Note to the Teacher

Today is the day in the church year that we celebrate the coming of the wise men to Jesus and the first revelation of Christ to Gentiles (Epiphany). This lesson will explore that story and help students connect with the ways in which they notice and experience God in places outside the church.

1. Chocolate Discovery (10 minutes)

Grab a bag of chocolates if you want to make an extra strong connection with the story of the wise men, you can get a bag of gold-coin-shaped chocolates. Explain to the students that they will be exploring the story of the wise men who arrived after Jesus’ birth. They had the incredible experience of seeing a sign of a new king born in the sky and then being the first non-Jewish people to see Jesus.

Tell the students that you are going to throw the chocolates in the air, and they are going to race to pick up the largest number of them. Then, the person with the most chocolate will go first answering the question below. Then they will go in descending order from there based on the number of chocolates they collected. Then, throw the candy.

Once the mayhem is over, ask them the following question: “What is something you learned or discovered this past year either at school or in life? “

2. Read Scripture (5 minutes)

Explain to students that the wise men were the learned scientists of their day. Though many people in the modern world dismiss astrology (how the positions of the stars and planets may affect human affairs and events on earth), in the ancient world there is evidence that it was respected in the same way we respect legitimate science. These scientists are studying the night sky and made a major discovery. Modern astronomy tracks how objects move in space and studies the physical universe but does not take the extra step of assigning meaning or influence on humanity based on those movements. Do not confuse astrology and astronomy as you explore this story, NASA will thank you.

Read Matthew 2:1-12.

3. Discussion (15 minutes)

When you understand that the wise men were scientists, how does that change the story?
What do you think the life of a scientist was like in Jesus’ day as compared to now?
The gifts they give symbolize Jesus as a priest and king AND that his death would be for something meaningful. How does that deepen the interaction between the wise men and Jesus’ family?
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church say, “We recognize science as a legitimate interpretation of God’s natural world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world and in determining what is scientific. We preclude science from making authoritative claims about theological issues and theology from making authoritative claims about scientific issues.” What do you think that statement means? Why can it important for people of faith to be able to believe in both science and religion?

4. Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

It’s time to take a field trip. The wise men discovered a lot about Jesus and met Jesus without ever entering a church. This activity will invite students to think about and share the places and ways they experience God that are not directly connected to church.

If it is possible, take the group outside the church and explain that we believe that God is everywhere and meets us in many places besides the church. Invite students to take a walk around and create or find something that symbolizes a place or way they experience God outside the church.

Gather them back together to share what they found and how they experience God.