DAY 20: The Star of Bethlehem
“When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, ‘Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, ‘Where will the Messiah be born?’ They told him, ‘He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, “Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.”’ Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, ‘Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.’ The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star.” – Matthew 2: 1-10 CEV
My Thoughts:
I’ve heard and read many different scenarios that explain the Christmas Star. According to some, it was a comet. According to others, it was a conjunction or gathering of planets in close proximity. And others have said that the star was a supernova, an exploding star. Historical records don’t list a comet or supernova in the possible years of Christ’s birth, which has been calculated to be around 5-7 B.C., to occur before the death of King Herod in 4 B.C. And while there was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 6 B.C., it would have been a small conjunction and not that unusual. More than that, all three popular explanations don’t really fit the behavior of the Star spoken of in the Nativity Story.
In the Nativity Story, it seems that the Star was only visible to the wise men. King Herod questions the wise men who have come to Jerusalem searching for the child. He asks them “when they had first seen the star” (Matthew 2: 7). This implies that Herod and at least everyone else in Jerusalem hadn’t seen the star themselves. Comets, conjunctions, and supernovas are visible to everyone as natural events.
Wise Men by Mathias Pedersen
Secondly, the Star seems to have disappeared by the time the wise men reach Jerusalem. Because they have to ask King Herod “where is the child born to be the king of the Jews?” They didn’t have an exact location at this point. But the Star reappeared to them when they left Herod, having learned of the prophecy and intent on going to Bethlehem.
And thirdly, the Star that “they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star” (2:9b-10). This means that the Star led them the 6-7 miles south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. But natural objects in the sky move from east to west due to the earth’s rotation—not south. And the Star stood over the place of Jesus’ birth. Also not possible for celestial objects, which are constantly moving in relation to the earth. It also seems that the Star was close enough above the exact place where Jesus was that the wise men knew exactly where to go. They already knew He was in Bethlehem by this point. They needed to know a more precise location—possibly which house. Common stars would never be able to do this. And the fact that the wise men rejoiced at seeing the Star indicates that it must have reappeared for them.
Thus, the best explanation is that the Star of Bethlehem was a supernatural light. And God has used many special and heavenly lights to guide and be present with His people. God used a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead His people during the Wilderness Wanderings (Exodus 13:21). And the Shekinah Glory filled the Tabernacle and Temple as a visible sign of God’s presence among His people. As the Bible says of it: “ And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:10-11 ESV).
God has used many supernatural events—in the birth of Jesus—and throughout history.
Activity: Stargazing
Take time tonight to go outside and look up at the stars—as the wise men must have done so long ago.
Prayer (from the Book of Common Prayer):
O GOD, who by the leading of a star
didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles;
Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith,
may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
