And wise men from the East followed the light of a star to find the baby Jesus. Wise me, or magi, were ancient people who sought out wisdom. They looked everywhere for it. They studied the workings of nature and of society. They studied the writings of all the world religious to find wisdom.
That is probably how they came upon the prophesy of the Messiah. Hundreds of years before the Hebrews had been taken captive by the kingdoms of the east. They prophetic writings from Isaiah and Ezekiel and Daniel had been taken and added to the libraries of the Persians. And they had been read and their truths digested by the wise men of the east.
The wise men also practiced what we world call astrology. They observed the movements of the stars to predict the future. And at the right time some of them saw it. A bright star in just the right place to indicate a king born in Israel. But not just an ordinary king but the Messiah, the Son of the Most High God spoken of by the Hebrew prophets.
So God used the light of a star put in just the right place to lead wise Gentiles to the Messiah. The prophets of old knew that it was God's plan from the beginning that Gentiles should come to Jesus for wisdom. So from the beginning God led them there. God led them so they might be enlightened. -About 34 years later God use light once again to lead someone to Christ. Paul, better known to his Hebrew speaking friends as Saul, was on his way to Demascus to arrest the followers of some new messianic cult. On the way to Demascus Paul was blinded by a light. And Jesus spoke out of the light, "Saul, Saul what are you persecuting me." And three days later Paul's eyes were opened and he saw the truth.
Later in his life he write to the Christians in Ephasis: "the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel." In other words he knew that it was God's plan to shine the light of the wisdom of God to the whole world not just the Jews, so that through Jesus Christ all could know the wisdom of God. Paul says that he was given the mission of proclaiming this truth: a wisdom for all the world to hear and believe.
But that is not the end. The final intent is that the world may know through the church the wisdom of God. The church is supposed to carry on the work of Paul; of making the truth of the Gospel known to the world. That is our task. We are to shine the light of God of all the world to see.
There are still people seeking wisdom in our world. Like the wise me of old they read and study everything they can get their hands on. Some get to know the inner working so the world around us to find wisdom. Some still look to the stars.
But the true source of all wisdom came to earth. Jesus is the wisdom of the ages incarnate. And God wants all the world to see him and know him. 2,000 years ago God sent a star to shine a light on the earth for all the world to see. And wise men from the east came seeking the Christ child. Then God appointed Paul to take the light of the wisdom of Christ to the world.
Now we are called to carry on that task. The church is the star in our age. We are the ones shining the light in this age leading others to Christ. The world is looking for something. They desperately need it. They are literally dying for the wisdom of the Gospel. Shine your light so that all may see Jesus in you and through you.
Remember there are still some wise men, and women, out there looking for the light.
Matthew 2:1-12
How Ironic. The story of the three kings has a strong sense of irony and poetic justice to it. Here were three learned and wise men. Men who were rich and who could weld influence to gain power and riches. Gentiles who hired out their great learning and wisdom to the kings of Epha and Sheba and Midia. Men who had graced the courts of Gentile kings with vast kingdoms.
These wise and powerful Gentiles did something that world must have considered very strange. They came to honor and worship the king of the Jews. The Jews were a conquered people so why not honor the Romans who conquered them. These wise individuals were giving homage to a king who had been laid on borrowed hay in a barn. And this king had no apparent kingdom. He probably didn't even have command of his own limbs.
In seems odd that Kings should honor this poor homeless infant. But we know that these were indeed wise men. They knew that this was not an ordinary king of an ordinary kingdom. This child was the Messiah sent from God to bring peace and justice to the world. The world may have thought it strange to bring precious gifts to the son of a carpenter's wife. But just as God had guided their journey so God had guided their choice in gifts. Gold to crown the King of Kings. Frankincense to be used in worshipping the Son of God. Myrrh to anoint his body for burial after he died for the sins of the world.
