ONE OF THE GREATEST MYSTERIES OF THE COMING CHRISTMAS EVENT IS THE UNEXPLAINABLE ‘STAR OF BETHLEHEM .’ FOR CENTURIES, THEOLOGIANS AND SCOFFERS HAVE EITHER TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY, OR ATTRIBUTE IT TOA MYSTERY OF NATURE.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment, we’ll talk about that “GIFT STAR’ that shown in the heavens so long ago…

… In the Christmas story, what fascinates many hearers most is the biblical account of what I call the “gift” STAR OF BETHLEHEM. Is it just a legend manufactured by the early church, or is it a miracle of God which marked the advent of the long awaited Messiah of the Jews and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ?  However, if the Star was a real astronomical event, what could it have been? Well, the Bible recounts this unusual or even impossible astronomical display in the heavens as the announcement of Christ's birth.  Therefore, after another musical moment, I’ll return to shed some “light” (no pun intended) on this mysterious celestial event in my message entitled: “THE GIFT STAR”…

… In spite of all the hard work atheistic and secular forces in America have tried to do to stamp out Christmas, the world of humanity will pause to remember the real meaning and wonderful story and events of this season. In fact, as one looks over the many Christmas cards of the season, you will see one recurring theme – a picture of the night sky with a star in the background pointing to the earth and a small village called Bethlehem . Indeed, every picture of the Christmas event usually includes this star that is talked about in such a small amount of the biblical story.   So let’s read this account for an exact description and then I’ll share my comments on this great and controversial report that is scoffed at by many, but believed by multitudes as well.

For this report, we can only go to the Book of Matthew where in only four verses of Scripture, we find this account of the “Gift Star” of Bethlehem . We read,

Mat 2:2 (NIV)  “[the Magi asked] asked [King Herod], "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

Mat 2:7 (NIV)  Then Herod called the Magi [to meet him] secretly and found out from them the exact time this star had appeared.

Mat 2:9-10 (NIV)  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east [reappeared and ] went ahead of them until it stopped over the [house] place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, [do this] they were overjoyed      (Brackets are the speaker’s for a clearer understanding of the context of the passages).

Well there you have it. That is “all” the Bible says about the most talked about star in the heavens, the “Star of Bethlehem,” the “Gift Star” of Christmas. However, the very words Matthew wrote have perplexed scholars, scientists, scoffers and the ‘saved ones’ for centuries. What kind of star was this, for it fits no known concept of the celestial bodies of the heavens. Well, in studying the text surrounding it, we discover nine things that envelop this miraculous star. This will help us discover what it is and what it is not. This “Star of Bethlehem, we learn”

1. Revealed the unusual and miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.

2. It presented us with a vision of His kingship.

3. It was definitely connected with the Jewish nation.

4. It rose in the east, like other stars.

5. It appeared at a precise and predicted time in the Scriptures.

6. Only the Wise Men saw it, for Herod didn't see it or even know when it appeared.

7. It had a temporary but focused visual of light and endured only for a time.

8. It changed its movement and direction and moved north and south rather than east and west as conventional stars do in the heavens. (It moved ahead of the Magi as they traveled southward from Jerusalem to Bethlehem .)

9. The star appeared to stop moving at Bethlehem , and shown its light focusing directly over a certain house in that city.

These, my friend, are the facts surrounding the story of the ‘Gift Star’ the astronomers of the east saw one day in the Babylonian skies. Now 2000 years have passed since it appeared, and no one since then has ever seen this “luminous star” again, nor do any of the other biblical writers speak of it. As a result, many today just pass this account in the Bible off as the fanciful fiction writing of the Scripture. However my friend, the Bible no where is a work of fiction but established fact. So in this case we need to try to understand this “gift Star” from God that literally appeared in the night skies for a number of years upon the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Now whatever we conclude, it must fit these nine points of reference we’ve deduced from the four Scripture passages and context of the Mat. 2:1-9. What has been said about this star to explain it? Well there are four explanations to consider,

1. THE STAR WAS JUST A COMET IN THE NIGHT SKY
   A goodly number of neutral scholars feel the light the Wise men saw, was simply a celestial comet that streaked across the night sky. Now a comet has the advantage of a tail that can appear to be pointing in a direction, which may have guided the magi. In addition, a comet moves! A comet can even disappear as it moves behind the sun and reappear as it comes out from behind the sun. However, the first problem with this view is sociological. At this time in history and all the way into the middle ages, comets were regarded as omens of doom and destruction, the very opposite of good tidings, so this theory will not do. Additionally, this is one of the weakest considerations, for records of comet sightings do not match up with the time of the Lord’s birth. Timing seems to indicate the birth of the baby Jesus was somewhere between 7-5 B.C. So this explanation is most likely a poor one. Next, let’s look at what is one of the most popular theories explaining this miraculous Bethlehem star. Some believe,

2. THE STAR WAS JUST A PLANETARY CONJUNCTION EVENT
   Did the Star of Bethlehem result from a triple conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the year 7 B.C. followed by a massing of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in 6 B.C.? In the early 17th century the great astronomer and Christian, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630 AD) himself took this view as that which produced this new and single light source. While this seems to be a good explanation, there are serious problems. First, Jupiter and Saturn never were close enough to be confused as a single object. Matthew definitely describes a singular star. More importantly though, the use of “astrology” is necessary to interpret these astronomical signs properly in this way. However, the use of astrology is clearly forbidden in the Bible and it is sinful to think God would use that which He forbids to shine forth and declare the marvelous “Incarnation and birth” of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. Now thirdly many propose the theory that,

3. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM WAS A “SUPERNOVA”  
   This theory proposes that the light the Magi saw, was simply an exploding star that gave forth its temporary but long burst of bright light in the night sky. A nova is an exploding star. A nova appears only temporarily over time and then ceases. Also, it rises in the east like all other stars, however, none appear in ancient records of this time period. Also, if a nova suddenly appeared, almost everyone would see it and know about it. So, if the Gift Star was a real celestial event, it was very likely not a supernova of some star. This brings us to the fourth proposal,

4. THE STAR LIGHT OF BETHLEHEM WAS NOT A STAR AT ALL!
   Indeed science cannot explain this light in the sky at all in natural terms! This heavenly light in the east that appeared one day, led the astronomer Magi to interpret this “new” light as a biblical sign that fulfilled Scriptural predictions. They did not think one way or the other whether it was any of the above proposals, they knew in their hearts it was God speaking to them and leading them to the place where the greatest event of biblical history would unfold – the birth of the infinite God/Man Jesus Christ.
   Thus, we can say this light in the sky was nothing short of God’s light perhaps the Shekineh glory light of biblical presentation seen elsewhere in Scripture (Ex. 13:21). Also, since the starlight moved south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem , no star in the celestial heavens can do that for the eye of man to see on the earth. Due to the rotation of the earth, stars can only move east to west, never north to south. Clearly, this was NOT star light, comet light, asteroid light, nor any light of a body in the heavens. It was GOD’S HOLY LIGHT!

For instance, in the bible we are told that before God created any heavenly bodies that could reflect light, there was light in the universe. We read,

Gen 1:3 (NIV)  And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Gen 1:13-14 (NIV)  And there was evening, and there was morning--the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,

How could there be light without the sun, moon and stars not being yet created? The answer is this was “God’s light,” the very presence of His being. We again encounter this in the new heavens and the new earth that are coming for we read in,

Rev 22:5 (NLT)  And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Indeed, this is the best and most biblical explanation. No one saw this heavenly light of God except those whom God chose, which were these God seeking Gentile Magi of the East. God shone His holy light in the eastern sky, fulfilling an Old Testament Scripture many believe was the prophecy of this event,

Num 24:17 (NIV)  "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel …”

Now "Star" in the Hebrew word is also used of constellations, meteors, and comets, and the word "scepter" both refer to the coming Messiah and His reign. It was common among the star-gazing people of Mesopotamia to literally use "star" as a reference to a great king!  In other words, God shown His light of revelation through this miracle light in the sky. Now we must remember Christmas is a time of miracles! The greatest miracle was not the heavenly light shining out of nowhere, but the incarnation and birth of the God/Man Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel captures this perfectly for us when he wrote by divine inspiration,

John 1:1-3 (NIV)  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

John 1:14 (NIV) “ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Skeptics may scoff, and scholars may pull out their hair trying to figure out what this “Starlight of Bethlehem” was, but we know it was the light of God shining brightly on this sin darkened world; and, once that light dissipated over Bethlehem , it was infused in the body of Jesus Christ. Scripture says He is the light of the world, and only those whom God has chosen can see it. The Bible says,

Mat 4:16-17 (NIV)  the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

John 1:5-7 (NIV)  The light [Jesus Christ] shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

John 1:9 (NIV)  [Jesus Christ] The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 3:19-20 (NIV)  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 8:12 (NIV)  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

It is without doubt this “light” spoken of in these verses reflect the very holy, pure and sinless light of God that shines on this sin darkened world. As we approach the Christmas season, let us remember God’s love that reflects His holy light on us through His Son Jesus Christ. Now, the Bible says only those who love darkness, that is sin and disobedience to all that God is and wants in our world, will not receive this light.

The Magi received this light and were saved when they saw the Christ child in Bethlehem . They bowed in His presence and “worshipped” Him. King Herod saw no light, for he was in darkness and did not what that light to shine. He attempted to kill the light by murdering every young boy in Bethlehem following the report of the magi (Matt 2:16 -18).

Even to this day, those who live in darkness will do anything to snuff out the light of Christ. Our nation in America today is besieged in a cultural no a “religious war” of secular atheism verses Christianity. Every vestige of the Christian faith is being snuffed out in our nation. Now even businesses are forbidding its employees who make contact with the public from uttering the phrase, “Merry Christmas.” This is proof positive of this darkness that is enveloping the land.

But the real question today, right now is, do you SEE THE LIGHT? Not the star light in the sky but the holy light of Jesus Christ, the one who died for your sins and rose again and offers you full pardon for your disobedience. Come to the light, follow the light and one day it will lead you to heaven and an eternal relationship with God, to enjoy His presence and holiness forever and ever. May Jesus Christ shine His holy sin-cleansing light on you, now and forever, I pray in Jesus Name, Amen…

..Yes the Gift Star, the supernatural starlight of Bethlehem brought the Magi to worship the Christ child, and it still brings the lost from everywhere to bow their knee and hearts to the Savior Jesus Christ. Have you seen this light? It comes in the from God’s Word the Bible, and it jumps out from its pages into the hearts and lives of those who believe and trust in Christ alone for their salvation. To all others, they will live on forever in darkness cursing the light. I truly trust and pray this is not you, especially this joyous Christmas season.  And so it is with that, I wish you a “Merry Christmas” for that grand and glorious day ahead.