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 (Matthew 2:1-2).
Each year about this time, someone comes up to me and says, “Pastor, what do you think the star of Bethlehem was?” Now, to be completely honest, I really don’t know. In fact, nobody alive today can say with certainty exactly what that star was. But more important than the identity of that star is the faith of the men who followed it.
We don’t really know how many there were, though tradition tells us three. We don’t know where they were from except that it was in the East. And, though they’re sometimes referred to as kings, the truth is the Bible never tells us that either!
But as we read the Scriptures along with ancient historical records, we can know something about these mysterious magi. In the ancient world, these men represented a priestly caste of the Medes and the Persians. They were philosophers of a particular way of thinking called Zoroastrianism and were well-versed in astronomy and astrology.
These wise men, astrologers by trade, saw something in the night sky that prompted them to pack up everything and travel to Judah to find this king of the Jews. And by faith, they traveled what was probably close to 800 miles to find this newborn baby.
These men had little to do with Christ, yet God reached them even in their pagan ways. And just like those magi, God can often meet us in the strangest places. So, wherever you are today, ask God to meet you there. If you’re open to Him, He’ll reveal Himself to you
The light was turned on in their life. And this Christmas, the light can be turned on in your life as well. Maybe you need God’s light to shine brighter than ever today. If so, get up and follow Him by faith. When you do, Christ will lead you every day and transform your life as well!
AS THE STAR LED THE WISE MEN TO CHRIST, GOD’S LIGHT CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU. FOLLOW HIM BY FAITH AND ALLOW CHRIST TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE THIS CHRISTMAS!
