Look To The Star

The Best Gift of All! Text: Matthew 2: 1-2, 10-11

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Ever wonder why educated men would drop everything to follow a star for hundreds of miles? You’re not alone there has been a lot of speculation about the star. These trained students of the stars observed an unexplained phenomenon in the heavens, and somehow interpreted this sign with a change in the way things were; they saw it as a sign of a new birth being born as king of the Jews!

Think about this, This sign in the sky called for these wise men to prepare themselves for a trip of a life-time. These men believed so much in what they saw that they prepared themselves with expensive gifts to give unto a king!

These wise men properly had some knowledge of the Old- Testament because in Micah 5:2 “ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

In the Old Testament there are some 300 prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah and 500 of the second coming, all of them made hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus and fulfilled to the letter in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. George Heron, a French mathematician, calculated that the odds of one man fulfilling only 40 of those prophecies are 1 in 10 to the power of 157. That is a 1 followed by 157 zeros. Compare it to this; your odds on winning the state lottery are 14 followed by 6 zeros.

These wise men saw that this star represented at least three things: #1 Hope. Without the star (Jesus) there isn’t any hope!

II Thessalonians 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Hope for all eternity, what a gift! This star didn’t merely lead the wise men to the fulfillment of their expectations; it points each of us to the hope of salvation –Jesus Christ!

A young man sent a love letter to his girlfriend. It read: "Darling, I’d climb the highest mountain, sail the widest ocean, cross the hottest desert just to see you.” P.S. - I’ll be over Saturday night if it doesn’t rain."

These wise men weren’t fickled, they were willing to risk everything to find this star!

#2. I believe this star represented ‘Joy.’ The Bible say’s, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”

Why? Because Jesus is the source of transcendent joy; joy beyond and outside the ordinary range of human experience or understanding!

This kind of joy can and will lift you up above our circumstances and makes others think, “Whatever you’ve got, I need!

#3. This star represented ‘guidance’ unto these wise men! Think about this, this star united shepherds and philosophers, rich and poor, intellectual and illiterate- around Jesus!

Jesus Christ is heavens answer to the earth’s dilemma!

In Matthew 2:12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Understand this that it is impossible to meet Jesus Christ and go home the same way!

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Every one who is born again in this room raise your hand!

So when somebody asks you, “ What did you get for Christmas?” Just smile and say:

Hope that gets brighter every day!

Joy that’s greater than any threat or circumstance!

Guidance for every step of the way!

What ever you need look to the star; His name is Jesus, and He will help you right now!