Story 30 · Ages 6–12
The Wise Men - Following the Star
Wise men from the East follow a star to find and worship baby Jesus.
Far away in the East, there lived some very wise men who studied the stars. They were called Magi, and they knew all about the patterns in the night sky. One night, they saw something amazing - a brand new star, brighter than any they had ever seen before!
The story
The wise men knew this was no ordinary star. Ancient writings had told them that when a great King was born in Israel, a special star would appear in the sky. "This must be the sign!" they said to each other excitedly. "The King of the Jews has been born! We must go and worship Him!"
So the wise men prepared for a very long journey. They packed food, water, and tents. They loaded their camels with special gifts fit for a king: gold (because He would be a king), frankincense (because He would be holy), and myrrh (a sweet-smelling perfume). Then they set out, following the star that moved slowly across the sky, night after night.
The journey took many, many days - maybe even weeks or months! They traveled across hot deserts and through mountains. Every night, they watched the star. Every day, they moved closer to where it was leading them. They never gave up!
Finally, the star led them to Jerusalem, the great city. The wise men went to King Herod's palace and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star and have come to worship Him!"
When King Herod heard this, he was very troubled. He didn't want another king! He called his priests and asked, "Where is this King supposed to be born?" They told him, "In Bethlehem! The prophets wrote that a ruler will come from Bethlehem."
King Herod told the wise men, "Go to Bethlehem and search for this child. When you find Him, come back and tell me, so I can worship Him too." But secretly, Herod had a wicked plan in his heart.
The wise men left Jerusalem and continued following the star. Can you imagine how excited they were? The star moved ahead of them until it stopped right over a house in Bethlehem! Their hearts beat fast with joy!
When they went inside the house, they saw Mary with little Jesus. He wasn't a tiny newborn anymore - He might have been one or two years old. But the wise men KNEW this was the King they had been searching for!
The wise men bowed down low and worshiped Jesus. Then they opened their treasure boxes and gave Him their precious gifts - shiny gold, sweet-smelling frankincense, and valuable myrrh. These were expensive gifts, the kind you give to royalty!
That night, God spoke to the wise men in a dream. "Don't go back to Herod," God warned them. "He wants to hurt Jesus!" So the wise men obeyed God and went home a different way.
Remember this
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
What did we learn?
The wise men had traveled so far, for so long, just to worship Jesus. They teach us that Jesus is worth seeking! No matter how long it takes or how hard the journey, finding Jesus is always worth it! And when we find Him, we should give Him our very best, just like the wise men did!
Big idea: God is always with us and loves us very much!