There has been an ongoing debate that has been taking place for
decades concerning a star that was in the night’s sky, a real cosmic event that
got the attention of some very wise men, which caused them to go on a very long
journey looking for a newborn baby, whom they believed was to be a great King.
Yet, not just any King, but according to their limited information, a King, of
the Jews? These Wise Men, or Kings are believed to have been based on the Magi,
which were Persian sages, who believed that the stars effected and had
influences on the earth. The kings were religious scholars of sorts and were
revered Babylonian astronomers of their day. They studied the stars and planets
interpreting the meaning behind the universe’s cosmic events. Anything that
appeared unusual in their limited wisdom, was considered a sign that had some
kind of meaning. In the case of the Bethlehem star, it’s appearance caused them
to travel to Jerusalem, where they spoke with King Herod asking him, if he knew
where the new King had been born.
Well, we know from scripture that King Herod
was a terrible King himself and sought to kill the baby, out of jealousy and
fear. Once his chief priest and scribes told him that according to Hebrew
prophecy that the baby was to be born in Bethlehem, he passed on that
information to the Wise Men in hopes that they would find the baby and lead
Herod to him, as they returned to him with the information. However, the Lord
was always a step ahead of Herod’s evil plan and warned the Wise Men in a dream
what Herod's plan was towards the baby, and they returned to their own country
instead.
Just think, God used one cosmic event to draw the world’s attention to
what he was planning to do. While I have no idea as to how planets crossing in
front of each other can cause other planets and orbits to do odd things or of
what the birth of a new star or nova looks like when it is happening, I am,
totally convinced, that the Creator of our entire universe and beyond can do,
or change whatever needs to be done in order to accomplish His will; whether it
was, or is with a very bright light, a big blast, a bang or simply turning a
planet into a reddish color that appears to us on earth to be blood. I don’t struggle
with these types of issues because my faith renders me peace in spite of all
that I do not know or understand, and I simply trust!
As for the children of
God, one of the great wonders of Christmas is the star that appeared around the
time of the birth of Jesus. This star is known as the star of Bethlehem and it
led the Wise Men from the East, to the site of the birth of Jesus according to
scripture, in Matthew Chapter 2. Some folks like to debate if this event was an
astronomical object or a supernatural object, such as a star or an angel.
It
amazes me that people cannot grasp the fact that a Power that is great enough
to create every nova, comet, pulsar, double eclipse, supernova, star, sky,
cloud, rain drop and atom that exist, along with every cell, and every creature
great and small, cannot create a simple bright star and place it in the sky to
symbolize an event that He is bringing to pass and had already predicted would
happen.
For me and mine, we will continue to place the star atop of our Christmas
tree each year, to symbolize and celebrate the day that God sent His only Son
Jesus Christ who was both fully God and fully human according to Hebrews 2, who
knew no sin, to take the punishment of sin and death, so that we would not have
to, according to John 1:29. He came to take away the sins of the world. “For he
(God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. This is the true purpose of
Christmas.
Merry Christmas,
Bren
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