Session 2: The King is Born

Luke 2: 1-20; Matthew 2: 1-12

During the time when Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, took a census of all the people in the Roman Empire. All the subjects had to travel back to their hometown to be counted. Mary and her husband, Joseph, traveled to Bethlehem for the census as that was the city of Joseph's family. There, Jesus was born. Read Luke 2: 1-8 or watch the following video:

Video 1: The King is born in the manger

Source: Saddleback kids on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3656G6tWuI

Discuss:

Do you remember who else in the Bible was from Bethlehem?

David (son of Jesse), was from Bethlehem. God had sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to choose and anoint David as the next king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16).

What type of a place would you expect a King to be born in? What type of a place was Jesus born in? Why do you think he was born in such a humble place?

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When Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds who were nearby, telling them that a Savior had been born that very night. Read Luke 2: 8-20 or watch the following video:

Video 2: Jesus and the Shepherds

Source: Saddleback Kids on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJIC57EvYFo

Discuss:

How would you feel if you were one of the shepherds that night?

Why do you think the angels appeared to the shepherds first?

Answers vary. Here are some suggested reasons from biblical scholars:

- During that time, shepherds were humble man with a low social status. Angels appeared to them to show that Jesus came into the world for everyone, especially the downtrodden and lowly.

- Shepherds were simple men, who were humble and were more accepting of the message which the angels brought. If the angels had appeared to the chief priests and pharisees, it is likely that they would have questioned it. The shepherds, upon hearing the news, dropped everything and went to see Jesus immediately, and spread the news widely to everyone after.

- It is an early indication of the role that Jesus would play - he would be our good shepherd, looking after the flock.

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After a period of time, wise men from the East came to pay homage to Jesus. Read Matthew 2: 1-12 or watch the following video:

Video 3: Wise men come to pay homage

Source: Saddleback Kids on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk1LhnqROCM

Discuss:

Who is Herod? Why is he upset when he was told that a King had been born?

At that time, Judea was under Roman rule. Herod was appointed by the Romans to be king of the Jews.

Herod was worried that the new king would take his place. Long ago, there had been a prophecy by Balaam (Numbers 24:15-19) that a "star shall come forth out of Jacob... [and] Edom would be dispossessed". Herod was an Edomite, descended from Esau, who knew about this prophecy, and was worried that this new baby whom the Magi proclaimed as king would take his place.

He wanted to kill the new baby king to make sure that this would not happen

Why do you think the wise men came to pay homage to Jesus?

They had seen a star rising in the sky to announce a newborn king, and followed the star to find him. The wise men (Magi) is an early indication that Jesus was not only welcomed by the Jews, he was welcomed by people of all nations. Jesus would be a king of kings not just for the Jews, but for the whole world.