December 12

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose and we have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1&2

What do we know about the wise men? Not much. We know they were called magi. Some eastern cultures might regard them as astrologers, philosophers, or priests. Other cultures could possibly think they were just magicians. Whatever their upbringing, they became wise men when they set their sights on the star. They noticed something different in the heavens. They researched the possibilities of what it could mean and then choose to check it out. Travel in that day was not fast. The magi would have traveled in a caravan. It would have taken many days and some speculate a year or more to travel to Bethlehem. But they were determined. They had a purpose. Have you chosen to follow His star? Are you determined to go the distance? Are you ready to seek to where the star points?

Father, thank You for directing me to Your Son. There are so many signs You have given me; help me not to ignore them any longer. Amen.

Twelfth-Day Activities

How many wise men were there? Because there are three gifts mentioned in the Bible, we have determined there must only be three. But there may have been many more, and they definitely would have had many people along with them. Maybe today would be a good day to bring out the wise men from the your nativity storage box.  Let them start the journey to Bethlehem, taking them throughout the house. Be sure they travel with their camel! 

Today you could make a paper chain of stars to decorate your house. Just take different-colored construction paper and draw stars of different shapes and sizes. Cut out the star shapes. Then using a paper punch, place a hole at the top. Thread yarn through the hole and tie off before adding another start a few inches way. Be sure to let your children help you string them up around the house.

For the older kids, check out some of the websites that allow you to view the stars. You can also view the night sky and check out all the constellations. This could be a fun family experience, and then at night go outside and see if you can identify any of the stars from web site. You could also look closely at the stars if you know anyone with a telescope. Invite them over to dinner and then spend time gazing at the sky.