Epiphany
We have three church seasons about Jesus’ coming to earth as a man. The first
season is Advent. Advent is when we prepare our hearts to celebrate
Christmas and for His second coming. Christmas is our celebration that Christ
Jesus came to earth and lived here with us. Epiphany is the celebration of Christ
being the Light of the World and how He brought this light to us. Epiphany is the
time when we think about Christ’s light and how we also can shine as His lights in
our world.
Old Testament – Isaiah 60:1-6
God shows Isaiah a future time when all Israelites will return to their homeland.
There will be joy and everyone will have more than enough. This future time is
also for us. When Jesus comes again, everyone will have joy and abundance.
Isaiah 60 is sung below. Think about what it means to have joy and how you can
help those around you have enough.
Old Testament – Psalm 72
Psalm 72 was written by King David for his son, Solomon. Psalm 72 tells about the
reign of a king who does what is right and good. This psalm also points to the
future when Lord Jesus will come again to reign as king over all creation. He will
protect the poor and needy. He will rescue those who are being treated unfairly.
As believers, we are called also to protect those who have no voice. Today think
about how you can do this in your own life as you listen to Psalm 72 sung.
New Testament – Ephesians 3:1-12
God shows Paul that the gospel is not just for Jews. God intends the gospel to be
for everyone everywhere. Paul sharing this message has gotten him into trouble
and it is the reason he is in jail. Paul’s life is worth thinking about. Paul did what
was right and what God wanted him to do. As a result, Paul was in prison and
would be killed for Jesus.
New Testament – Matthew 2:1-12
The events surrounding the wise men’s visit to Baby Jesus is told here. No one
knows how many wise men there were or where they came from. The wise men
showed incredible faith in that they left their homes and followed a star not
knowing where it would lead them. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they went to
King Herod to pinpoint where Jesus actually was. King Herod and everyone in
Jerusalem was frightened. Wow! What a sad reaction! The wise men found
Jesus and they were filled with joy and knelt down before Jesus. Imagine
powerful, rich men bowing down before a baby. Then God warned them not to
return to Herod and the wise men went home by another way.
The wise men teach us faith and humility. They show us that following Jesus has a
cost. Watch this story below.
Younger Children's Lesson:
Today is about the wise men that came from a far away country to visit Baby
Jesus. They gave Him gifts and worshipped Him. Think about how you can spend
time with Jesus today. Have fun coloring!
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