download (pdf format)
download (pdf format -- with spaces for answers)

1. Where was Jesus born? (1a; Lk2:4; Jn7:42) What do we know about King Herod and his time? (16) What kind of people were the Magi and where were they from? (1b; Da2:2,12)

2. Read verse 2. How could the Magi have known about "the king of the Jews"? (2; 1:11--12a,17; Da7:13--14; Dt4:29) To whom does this refer? (1:1,21) What had signaled his birth to them? (2; Nu24:17) What did the Magi want to do to the newborn king?

3. What impact did the Magi's arrival have? (3) Why were Herod and all Jerusalem disturbed? What kind of Bible study did he ask for? (4) What information did the religious leaders give him? (5--6) What diabolical plot did Herod devise? (7--8,16) How did God protect the baby Jesus? (12)

4. Read verse 6. What is the significance that Jesus the Messiah was born in Bethlehem? What does this prophecy tell us about the nature of his kingship? (Mt9:36; Eze34:11--16) What does it mean to us that Jesus is our Shepherd? (Jn10:11; 1Pe2:25; Mt1:23; Isa9:6--7) What can we learn about God who sent him? (Jn3:16)

5. When the Magi went on their way, how did the star confirm what they had learned from Scripture? (9) How did they respond to this? (10) Why were they "overjoyed"? How can we have such joy?


6. Read verse 11. When they saw the child with his mother Mary, what did the Magi do? What is the significance of their bowing to him? (Rev5:8--10) What do their gifts tell us about Jesus? About their preparation ahead of time? How are both their bowing down and giving their treasures related to true worship? Afterwards, what did they do? (12)

7. What do we learn in this study about Jesus our Shepherd, the only one worthy of our worship? How can we truly worship him this Christmas?