Eye on
the Magi
An Advent Adventure for the whole family!
Authored by Justin Lind-Ayres
Illustrated by Krista Schrock
introduction
Eye on the Magi is an Advent family devotional book that follows in the footsteps of the magi. Each day throughout December the magi journey closer to Christmas and the birth of Jesus. The daily devotions, accompanied by brief scripture readings and a short prayer, enable children and family members to see this holy season through the eyes of the magi.
And part of the fun is – the magi are always on the move! Families will follow the magi around their home finding them each day in a new place. These magi tend to move at night when children are sleeping (*wink*) as they follow the star in their search for Jesus. Once found, families can share in the colorful images and brief devotional provided for each of the 25 days of December, all leading to the birth of christ child. Cutouts of the magi are provided at the end of the book, but families are welcome to use the three magi from their own nativity sets as well.
Through art and word, Eye on the Magi offers families a short, playful, and meaningful way to deepen the Advent and Christmas seasons.
Welcome to Eye on the Magi!
meet the Magi
Few historical facts are known about the magi who travel afar to meet baby Jesus. From the Gospel of Matthew, we learn that these magi or “wise ones” came from the east following a special star to present three lavish gifts to Jesus. The gospel account is silent on how many magi came, their names, their gender, their homelands, or any other details. Therefore, people of faith have been left to their holy imagination to fill in the gaps.
Sometime around the 4th or 5th Century, the Christian church ascribed names to three magi. Three became the number only because there were three gifts offered. The given names are Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior. Eye the on Magi plays with this church tradition giving character traits to each of the magi. Let’s meet them:
Balthazar loves maps and charting the stars. He leads the magi’s journey as one full of wisdom and knowledge. Balthazar brings the gift of myrrh.
Caspar, known by her friends as Cassie, is the animal lover of the group. she travels everywhere with her camel companion named treasure. Cassie’s gift to Jesus is frankincense.
Melchior is the musician among the magi. With his lute and voice, he provides songs to lift spirits along the way. Melchior has a chest full of gold to give to Jesus.
sample devotion
Each day devotion has three elements: “Eye on the Bible,” “Eye on the Magi,” and “Eye on Prayer.” The scripture text guides the brief reflection as the art brings the experience to life! After finding the magi in the home, children and families are invited to read the three elements of the devotion aloud to mark the journey.
If you would like to order the book, you can do so on the link below. Eye on the Magi is a self-published book through Amazon.
Thank you for considering adding Eye on the Magi to your Advent/Christmas experience!
