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The Original Christmas Ornament - Christmas Star Series
Contributed by John Baggett on Dec 10, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: The Original Christmas Ornament - The Christmas Star 1- It speaks of God’s Glory 2- It speaks of God’s Guiding 3- It speaks of God’s Gift (Jesus). Not about the magi but about the star. The message of the star challenges each of us saved and unsaved. # 3
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The Original Christmas Ornament
The Christmas Star Mt 2:1-12
The question on my lips this week to people was:
Name a fascinating star?
The answers I received you may surprise you.
Someone said Tom Hanks,
Another person said Tim McGraw
One woman said Dolly Parton and
Someone even said Arnold Schwarzenegger
Those may be fascinating stars to some people..
But those are all of course stars to entertain.
But the star I want to speak to you about from God’s Word this morning is a star more spectacular and more fascinating than any earthly star..
A star not created for earthly entertainment but for divine purpose, and for a plan that was connected to the birth of Christ.
(Play Clip of the magi following the star)
Matthew Chapter 2 introduces us to what easily could be called the Original Christmas Ornament –
The Christmas Star – Lets read about it in Mt 2
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
2 and asked, "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."
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6" ’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel."
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the STAR had appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the STAR they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the STAR, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
We see in the midst of these verses a STAR.
The Magi commented in v 2 to King Herod about it.
In verse 7 King Herod asked the Magi about the time of this star’s appearing….
and then we read also in verse 9 how the star rested over the place where the Christ Child could be found.
What about this star?
This original Christmas Ornament?
What exactly was it?
The Bible is, to a large degree silent on the specifics of this star, as to what it was…
Some have suggested that it was Jupiter…
Others have had the idea it might have been a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn forming the symbol of the fish that would be the early symbol of Christianity for the persecuted church.
Some say it might have been a meteor others suggest that it was a comet.
None of these considerations can be accepted as certifiable fact. We just really don’t know for certain.
What we do know is this:
The star of Christmas…. speaks of God’s glory.
I. The Star Speaks of God’s Glory
This star in the sky was the ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT and it speaks of God’s Glory.
What is your favorite kind of ornament?
I find that many people are especially fond of those ornaments that are shiny and reflect light.
Ornaments that reflect light are usually quite popular.
This original ornament of Christmas…
The Christmas star…
It was one that reflected GODS LIGHT and GODS GLORY.
Why do people enjoy looking up into the sky on a dark but clear night…
It’s to see the stars reflecting light…God’s light.
You see God set those stars into place in the heavens and it is God who allows for those stars to reflect light.
All throughout the Bible we find light associated with God’s Glory.
It was light that God lead the way for His people to come out of Egypt and make there way to a new place.
The Bible says that
21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
