The Star of Bethlehem* is one of the untapped mysteries of the Christmas story. Much has been said about the wise men, the shepherds and angels, the inn and manger, but little has been said about the star.
The story of the Star of Bethlehem
The entire story of the Star of Bethlehem is told in just 12 verses in the Matthew 2. It is found in none of the other gospels. Here is what we learn about the star in a quick face-value reading:
- Magi are wise men, probably from Persia, who likely were very knowledgeable about the stars. In addition, in the culture of the time, the Roman historian Suetonius wrote, "There had spread over all the Orient an old and established belief, that it was fated at that time that men coming from Judea would rule the world.” So likely, these Magi were wise men, astronomers, who were looking to the heaven to discern if men coming from Judea were going to rule the world anytime soon.
- The star appeared to them in the east, lead them to Jerusalem, disappeared, and then reappeared again to lead them to the home of Mary and Joseph.
- The star was apparently not seen by the general public. Herod and his advisers didn't see it, the ordinary Jews in Jerusalem didn't know anything about it. Apparently, this particular light was visible, and had meaning, only to the Persian wise men. It spooked everyone in Jerusalem when the wise men appeared.
- The star moved and apparently had some kind of guided beam that enabled the Magi to pinpoint the precise location of the home of Mary and Joseph.
What was the star?
The big question, then, is “what in the world was this!?” Was it, as some have suggested, a…
- Meteor
- Lunar Eclipse
- Planet
- Comet
- Supernova?
These are far-fetched attempts to explain the general story without involving anything supernatural. But, if we take the Bible at face value, it clearly wasn't any natural light that we know of. Those things don’t do what the star did.
So, what was it?!?
The light was almost certainly
shekinah, the brilliant light that accompanies God's presence. Consider these likely instances of God’s shekinah:
- Light was created on the first day of creation, but the sun, moon and stars weren’t created until the fourth day. So, light on those first three days of creation appears to have been shekinah.
- When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, the bush appeared to be on fire but wasn't consumed, and God spoke from the bush.
- When the Israelites left Egypt, God led them with a pillar of fire.
- After the Israelites finished constructing the tabernacle, God's glory filled the tabernacle so dramatically that Moses wasn't able to enter it.
- After Solomon completed his prayer of dedication for the temple, the glory of God came in and filled the temple… again, so dramatically that no one was able to enter it.
- In Luke chapter 2, the shepherds were in the fields keeping watch over their sheep at night, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.
We are not told, of course, what the “star” was, but with these examples as a background, we conclude that the Star of Bethlehem was likely a supernatural manifestation of light that God used to lead the wise men to Jesus.
God leads with light
Just as the Magi followed God’s light and it led them to Jesus, so, if we follow God’s spiritual light, it will lead us to Jesus.
We are first given light through nature. Romans 1:19-20 says,
That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
This tells us that God has revealed Himself to everyone through nature. He intended us to look at the stars at night and say in our hearts, “There must be a God!”
Then, when we accept that light… believe in God and choose to follow Him… God gives us more light, and leads us to Jesus. John 3:21 says, “He who practices truth comes to the light.” And, "Jesus is the Light of the World" (John 8:12). “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." As we continue to live in the light of truth, God continues to shed His light in our lives, allowing us to live in greater and greater truth/light.
In practical terms, to follow the light means to trust and obey God. If we trust God, we walk toward the light. And we go wherever it takes us.
Then, as we follow the light… we become light to others. Matthew 5:14-16 says,
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and praise your father in heaven.
Conclusion
Think of the price the Magi paid to follow the star. They had to leave their homes, families and creature comforts. They had to face the unknown. They had to risk life and limb. What if a storm hit? What if robbers attacked? What if illness or accident fell? It was expensive. They had to pay for their travels… food and care for themselves and the ones helping them, as well as their animals. They gave very expensive gifts to the Lord. Think of the price they paid!
We will likely never be given the exalted calling the Magi had, but we can achieve the same greatness as the Magi by being as willing to follow the light as they were; as willing to pay the price.
The question is, “If we were in their shoes, would we have gone?”
If the Magi had not followed the light to Bethlehem, would they have found the savior? Of course not. They could only find the savior by following the light. The same is true with us.
We can join them, their fellowship… the fellowship of the Magi… in principle, simply by being as willing to follow the light as they were.
That is the lesson to us this Christmas of the Star of Bethlehem. The light of God shines in our lives. No matter the price, we follow, wherever it leads.
*Much of the information in this blog post was gleaned from Ken Boa’s book, The Star of Bethlehem which, unfortunately, is no longer in print.
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