Passage: Matthew 2:1-12 - After Jesus was born, the wise men, also known as Magi, came searching for “the one who has been born king of the Jews.” They had seen a star in the sky which alerted them to his birth, and wanting to find him to worship him. But when King Herod of Judea heard about it, he was disturbed by the news. He found out from the chief priests and religious teachers that the Messiah (anointed one) was to be born in Bethlehem. So Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to search for the child, and asked them to bring him news as well. When the Magi found Jesus, they were overjoyed, bowed down and worshipped him, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go by a different route.

Big Idea: A sign in the stars

Matthew 1:18-25 - In this passage, Matthew recounts the story of how Jesus’ birth came about. A woman named Mary was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, but before they got married, she was found to be pregnant. Joseph didn’t want Mary to be publicly shamed, so he decided to divorce her quietly. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him not to be afraid and that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit. The angel announced that the child would be named Jesus and that he would be the savior of all people. Jesus would also be called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”

John 9:1-12 - Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked if the man or his parents had sinned to cause this, but Jesus explained that his blindness was not because of sin. Rather, it was so God’s power and goodness could be shown. Jesus healed the man by making mud, putting it on his eyes, and telling him to wash it off in a pool. When the man’s neighbors saw that he could see, they were amazed, and he told them that Jesus had healed him.

Matthew 8:5-13 - In this story, a Roman commander came to Jesus, asking him to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus offered to go to the commander’s home, but the man explained that he trusted Jesus’ word alone would heal his servant. Jesus was amazed by his faith, saying he hadn’t seen such faith in all Israel. He then told the commander to go home, and his servant was healed immediately.

Mark 6:45-52 - After miraculously feeding a crowd of 5000, Jesus told his disciples to get on the boat and go ahead of him to another town. After they left, he dismissed the crowd and went up to a mountainside to pray, before walking on the water to catch up to his disciples. When they saw Jesus, they thought he was a ghost and were terrified. Jesus announced that it was him, and the disciples were amazed, but they still didn’t understand who Jesus was.

Luke 9:10-17 - In this story, Jesus was teaching a large crowd of about 5,000 men, plus women and children. After a long day, his disciples suggested sending everyone away to get food. But Jesus said they should feed the people themselves. They only had five loaves of bread and two fish, yet when they shared them, there was more than enough to satisfy everyone.

Matthew 8:23-27 - In the passage, Jesus and his disciples are in a boat when a sudden, violent storm hits. The disciples are scared, but Jesus is asleep. They wake him, asking for help, and Jesus commands the storm to stop. Immediately, the wind and waves calm down. The disciples are amazed and ask, “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!”

A series about the miracles Jesus performed found in the Gospels.

John 2:1-11 - At a wedding in Cana, Jesus performed his first recorded miracle by turning water into wine. Though initially hesitant to reveal his power, he responded to his mother’s request and quietly carried out the miracle so that only a few were aware of it. This sign revealed Jesus’ authority over creation and gave his disciples a reason to believe in him. It points to his divine identity and the abundant life he brings.

Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”

Luke 18:9-14 - Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee prays to God thanking God that he is a good person, while the tax collector prays for forgiveness. Jesus says that it is the tax collector who is right before God, and that everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled while those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 13:31-33 - Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and to yeast that works through the whole batch of dough. Both show how God’s kingdom starts small but grows powerfully and transforms everything.

Luke 18:1-8 - Jesus told a parable about a persistent widow who kept asking an unjust judge for justice until he finally granted her request. He used this story to teach his followers to always pray and not give up, assuring them that God, who is just and loving, will surely answer them.

Luke 15:8-10 - Jesus tells a story of a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She searches everywhere for it, and rejoices when she finally finds it. Likewise, there is rejoicing in heaven when one lost person comes back to God, because each of us is special and precious to God.

Matthew 7:13-14 - Jesus taught that there are two paths in life: a wide road that is easy to travel but leads to destruction, and a narrow road that is harder to follow but leads to life. The narrow path is walking in Jesus’ ways and teachings, which may be challenging but leads to true and lasting life.

Matthew 7:1-5 - Jesus taught his followers not to judge others or they would be judged by the same standard. They should focus on removing the plank in their own eyes before pointing out the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eyes, meaning that we should never judge others because we ourselves are not perfect. 

Matthew 6:25-34 - Jesus teaches his followers not to worry about daily needs like food or clothing, because life is more than these things and God knows what we need. He points to the birds, who do not plant or store food yet are fed by God, and to the flowers, which are beautifully clothed though they last only a short time. Instead of being anxious, we are to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, trusting that our needs will be provided for.

Matthew 6:19-24 - Jesus taught his followers to invest in treasures in heaven which last forever, rather than in earthly treasures which can be destroyed or lost. What we treasure shapes our heart. He also explained that healthy eyes (focused on the things of God) fill our lives with light, but eyes clouded by greed or worldly desires fill us with darkness. He concluded that we cannot serve both God and money.