The kings knew what they were doing; the true irony comes from those close at hand. The Kings traveled across the known world to honor Jesus, but those in his own back yard failed to recognize him. He was born the king of the Jews, but the only a few Jewish shepherds honored him. The Jews had supposedly been watching for the Messiah for hundreds of years. But it was a group of Gentiles that saw his light. Somehow God's chosen people failed to see the star.
Irony makes for good tale telling, but this is no mere tale. This is reality. It may be poetic justice but it is a poetic justice written by God on the slate of history. God's people failed to see the light. But those outside the chosen nation came to honor it and find it.
It was bad enough that God's people not only failed to see the light. But when the kings called Herod's attention to it he tried to put it. It the Kings had been a little less wise and godly they might not have listened to the angel. Then what? Herod would have tried to kill Jesus. Instead he killed hundreds of innocent children. The first Christian Martyrs. Killed because someone didn't like the light. Murdered because those who dwelt in darkness were afraid of the truth.
The kings came from far away seeking the Christ child, led by the light of a star. People today are still seeking God's light. There are more people today who have no contact with the church than in any time in our society's history. There are people today who have never been in a church and have no knowledge of the life of Christ. We are at home with the stories of Jesus, but to them they are a foreign land; a strange country. They dwell in darkness having never seen the light of Christ.
And these people are seeking. They know they are in darkness and they are seeking the light. They are looking for God, for inner peace, for abundant life. And they don't know where to turn. Many are turning to new age religions, or pop psychology or worldly philosophies. Forgive me, but they are "Looking for love in all the wrong places."
You know what they need? They need a star to guide them. Just like the wise men, they need a light to show them to the light or lights. They need someone to guide them through a strange country of Christian traditions to the foreign city of God's word. They need someone to lead them through the maze of streets. To get them past the palaces and malls to the manger where Christ lives so that they can worship and offer their gifts.
Ironically the church often failed to do this. It's like we have forgotten that the light is here. The wise of the world come to us and say, "Where is the one who is born the light of the world, the king of the Jews." And we say, "The what of the who?" To make matters worse some Christians are so involved in their own petty battles and sinful ambitions that they try to hide the light. And they try to use and abuse the seekers for their own ends.
This irony is a reality. God has entrusted us with the knowledge that God's light has come. We must spread that word.
God gave a star for the wise men who sought the true light. And God has given the Church for those seek the light today. Shine with the light of Christ. Tell others and show others his love and abundant life. And guide them to the manger so they can kneel with the shepherds of God's people.
"We three kings or orient are, bearing gifts we traverse a far. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star." When I was a little boy I always wanted to be one of the kings. They were my favorite characters in the Christmas story, other than Jesus of course. Whenever the children would put on a Christmas pageant, I wanted to be one of the kings. By the time I was too old for the Christmas pageant my mother was an expert at making crowns out of cardboard and tin foil. I really enjoyed dressing up like the kings and wearing a crown. Then I would walk up to the manger and kneel before the baby Jesus. And I would reach into my cloak and pull out my treasure, usually either a fancy looking box or flask of some kind, and I would give that great treasure to Jesus, the King of Kings. And sometimes I would even get to sing a verse of "We Three Kings" as a solo.
There is something about this story that is intriguing and captivating. There is something about these characters which attracts us. We Christians have devoted our lives to serving this poor boy, Jesus. And it somehow trips our fancy that these kings would travel a long distance and then pass the castles and mansions of this world to go and present precious gifts to our lord.
I liked pretending I was one of the kings when I was a child. But I am an adult now. And playing pretend is something of the past. I put it away with that cardboard and tin foil crown. As an Adult I find myself asking, "Who are these kings?" Where did they come from? What were they all about?
That is what I want to talk about today in my sermon. Who are these kings? We usually call them "kings." Some people call them "Wise Men." The word that appears in the original Greek is magoi. That is where we get the word "magi." The word literally means a magician or it can be used of an astrologer. Some Magi were religious leaders. Some of the "magic" that they practiced was closer to what we call the natural sciences than it was to magic. They were well known for their observations of nature. And for the wisdom they gained from observing nature. So these were probably indeed wise men, who had studied the writings of many religions and were aware of the world around them. So it is no surprise that they would notice that a new star had appeared in the sky and would understand its significance.
