Opening illustration: A man and his small son who were walking slowly down the streets of a large American city one Christmas time. It was wartime, and the child was delighted to see many service stars hanging in the windows of homes. Each star proudly proclaiming the fact that the son was in the service of his country. He clapped his hands excitedly as he approached each new home and each new star, and he was impressed by those homes with more than one star in the window.
Presently they came to a wide gap between the houses and through the black velvet of the Christmas sky there was clearly discernable the Evening Star. It shone brightly as a diamond. "Oh look, Daddy," cried the little boy. "God must have given His Son, for He has a star in His window."
The little boy was right. For nearly 2000 years, God put a star in the heavens to announce the dawn of the first Christmas. And ever since, each year has had its Christmas day. What the Star was to those wise men from the East, Christmas day is to us.
Introduction: There was a star shining the night that Christ the Lord was born. Yet this star meant different things to different people. What does this star mean to us? How does it relate to me? How can I relate the star to others? God’s star promised peace to the world if we will believe and trust Him. But having rejected Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we have no peace in the world. Too often our synthetic stars bring only fear, anxiety and even more war.
Why was the Christmas star so important?
1. IT WAS A GUIDING STAR (v. 2)
Those wise men would never have been able to see, find and know the young King Jesus had it not been for the star.
(a) It guided them through vast distances
Had they not been guided by the providential star hung there in the heavens by the hand of Christ they could never have traveled the vast distances which are implied in that phrase - "the East to Jerusalem."
(b) It led them through vast dangers
(c) It led them to Jesus to worship Him (v. 9, 11)
Whatever the exact mechanism, the fact that the star led the magi to Christ is evidence that the star was uniquely designed, made by God for a very special purpose. God can use extraordinary means for extraordinary purposes. Certainly, the birth of our Lord was deserving of honor in the heavens. It is fitting that God used a celestial object to announce the birth of Christ since “the heavens declare the glory of God …” (Psalm 19:1). In fact, the wise men worshiped Christ with all their gifts.
2. IT WAS A TIMED STAR (v. 7)
(a) Appeared only at the birth of Jesus (v. 7)
(b) Appeared for the world to see and discern (v. 9)
(c) Appeared to declare a King is born (v. 2)
3. IT WAS A STAR THAT BROUGHT JOY (v. 10)
(a) Joy to the magi’s
(b) Joy to Mary and Joseph
(c) Joy in the heavenlies
(d) Joy to the world
Application: The Star has been born what are you waiting for, what better way to celebrate Advent by giving Christ your life? There are people who sit on a pew and never know Christ as their Savior? What are we waiting for?
