THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

One night these wise men saw a very strange sight. In the sky was a bright star. They had never seen this star before, so they felt its appearance ment something special had taken place. The wise men had studied God's Word and knew that it was about time for God to send His Son to the earth. They believed that the star was a sign that Jesus had been born.

The men packed gifts to give the new King and then began their journey. They wanted to find the Son of God and worship Him.

As they came into Jerusalem the star that they had been following disappeared.

The men asked those living in Jerusalem if they knew anything about the birth of a great ruler. It wasn't long before everyone was talking about the birth of a new king.

When Herod the king of Jerusalem learned that everyone was talking about the birth of a new king he grew worried. He was afraid this new ruler would replace him as king. He didn't know that Jesus was born to be King of the whole world - not just Jerusalem.

Herod wanted to know more about this new king so he asked all his smartest helpers where this new king was prophesied to be born.

"In Bethlehem of Judeah," they told him, quoting from the prophet Micah.

Then Herod sent his chief priests and scribes away and secretly had the wise men brought to him.

"Tell me exactly what time this star appeared in the sky," Herod said, for he wanted to know just how old the new king was. The wise men didn't know Herod wanted to destroy the new king, so they told him when they had first seen the star.

"Go to Bethlehem," Herod told them, "and find this new king. Then come back and tell me where he is, so that I can worship him too."

But the evil king Herod didn't really want to worship Jesus. He wanted to destroy Him.

The wise men left Herod and started once more on their journey. They were happy to see that the star was again there to guide them. They followed it as it slowly moved across the sky. At last it came to rest over the top of the house where the baby King and His parents were living.

The wise men were very happy to have found the Christ Child. They gave Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and worshiped Him.

The wise men had come a long way and were tired. Mary and Joseph invited them spend the night with them. In a dream that night God told the wise men not to return to Herod. So the men went home by another way.