They were probably also men of power and wealth. They may not have actually ruled over kingdoms, but magi were often employed by Kings. One ancient writing says that a Persian could not become a king until he had mastered the sciences of the Magi. So they would have had positions in royal courts and were probably well paid for their services.
And "Where did they come from?" All the Bible says is that they came from the East. However many believe that Isaiah was foretelling these kings arrival when he said, "the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring Gold and Frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord." Whether they came from Midian and Ephah and Sheba or not is unclear. Even if there were three is unclear. The Bible doesn't actually tell how many there were. One ancient tradition said there were 12. What is clear is that they had come from foreign lands in a day when long distance travel was not easy.
So "Who are these Kings?" They were wise, learned and wealthy men who could see the darkness of the world around them. They had worked with the kings that ruled the people and I am sure had seen much evil. Since they were observant and aware of the darkness they were able to detect a new light when it appeared in the world. Many who were right in the same town where Christ was born missed it. But because the magi were observant they saw his star in the east and its light brought them hope.
They were also from a distant land. They were not Jews. Yet they came a long distance to pay homage to the one who was born King of the Jews.
Most importantly they were the first Gentiles to worship Christ. They are a sign to us and to the world that it was part of God's plan to call all the world to worship Christ. And the star they followed shows us that Christ was the light sent into the world that would call all nations to himself. Just as that star called those foreigners to come to worship at the manger, so Christ would call the whole world to kneel with them. They represent all those Gentiles who would find redemption through Christ.
Who are these Kings? We are the Kings. In a very real sense all who have found salvation in Christ are represented by those kings. Like them we have seen the darkness of our lives. Like them we have looked to heaven for some hope. Like them the light of Christ has shined in our lives and given us hope. And like them we have sought out and found the one born the King of the Jews.
The same light which called those magi to worship Christ calls us to do the same. Perhaps the only way we can fully appreciate who these Kings were would be to stand in their place. Maybe we should dust off those cardboard and tin foil crowns from our childhoods, and the imaginations that go with them. And like those kings, approach the baby Jesus asleep in the manger.
Oh that may be a long journey for some of us. To travel from the darkness of our disbelief to follow the light of a child's faith. But maybe then we can begin to understand the journey that these Wise Men made from the darkness of their distant lands to the light of Christ. Then, when we arrive at the manger, we can each reach inside our royal cloaks and pull out the most precious treasure we could give to Christ. And we could lay our hearts on the altar as a gift to the one who came to save us.
Matthew 2:1-12
We imagine the three wise men coming to the manger only moments after Jesus is born. That is how most Christian artists portray their arrival. And that is how we depict it in manger scenes and nativity plays. And that is good, because the arrival of the kings demonstrates the truth that Jesus was born the King of Kings.
But some Bible scholars believe that the Wise Men may have arrived up to two years after Jesus' birth. They point to the fact that Matthew says they entered a "house" not a stall to see Jesus. Also Herod ordered all the boys two and under killed because of the time of the star's appearing. Herod obviously believed that Jesus had been born at least two years before.
What follows is a story based partially on that scholarly opinion. This story on based partially on what the Bible says. But much of it is from this preacher's imagination of the events. It is a story designed to help us see the light of Christ's arrival in a new way.
"A Boy Named Matt"
Once upon a time there was a boy named Matt. He was no different from other boys his age in his day. Every day Matt did his chores: milk the goats, get the water, sweep the roof. And on the Sabbath, the one break in his uneventful life, he would go to the synagogue. Matt was not old enough to join the men, but he was old enough to stand with his mother and intently listen to the men discuss the Torah and the prophets. Matt hoped for the day when he too would stand before the people and read that sacred books, and speak of Moses and the commandments and David and the Messiah.
