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, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10 

For centuries the debate has raged over whether the star was actually moving or it was just the wisemen's movement relative to the star which gave that appearance. (I've also experienced that same sensation while riding in a car and watching the moon seem to move with me.) Yet Matthew says "the star went before them until it came to rest" over the place where the child was. That's good enough for me to conclude this was a supernatural phenomenon with one purpose--to lead the wisemen to the exact house where the Christ child was staying. The account is historical, not mythological. It actually happened, as did the worldwide flood, Moses' parting of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water and other biblical miracles. Yet all around our country you will find astronomers attempting to explain away the miracle of the star as nothing more than the convergence of three planets or some other natural phenomenon.

These debates do nothing more than provide a distraction from the real point: The star reveals the identity of this child born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. He is God's very own Son! God sent his Son into the world to become a human being, to suffer and die for the sins of the world, and to bring salvation to all who believe in his name. The visit of the wisemen foretells his coming death as they present gifts reminiscent of his burial, namely, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Perhaps the gold refers to the fact that though he was poor, Jesus was buried in the tomb of a rich man. The other two gifts were fragrant ointments commonly used in burials, including the burial of Jesus. What's more, the homage of the wisemen reveals that this child is the King of the Jews, and their worship indicates that he is divine, rather surprising coming from Gentiles from a distant land. This too, many believe, foreshadowed the fact that in the New Testament age, most Christians would be Gentiles, not Jews.

What do you believe? After all, the reader is also part of the story, for no one reads the Bible without having been impacted to some degree by the Holy Spirit. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.