THE THREE KINGS

Objectives:

1. Students should be able to tell the story of the three kings, or wise men.
2. Students should know that the star guided the wise men to Bethlehem.
3. Students should be able to name Herod as the king who wanted to kill Jesus.
4. Students should be able to name the gifts the kings gave the baby Jesus and know the significance of each.

Possible Lesson Plan:

1. Open with prayer. Review St. Simeon’s prayer. Have the students memorized it yet?

2. Scripture reading: Matthew 2:1-12.  Review the icon of the Nativity. Where are the three kings?  Does the Bible actually tell us how many kings there were?

3. Discussion questions: What were the gifts of the kings? What might be the meaning of these gifts? (gold for a king, incense for a priest, myrrh for His burial) Why did Herod hate Jesus? What did God tell the wise men to do? Who were the Magi? (highly respected scholars and scientists of Persia, astrologers and the most educated men of their day) Symbolism of these men of high rank coming and bowing before a poor, naked child? (possibly prefiguring the redemption of all the nations, not just the Jews), Symbolism of those traveling from the Orient to the true Orient from on high, following the light of a star to the one true light?

4. Play a learning game: The Big Step. Line up all the students against a wall. The opposite wall is the finish line. Each player must in turn answer a question about today’s lesson. If successful, he advances one step, as large as he can make it, towards the finish line. Some sample questions:

Who was the king at the time of Jesus’s birth?

What did the magi follow to find the baby?

Where was the baby Jesus?

What were the 3 gifts brought by the magi?

To what city did the magi go first?

How many magi were there according to the Bible?

The magi came from what direction?

Where did the magi go after leaving Bethlehem?

5. Add to your time line as before.

6.Close with prayer.