One morning Matthew awoke. It was the Sabbath! Today there would be no goats except maybe the goat God gave Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac. Today there would be no carrying water, but maybe he would hear of water gushing from a rock in the desert. Today there would be no roof to sweep, but maybe he would hear of the roof where Daniel prayed to God. Matt excitedly dressed, and the family went to the synagogue. As they approached the synagogue they separated. Matt's father went into the inner room where the men read the holy books and Matt went with his mother to stand outside the latticework wall that separated the women and children from the men. Matt pulled his mother up close to the lattice wall so he could hear the Scriptures read.
The rabbi was away so a young carpenter read the Scripture. Matt had seen him before but didn't know him well. He looked over at the carpenter's family: a young woman with a small boy clinging to her robe. The face of Mary, the carpenter's wife, seemed to beam with pride as she watched her husband. Her glow seemed to engulf the young boy toddling at her feet. The carpenter opened the Isaiah scroll and read, "Arise shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." "Arise shine!" The words echoed in Matt's head. God says, "Arise shine!" How like the Sabbath that was. A day when one would arise and shine. A day that one wakes up happy.
Matt had been so intent on these two words that he missed the rest of the reading. Joseph rolled up the scroll and sat down. Then he spoke in slow measured words. It was obvious he was not used to doing this. He was not the Rabbi, but Matt listened anyway. Joseph spoke of the Messiah. The word seemed to sing. "Messiah!" He spoke of how the rabbis say the Messiah's coming will be a bright day and what a great event it would be. Then Joseph said, "But." The word echoed. After a long nervous pause he continued, "Maybe the Messiah's coming will not be such a big event. Maybe he will come quietly." There was some mumbling among the men. "Maybe some will miss his coming." The mumbling grew. Matt noticed that Joseph was looking toward his wife. But Joseph was not looking at Mary. He was smiling and staring at the boy toddling at her feet.
The Sabbath came and went. Sunday morning arrived. There would be no arising and shinning today. There would be no goats caught in thickets or water gushing from rocks or prophesies about Messiah. It was milk the goats, fetch the water, sweep the roof. The water was first. So Matt took the large jars and made his way to the well outside of town.
He slowly lowered the bucket into the well to draw the water. Matt didn't hear the camels approach. He wouldn't have known they were there if he hadn't overheard the word "Messiah." He quickly turned and saw three finely dressed men on camels. They were speaking Greek or something, but he picked out a few words like, "Messiah," "Bethlehem," and "Herod." Matt noticed that they were looking off to the horizon. Then one of the men pointed as he spoke and Matt turned to look. A light. Like a star! But it was daylight. Stars don't shine in the daylight. It moved for a moment, but then it stopped. Right over the carpenter's house? He had never seen anything like it. A star in the daylight!
"Boy!" The harsh voice brought him out of a daze. One of the servants was standing over him. "When the Magi speaks, you answer him." One of the men on the camels brushed off the servant with the wave of his hand. "Don't yell at the boy. He is just amazed by the light. Tell me boy do you see that light?" He spoke with an exotic foreign accent. "Yes sir! I've never seen anything like it!" The Magi smiled. "We have been following that star a long way and it has finally stopped. Can you tell us whose house that is?" "Yes sir! I think it is the house of the carpenter, Joseph." The three men mumbled among themselves and looked a little bewildered. "Boy, could you take us there to this Joseph the carpenter's house?" "Yes sir!"
When they arrived at the house the doorway was quickly filled with Magi and servants. Matt ran around to the side to watch through the window. The three men brought presents to give to Joseph and Mary. No, they were giving them to the baby? He heard the men speak, but this time in Hebrew. Hebrew, like in the synagogue, but spoken with Gentile accents. "Gold to crown the King of kings." "Frankincense, to worship the Son of God." "Myrrh to anoint the Lamb of God."
How like the Sabbath this was. Watching through the latticework. Listening to the sacred language spoken. Words like "Messiah" and "Lord" heard through a window. And talk of sacrificial lambs and worship.
