Lesson 1: Stars And Shepherds

A. WHY SYMBOLS ARE IMPORTANT

1. Christmas is filled with symbols. The world’s symbols are Santa Claus, tinsel, Christmas trees, snow, sleigh bells, holly, mistletoe, and presents. Recently the world has added shopping, vacations, special movies and Christmas music.

Why Christmas Symbols?

* Love of children

* Nostalgia, a remembrance of times more peaceful

* Love of family

* Joy – Christmas is a happy time

2. Christians have their unique symbols, i.e., shepherds, the manger scene, kings, gifts, angels, the star, Baby Jesus, and a virgin.

3. God loves symbols. Why? Because God uses tangible things to remind us of Himself and spiritual things.

a. The broken bread reminds us of His broken body.

b. The cup of the Lord’s Table reminds us of His blood.

c. A tithe of our money reminds us all our money is His.

d. Being baptized in water is a picture of our death, burial and resurrection with Christ.

B. THE STAR WAS A SYMBOL: MATTHEW 2:1-12

1. We have a symbolic star on the top of the Christmas tree, or in our windows, or on our nativity scene.

2. The star was identified with Jesus. “There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is He that is born king of the Jews, for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him” (Matt. 2:1-2).

3. The star points us to Jesus. They departed and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the young child was” (Matt. 2:8-11).

4. A star should remind us to worship Jesus. “We have seen His star . . . and come to worship” (Matt. 2:2). Herod said hypocritically, “That I may come and worship him also” (Matt. 2:8).

5. The star brings hope, which produces joy. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matt. 2:10).

What Can We Learn From the Christmas Star?

1. Direction – it guided them.

2. Sign – it told them of a King.

3. Pointed to future – the Babe would be a king.

4. Encouragement – they rejoiced when they saw it.

C. OTHER MENTION OF STARS IN SCRIPTURE

1. God created the stars (Gen. 1:16). “And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and he made the stars also.” The naked eye can see 4000 stars; the Hubble telescope can see trillions. The stars are beautiful, they guide and they help us tell time.

2. Ministers of the gospel are called stars (Rev. 1:20; 2:1). John saw Jesus with 7 stars in His right hand. “The seven stars are the seven angels (ministers) of the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20). They give the light of Jesus and the gospel.

3. Bible associates wisdom and soul-winning with stars. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

D. LEARNING DIRECTION FROM THE STAR

1. Matt. 2:22 – not called the big star, the bright star, or even the eastern star . . . it was His star. There are two kinds of stars. First, stars that shine their own energy or light. Like our sun, they burn brightly giving off their light for billions of light years in the distance. Some stars, only reflect the light of other stars. They have nothing in themselves, no light in themselves. This is like our moon. Christians are like the latter stars, we only reflect the light of Christ to the world.

2. Christians should shine for Him. It must be His light not our light.

3. Soul-winners should hold forth Jesus Christ who said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Christians must hold out the light to spiritually blinded people so that they might be saved.

a. We as reflecting stars can shine the light of Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).

b. The star apparently moved to the place where Jesus was located. We come to the place where Jesus is located, so others can follow and worship.

E. LEARNING FAITHFULNESS FROM THE SHEPHERDS

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he announced, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Jesus is “The lamb slain before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20, ELT). Jesus came into the world as our substitute lamb, so it’s only natural the announcement was made to a shepherd.

1. Angels were sent from God to some shepherds in the field (Luke 2:8-20).

2. There were several different types of shepherds.

a. A shepherd who lived in a tent and moved his flock to better pasture land.