Subject: The Christmas Star

I. It Was a Guiding Star

“The wise men said, “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” (2:2). These wise men, or Magi, would never have been able to find, see, and know the young King Jesus had it not been for the star.

Have you ever sat down with your open Bible and attempted to map out the journey taken by these Magi? Whether they came from Mesopotamia, Chaldea, Persia, or Arabia, these ancient pilgrims had to travel:

1) Along Vast Distances

We read that “there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem” (2:1). Had they not been guided by that providential star they might never have attempted the lengthy journey implied in the phrase “from the east to Jerusalem,” but they were drawn irresistibly to come and worship the young King, and no distance, no matter how vast, could deter them.

What a challenge this is to those of us who have the facilities for rapid transportation, by car, train or plane, in the Western world! How it condemns us for our feeble excuses for not attending church regularly and gladly following Christ wherever He calls.

2) Among Varied Dangers

There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem” (2:1). A pilgrimage of this kind in those days involved incredible dangers and difficulties. Bands of robbers ambushed the thoroughfares. Undoubtedly there were areas that were almost uncharted, where travel was arduous and uncertain, but guided by the star they traveled on until they found the Christ.

In a similar way, God has given us a Christmas star which is, in fact, Christmas day, to guide our thinking about, and our believing in, King Jesus, the Savior of the world. Many would never think of Christ otherwise. They let our Sundays pass without a thought about God; even Easter does not seem to remind them of Him. Then the Christmas star appears, Christmas day dawns, and they are guided in thought and spirit to the manger where the Christ is lying. They hear the angels saying, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Will you do what the wise men did—follow the guiding star; that is, follow the meaning of Christmas until it leads you to the Savior? Whatever distances you have to travel in your thinking, or problems you have to encounter, in terms of experience, do not rest until you have met Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

So it should be to us in our day and generation. The star of Bethlehem should be a guiding light to us as we make our way not only to the cradle of the Christ, but also to His cross.

II. It Was a Guarding Star

“When [the wise men] had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them” (2:9). King Herod was a wicked man. If he had had his wish he would have done away with the young child Jesus. The fact is that Herod was like so many people today. What the Scriptures said about the messiah-ship of Christ was not a promise but a threat to him. He was determined to do away with the coming King. But the record tells us that as soon as the wise men had finished listening to Herod and had left his presence, God’s guarding star appeared. Instead of being influenced by what Herod had said, their minds and steps were guarded, and they reached the place “where the young child was.”

1) It Verified the Promise of the Scriptures

Even the chief priests and scribes had to admit that it was written in the prophecy of Micah, that out of Bethlehem should come “a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel” (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6). God still has His guarding star: it is Christmas day!

People can say that the Bible is not true, but what about Christmas? Christmas is the fulfillment of at least 333 prophecies concerning the birth, life, death and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We find that both Old and New Testaments point to Christ (see Luke 24:27; John 5:39). Writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul could remind him “that from a child [he had] known the holy Scriptures, which [were] able to make [him] wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15).

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:27 NIVUS

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, (John 5:39 NIVUS)