Advent Day 16

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy."(Matthew 2:10 ESV)

For me and many others, the star that led the Magi has intrigued me. Science has suggested several possibilities, but to me, they just miss the mark. I guess my faith tells me otherwise. Sinclair mentions several things about the star that are of interest to us. I wonder what that star looked like to the Magi. Was it colored, was it just a star, or did it have a unique shape?

One suggestion is that Saturn and Jupiter may have been in conjunction. The message is that a king (Jupiter) is coming in the west (Saturn). Such a conjunction took place around 7 BC, around the year Jesus was born. We know Herod died in 4 B.C. By this time, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had spent time in Egypt.

A second suggestion is that it was Haley’s comet. This comet would have appeared around the same time. Comets can come and disappear for thousands of years. May this be the case?

A third possibility is that it was a supernova or a nova resulting from an explosion in space. This is not a one-time modern theory. A famous astronomer, Johannes Kepler (1517-1630), also suggested it. Kepler said, “I was merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him. Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory in our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.” What beautiful words.

These are simply theories. What we know is that God used His creation to guide these Magi on what Brother Sinclair called a journey of faith in fellowship. Scripture tells us that the star was not the object of interest but its significance that drew the men from the East. With the star as a guide, the three Magi left Jerusalem. They set off towards Bethlehem, which lay to the South. Dusk fell, and the lesser light replaced, the greater the star awaited them. I can only imagine how much they rejoiced as the star went before them to the place where the child lay.

Marketers and illustrators portray the star hanging over the place where the Son of God lay, but Matthew's Gospel indicates otherwise. There was no GPS accuracy here, but if you have ever looked at a bright start at night, you can see the things between you and the horizon. This is what Matthew was suggesting.

This is an interesting suggestion as there are other destinations that would have to lie in that route, such as Hebron. The Magi were traveling blind. But God, in his sovereignty, guided them to Jerusalem, where the priests and scribes gave them the final clue: Bethlehem, the city where King David had been born. It's not a coincidence, friends.

Sinclair makes a great point that the Magi's key is the same for everyone. Whether we read it for ourselves or it was passed on by someone else, we cannot know Christ, the Messiah, or the Savior without the key. Without testimony, we could never find Him.

Someone told you about Christ, or you read about Him, and you found Him. When I wake in the middle of the night thinking about those who may never know Him, it prevents me from closing my mouth. Whether we are ridiculed, hated, spit on, cursed, or loved, without our testimony, the lost can never find Him.

We know the gate is narrow, and many may never find it. Listen, I have a possible resolution. Beside the gate is a large stone. That stone belonged to a borrowed tomb, a tomb that led to the resurrection, a resurrection that opened that narrow gate. If we climb up on that rock and shout out the glory of the Gospel of the Christ until we can shout no more, someone just might hear it. Can you be bold in Christ? Can you be fearless in His armor? Can you carry a cross or a bear with a few thorns on your side? Someone once asked me, "If you could be anyone in the Bible, who would you be?" My answer was Simon of Cyrene. There would be no greater honor than to carry that cross for my Savior. If you know Christ, you have been covered in His blood. If you do not know Him, know that He died for you and you alone; shouting until you lose your voice is a small price to pay, would you not say?

Grace and Peace!

Sinclair Ferguson, The Dawn of Redeeming Grace”, The Goodbook Company, 2021.