You may be reading or hearing about the “Christmas Star” making an appearance just before Christmas this year, on December 21st. The event, astronomically speaking, is the conjunction of two mega-planets Jupiter and Saturn. To the naked eye, the two will appear virtually as one, a very noticeable bright beam cutting through the night sky. In reality, the two planets are some 400,000,000 miles apart, but their alignment in our sky makes them look only 0.1 degree apart. Even now, the two distant planets appear to be approaching each other closer and closer each night.
The last time this particular conjunction took place, and was so remarkable to people on earth, was in the year 1226!
Star of Bethlehem
No one this side of heaven knows exactly what the wise men from the east saw in the sky as they trekked miles and miles, eventually arriving in Bethlehem where they gave expensive gifts to Joseph and Mary to honor their new son, Jesus. Some scientists have speculated it was a similar extraordinary conjunction of planets. Some Christians believe God was perfectly capable of creating a special, one-time only, bright superstar for the occasion, since He also made the heavens and the earth.
In the Bible, the Book of Matthew, Chapter 2, gives pretty much all we know about the star’s role in the blessed event surrounding the birth of the Messiah, Jesus. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” (NLT) And there’s more, just dust off the Bible or open a phone app like YouVersion.
Exactly what the Star of Bethlehem was remains a mystery to this day.
Igniting Hope
But the impact of the star heralding the arrival of the Lord on planet earth echoes powerfully through history to this very year. The news media is talking about the “Christmas Star.” Granted, they’re not sharing the story of Jesus, but this event certainly opens the door for Christians to share the real story, and what a relationship with Jesus is all about. This year, especially, we all need hope. People of every nation, tongue, and tribe have been unwillingly encased in a deadly pandemic, the likes of which we have not experienced in our lifetime.
Looking at prophetic words in Isaiah 9, which might also serve as hope for our current dilemma:
- "Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever."
- "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light."
- "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
It would be accurate to say, Jesus is very much the “star” of the story.
