:
How else might you play this game? What if you only have two children? What if the children are shy? What if they’re getting rowdy, and you are afraid someone will get hurt? Here are some game options:

 You could lay the posters in three corners of the room and have all the children run to the one they think is correct. [If the children are hesitant to move, include the shepherd in the game with the instructions to occasionally get it wrong on purpose. The children (rightly or wrongly) will follow the shepherd. Eventually, they may be willing to move without the shepherd.]

 Instead of posters, have children take the shape of the correct answer. Curl up like a gold coin, wave your hands like you are smoky frankincense, pretend to be/smell a perfume bottle.

 Let children take turns answering the questions. Lay the posters against a wall. The child answers by going over to the poster, raising it in the air and calling out the name.

Questions for the game:

1. When Jesus was born, who was king of Judea?
a. Solomon
b. Herod *
c. Caesar Augustus

2. How many magi came to see Jesus?
a. Three
b. Four
c. The story doesn’t say. *

3. What is the best word to describe what the Magi were?
a. Kings
b. Astrologers *
c. Professors

4. What were the names of the magi?
a. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
b. Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar
c. The Bible doesn’t say. *
Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar are names that were created in about the 7th century in the Western church. Eastern Christians have different names.

5. Where did the magi come from?
a. The East. *
b. The West
c. Jerusalem

6. Why did the magi leave home?
a. They saw a star. *
b. They thought the star meant a new king was born. *
c. They thought the star’s location was the place to find the baby.

7. Where did the magi stop to ask about the child?
a. Jerusalem. *
b. Egypt
c. Nazareth.

8. How did Herod feel when he heard about the magi?
a. Worried *
b. Excited
c. Sad. 

9. When Herod heard about the magi, he called together the chief priests and religious teachers. What did he ask them?
a. What do you think about those wise guys?
b. "Where will the Messiah be born?” *
c. When did the star appear?

10. When Herod asked the religious leaders where the Messiah would be born, what did they tell him?
a. "He will be born in Egypt, just as the prophet wrote.”
b. "He will be born in Nazareth, just as the prophet wrote.”
c. "He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote.” *

11. Herod secretly called in the magi. What did he ask them?
a. When they had first seen the star. *
b. What gifts they were bringing.
c. What was the name of the child.

12. After the magi answered Herod’s question, what did he tell them?
a. Go to Bethlehem and kill all the boys two years old or younger.
b. "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.” *
c. Go to Bethlehem and give the child some gifts from me, too.

13. When Herod told the magi he wanted to worship the new king, was he telling the truth?
a. Yes. He was excited that the Messiah had come.
b. No. He wanted to kill the child. *
c. The Bible doesn’t say.

14. After the magi talked to Herod, what did they do?
a. They followed the star until they came to the place where Jesus was. *
b. They went to Bethlehem and asked around until they found Jesus.
c. They followed the star to Egypt.

15. When the magi went into the house where Jesus was, whom did they see?
a. Joseph.
b. Mary. *
c. Jesus. *

16. Which of the following did the Magi NOT do when they first saw Jesus?
a. They warned his parents about Herod. *
b. They knelt down and worshipped Jesus.
c. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

17. What did the magi say to the shepherds?
a. In Bethlehem you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
b. May we follow you to Bethlehem?
c. Nothing. The shepherds are in a different story. *

18. After the magi met Jesus, they were warned in a dream about something. What was it?
a. Not to tell anyone they had seen Jesus.
b. Not to return to Herod. *
c. To hurry away to Egypt.

19. After the magi found Jesus, how did they avoid seeing Herod again?
a. They dressed in disguises.
b. They hurried through Jerusalem without stopping.
c. They went home by a different road. *

20. When Herod found out that the magi had tricked him, what did he do?
a. He ordered his men to kill all the boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years old and younger. *
b. He ordered his men to find the baby.

A lesson written by Lisa Martin from: Trinity UCC
Pottstown, PA

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