How Are We Like the Star of Bethlehem?

We are told in Scripture that the wise men came from the East. Answers in Genesis shares about the term wise men: “Originally, the word often referred to a class of Persian wise men, and possibly priests, who were interpreters of special signs, particularly in astrology.” They go on to tell us that these men were likely “wise men who interpreted special signs.” Answers in Genesis supports this by explaining that they were focused on the heavens, they were likely from Babylon or ancient Persia, and they would have been aware of the coming Messiah and the Scriptures. It is theorized that Number 24:17 could have tipped the wise men off, or it was revealed to them in a dream.

These men would have been very educated and higher up in society. Greg Lanier from The Gospel Coalition tells us that there are believed to have been three wise men since they delivered three gifts. However, we are unsure of the exact number. We do know that it was more than one according to Matthew 2. They share that we know Jesus would have been in a house (Matthew 2:11) and under the age of 2 when the wise men visited him (because of Herod’s order in Matthew 2:16).

Lanier says, “The combined Matthew/Luke sequence runs: Jesus’s birth, angels/shepherds, circumcision, presentation at the temple, visit by the magoi, flight to Egypt, and resettlement in Nazareth (where the storylines reunite—Matthew 2:23 and Luke 2:39)."

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These men were actively seeking the Savior. They brought their best gifts and strapped up their camels, heading to the place that the star led them. Such curiosity and intrigue is contagious. It was as if they were on a treasure hunt, and instead of an “X marks the spot,” the star led them to the Treasure.

Matthew 2:2 says, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.”

Just as the star shone and led the wise men to Jesus, we too can shine! How can the way we shine like the star of Bethlehem point and lead others to Jesus today? When people see us living the Spirit-filled Christian lives, this will lead to curiosity and draw others into the hope we have in Christ.

I love how Matthew 2:9-10 says, “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

Imagine that a star guiding the way to the Jesus, moving towards the Messiah, suddenly stops. For centuries people were awaiting the coming Savior. Time itself was waiting to get to this moment in history when Jesus came to earth. Think about the magnitude of the moment when the Creator spoke to these men by way of a star halting over head of a particular residence. The time had come for them to meet their Lord. The journey had ended, and they finally made it to the Treasure they were seeking out.

I think of the Bible verses found in Matthew 5, when Jesus tells us that we are to let our lights shine before others so that they can see Christ and glorify God.

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “‘You are the light of the world. A town built 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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’”

Jesus is the Light of the world, and we are His own. When we accept Him as Savior, we then receive the light of the Holy Spirit. Just as this light shone from the star to lead the way to Jesus, Matthew 5:14-16 tells us that we are to let our lights shine, so others can see the way to salvation through Jesus alone. God has made a way.

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I love how the Lord used foreigners to come to Bethlehem and be some of the first to have the honor of seeing Jesus. We notice a tender care for all people through this story. It did not matter that these men had come from a country full of hostility towards God; the Lord accepted them as His own children through the gift of Jesus. When we have the Light of Christ, we cannot hide our lights – we will not be able to help our shining in this world. Our illumination will not be for only one people group or nation, but it will be modeling what Jesus did, revealing the truth of His love to all of the world.

Dr. Bill Bright from Cru tells us that the Spirit-filled life is when a person is directed by the Holy Spirit. He tells us that there is a difference between having salvation through Jesus and living for Him. Each day all must make a decision if we are going to ask the Holy Spirit to shine through our lives, or live in our own ways. Bill tells us that we need to desire to be guided by the Spirit, confess our sins, surrender to the Lord, and believe that the Holy Spirit lives and wants to work through us.

When we are Spirit-directed, we have the joy of shining. No matter where we go or what we do, the Light of the world lives in us and His rays of light will always shine through. As we ponder the Christmas story in awe and wonder over the events which took place, may we remember that we too can be like the star of Bethlehem, shining brightly and bringing others to see Jesus.

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