God’s Gift of His Son (The Three Wise Men) – Basic 1 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

The wise men, also called Magi, were wise and rich men from the East who studied the stars. They saw a special star, followed it to Jesus, worshipped Him and gave Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each gift showed who Jesus is: King, Priest and Saviour. The story is in Matthew 2:1-12.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• say who the wise men were and where they came from;
• tell how the wise men found Jesus;
• name the three gifts the wise men brought to Jesus;
• say what gold, frankincense and myrrh show about Jesus;
• give examples of how we can give gifts to Jesus today.

Who were the wise men?

• They were called Magi.
• They came from the East.
• They studied the stars.
• They were very wise and rich.
• They were also called “The Three Kings”.

How did the wise men find Jesus? (Matthew 2:1-12)

1. They saw a special star.
   • A bright, unusual star appeared in the sky.
   • This star was different from other stars.
   • It was the star of the King of the Jews.
   • God put the star there to guide them.
2. They followed the star.
   • The wise men travelled from far away.
   • They travelled on camels.
   • They followed the star.
   • The trip took many days.
3. They went to Jerusalem first.
   • They came to King Herod’s palace.
   • They asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”
   • They said, “We saw His star and have come to worship Him.”
   • King Herod was troubled.
4. The star led them to Jesus.
   • The star moved ahead of them.
   • It stopped over the house where Jesus was.
   • They were filled with joy.
   • They found Jesus with Mary His mother.

What gifts did the wise men give to Jesus?

The wise men brought three special gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

1. Gold

What is gold?

• A precious yellow metal.
• Very valuable and expensive.
• Used to make jewellery and coins.

What does gold show about Jesus?

• Gold represents royalty.
• Gold is for kings.
• It shows that Jesus is a King.
• Jesus is the King of Kings.

2. Frankincense

What is frankincense?

• A special sweet-smelling perfume.
• Made from tree sap.
• Very expensive.
• Used for worship.

What does frankincense show about Jesus?

• Frankincense represents priesthood.
• It is used in temples and churches.
• It shows that Jesus is our Priest.
• Jesus brings us to God.

3. Myrrh

What is myrrh?

• A special ointment or perfume.
• Made from tree resin.
• Used for anointing and burial.
• Sweet-smelling but bitter.

What does myrrh show about Jesus?

• Myrrh represents sacrifice.
• It was used to prepare bodies for burial.
• It shows that Jesus would die for us.
• Jesus is our Saviour who died and rose again.

Why are these gifts significant?

The three gifts show three things about Jesus.

1. Gold: Jesus is King.
   • He rules over everything.
   • He is Lord of all.
   • We should obey Him.
2. Frankincense: Jesus is Priest.
   • He brings us to God.
   • He prays for us.
   • We can talk to God through Him.
3. Myrrh: Jesus is Saviour.
   • He died for our sins.
   • He rose from the dead.
   • He gives us eternal life.

What did the wise men do?

1. They worshipped Jesus.
   • They bowed down before Him.
   • They honoured Him.
   • They knew He was special.
2. They gave their best.
   • They brought expensive gifts.
   • They gave their treasure.
   • They showed their love.
3. They rejoiced.
   • They were very happy to see Jesus.
   • They celebrated.
   • They praised God.
4. They obeyed God.
   • God warned them in a dream.
   • The warning was, “Don’t go back to Herod.”
   • They obeyed and went home another way.

What lessons do we learn from the wise men?

1. Seek Jesus.
   • The wise men travelled far to find Jesus.
   • We should also seek Jesus in our lives.
2. Follow the light.
   • They followed the star.
   • We should follow Jesus (He is the Light of the world).
3. Worship Jesus.
   • They bowed and worshipped.
   • We should worship Jesus too.
4. Give our best to Jesus.
   • They gave expensive gifts.
   • We should give Jesus our best.
   • Our time, love and obedience.
5. Be obedient.
   • They obeyed God’s warning.
   • We should obey God too.
6. Be persistent.
   • They did not give up on their trip.
   • We should not give up seeking God.

How can we give gifts to Jesus today?

Even though we cannot see Jesus physically, we can give Him the following.

1. Our hearts
   • Love Him with all your heart.
2. Our obedience
   • Obey His commandments.
3. Our time
   • Pray to Him daily.
   • Read the Bible.
   • Go to church.
4. Our worship
   • Sing praises to Him.
   • Thank Him.
   • Honour Him.
5. Our service
   • Help others.
   • Be kind.
   • Share the love of Jesus.
6. Our gifts and offerings
   • Give to the church.
   • Help the poor.
   • Share what we have.

Evaluation

Choose the correct answer.

1. The wise men followed a _____ to find Jesus.
   • a) bird
   • b) star
   • c) map
2. How many gifts did the wise men bring?
   • a) two
   • b) three
   • c) five
3. Gold shows that Jesus is a _____.
   • a) King
   • b) teacher
   • c) farmer
4. The wise men came from the _____.
   • a) West
   • b) East
   • c) South
5. The wise men _____ Jesus when they found Him.
   • a) ignored
   • b) worshipped
   • c) left

Assignment

1. Draw the three wise men with their gifts.
2. Learn the names of the three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
3. Give something to Jesus this week (your obedience, kindness, etc.).
4. Tell your parents about the significance of the gifts.