THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS
Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.
Matthew 2:1-12 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, 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 are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
THE STAR WAS A SYMBOL - The Star – means to shine or blaze forth – can refer to a literal star, angel or man.
STARS IN SCRIPTURE - 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 4,000 stars; the Hubble telescope can see 400 million stars.
Ministers of the Gospel are called stars (Rev. 1:20; 2:1).
In the Book of Revelation John saw Christ in His glorified body. John saw that Jesus had 7 stars in his right hand. Jesus interpreted what John saw - “The mystery of the seven stars which thou saw in my right hand . . . the seven stars are the seven angels (ministers) of the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20). The King James uses the word angel, the original language means messenger, which is the pastor who gives God’s message to the Church.
Bible associates wisdom and the stars—“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).
What is the meaning of this star? Isaiah lets us know the star is the revealing of the glory of God. It is a sign that God is about to do something incredible. He is sending His Son to redeem lost mankind. Jesus is the light. John 8:12 I am the Light of the world
Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
A prophecy looking to a time when there will be a shining forth, a blazing one.
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Whenever the Son of Man, Jesus shows up there will be a sign – it’s the light of God or the Glory of God. Rev. 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
HE IS THE SHINING LIGHT - When the Son of God came to the earth as the Son of Man – the Heavens shone with the Glory of God. The Wise men came they saw His Star in the east.
Why did only the Magi or Shepherds only see the Light? 2 Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
That same glory – that shining or blazing forth – can and should be seen in us the Church.
2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord
Let us look at the journey of the wisemen.
Their Starting Point Revelation = They see a star realize this is God. God speaks to us in many ways. His light shines through His creation, through His people, through His Word. The Star determined the direction.
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.
Their Journey Revelation was not enough - They realized that the star was just a means to take them to the one born King, Jesus Christ.
The journey-involved willingness to: Search (Pursue God) - Consult (The Bible) - Listen (To those who have discovered Him already)
Their Destination - To come into the very presence of God typified by their arrival in Bethlehem.
THE AGITATION - Jesus came not only in Glory but His arrival caused a major disturbance or agitation: Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
Their Worship
Matthew 2:9-12 - The Wise Men kept seeking till they found Him. With joy they bowed down and worshiped Him.
Worship – to love, give honor, homage, reverence, respect, and adoration, to praise, glory, kiss, and bow down. They presented Him with their gifts.- Gold – King – they gave Him glory - Frankincense – Priest – they gave Him worship - Myrrh – Messiah – they gave Him their lives
He gives Gold Speaks of the PURITY - Frankincense Speaks of the PRESENCE of God - Myrrh Speaks of the PAIN He would take
Once we find Him – we must take another route in our lives – we can never go back – never return to former things but press on and in! Did not report to Herod.
THREE CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
1. They were willing to do whatever it took to arrive at their destination.
2. They were willing to give all they had.
3. They were willing to change from glory to glory.
