Epiphany: What Will You Bring?
Epiphany means appearing, as in the appearing or manifestation of the Christ child. Many Christians celebrate Epiphany on January 6, twelve days after Christmas, to recall the kings who came to worship Jesus. (In reality, we don't know exactly when the kings arrived.)
Read Matthew 2:1-12 from a child-friendly Bible.
The magi or kings were looking for the appearing of the Christ child. They came to worship him
and brought him gifts* of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They were willing to risk their own lives to
honor Jesus.
Read Romans 12:1-2 from a child-friendly Bible.
Before Jesus came to earth, people's sins were forgiven through animal sacrifices. But now,
because of Jesus' death on the cross, we don't have to kill animals to be forgiven. To be a living
sacrifice means giving your entire life—your heart, your mind, and your willpower—to God. One of
the ways we can be a living sacrifice is by helping and serving others.
As we celebrate the New Year, let us ask ourselves, "What gifts will I bring to King Jesus this year?
Will you give Jesus your heart, your life? (If you've never done so, you can do it right now by
admitting that you have sinned and need Jesus to save you and forgive you.)
Will you give Jesus your mind? (You can do so by reading his word everyday and thinking about
those things that please God.)
Will you give Jesus your willpower? (You can do so by asking him to change your will, your desires,
to be like his.)
Will you give Jesus your treasures? (You can do so by giving your gifts of money and talents to grow
God's kingdom!)
According to Romans 12, a follower of Jesus Christ should be able to answer this question: How will I serve others in the name of Jesus Christ this coming new year?
What You Do: Give each student a small piece of paper and a pen to write a prayer. Tell the class to prayerfully think about what they can bring to King Jesus this year. (Spend a few minutes praying and asking God to show the class what they can bring to Jesus.) Begin a sentence with, "Because Jesus is the King of my life, I will_________________." Then have the students fill in the blank. Have them write 3-4 sentences whereby they fill in the blank. (For example, "Because Jesus is the King of my life, I will show kindness to my enemies." or, "Because Jesus is the King of my life, I will spend more time reading his word.")
Make Epiphany Prayer Boxes to store the prayers. (Alternatively, make a three
kings Epiphany Ornament from our book, Journey
to the Manger, and then store the prayer message inside of it. Watch
a video of how to make the Epiphany Ornament.)
Print our take home paper and
use it for craft time too. Print on white paper. (Your
support makes this resource possible!)
Decorate a small cardboard or tin box with paint, decorative paper, pens, markers, and various other items such as small beads, jewels, gold cord, etc.
Place the prayers into the box and store it in a prominent place in your bedroom to remember the gift that you will bring to Jesus this year.
Pray: "Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth as a baby and becoming a man. Thank you for going to the cross to be the sacrifice to make me right with God. Help me this New Year to be a living sacrifice for you in all the things that I say and do. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen."
Copyright 2004 Sarah A. Keith
*Learn about the prophetic significance of the gifts, which were brought to Jesus.
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