Issue 1319 – A Star? – December 19, 2023
In less than two weeks, it will be Christmas. The stores are crazy, and the Amazon delivery drivers are working hard. Presents are being wrapped, and cards are in the mail or need to be in the next day or so.
Nativity scenes are up in many (most?) North American Christian homes, both inside and outside. The styles vary greatly; some are as simple as a single piece showing Mary, Joseph and the Christ Child. Others are elaborate and contain dozens of pieces or more. They run the gamut from hyper-realistic (although not always correct) to super-stylized. Whatever they may look like, the scenes serve a common theme of remembering the coming of Jesus.
Many have a representation of the miraculous star above or near the manger. That is in keeping with tradition, but is it biblically correct?
No bible text says the star was there when Jesus was born. Hold on, I’m not being heretical; hear me out. There was a star, just not that particular night.
On the night Jesus was born, angels announced his birth to shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem.
… in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12
The sign to the shepherds wasn’t it star it was the babe in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. There is no mention of a star.
However, the star was a sign to the Magi.
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
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 2:9-10
We know that the magi didn’t arrive until as late as two years after the birth because when they saw Jesus, he had already been weaned.
The star was real; it was a prophecy fulfilling supernatural signs. The star guided the magi to the Christ, but it seems unlikely it was in the sky when the angels appeared—that first night. Surely, if there were a supernatural star over the manger, the angels would have directed the shepherds to it.
Whether you decorate with a star or not or put your Wisemen figurines next to the stable comes down to personal preference and how biblically accurate you want to be. Having all the pieces together conflates the narrative conveniently into a simple scene to celebrate the birth of Immanuel, God with us.
It is the same idea as the depictions of Noah’s ark, where the animals come in pairs. That’s not what the text says (I’ll let you look that up yourself), but it communicates the story.
Am I being a little picky this morning? Perhaps, but I use the scene this morning to remind us that we should draw our theology and understanding from the words of Scripture, not from people’s artistic interpretation of it.
Be blessed
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 KF “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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