Matt slowly wandered back to the well as he thought of these things. "The King of Kings." "Messiah!" Could it be that the Messiah spoken of by the prophets had come? Could it be that he had seen the Messiah the anointed one of God play at the carpenter's shop around the corner and in the synagogue down the street? Joseph had said the Messiah might come quietly, and that some would miss him. But the child looked so ordinary. Maybe God is in the ordinary. In the Sundays and Mondays as well as the Sabbaths and holy days. Maybe God is in the milking of the goat, the fetching of water, the sweeping of the roof and in the language of every day life. Matt looked up at the light of the star. Why had he not seen it before? How could he miss a star so bright unless he had never looked? Was it there all along just like the carpenters child?
When Matt arrived at the well the jars were full of water. Matt didn't remember filling them. He tasted the water and it was sweet like wine. He took the jars and, despite their weight, his steps were lighter than before. Like his steps on the way to the Synagogue on the Sabbath. And he thought of Kings and gifts and of the Messiah. It was just like the Sabbath all over again. "Arise shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Even when the Sabbath was over!
Matthew, or Matt, was right. God is in the ordinary, the everyday. We arise and shine looking for God on Sunday morning. We expect to see the glory and light on God in special days like Christmas and Easter.
But God is really there all along in the average work of everyday. God is in Mondays and Tuesdays and ordinary days just as much in the holidays or Holy days. The problem is we just aren't looking. That is why we don't see it.
Once the excitement of shepherds and angels are over there are few who can still see the glory of God shining from heaven. When the singing of heavenly choirs has finished there are few who can still hear the voice of God. We close our eyes in spiritual sleep when the Christmas Sabbath is over and we can't see the glory of God in our midst revealed in the Christ child.
Keep your eyes open this year. Even after Christmas is over look for God's glory. It is there like the star and the Christ child in that story. But only the truly wise are able to point it out. "Arise and Sine for your light has come." Look! A star! A light from heaven! Look!
Matthew 2:1-12
We all know about the Kings. We have seen their arrival dramatized a thousand times. And we have all imagined it a million times. Three men in long robes wearing crowns come on camels to the manger on the heels of the shepherds. Some of us may even remember their names: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
It is a nice picture, but it doesn't fit with what the Bible says. I am sorry to disillusion you but these wise men probably didn't arrive in Bethlehem until two years after Jesus' birth. There are several indication of this in Matthew's Gospel. First of all the Bible says that the Wise Men entered a house not a stable. It also says that they presented their gifts to a child not to an infant. All that indicates that it was sometime after Jesus birth that the wise men arrived but not how long. But there is evidence that it was about two years. When the Wise Men went to Herod, he asked when the star appeared. The appearance of the star would have coincided with Jesus' birth. So when Herod wants to kill Jesus he orders all the children two years and under killed "according to the time that the had learned from the Wise men."(Matt. 2:16)
Not only is our conception of when the wise men arrived not compatible with Scripture but other aspects of the common picture of the Wise Men. First of all they were not Kings in the common sense of the word. The word used in the Greek is magoi where we get the word Magi. Magi were ancient eastern philosophers and religious wise men. Secondly the bible does not say that they were riding camels. The idea that they were riding camels comes from Isaiah 60 where it says that the "young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring Gold and Frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord." This is apparently a prophesy of the coming of Gentiles to worship the God of Israel. But church tradition has also taken the camel part of the prophecy literally and decided that they wise men must have been riding camels. And how many wise men were there? Three, right! But church tradition has also said it was two or four or 12. The most popular number "3" was probably derived from the number of gifts mentioned. Quite simply we don't know how many wise men there were, much less what their names were or how they arrived.
In conclusion I guess you could say that the Bible doesn't tell us much about the kings and that people have filled in the gaps with their imaginations. But what it does tell us is important. It tells us that they were from foreign lands - Gentiles. Jesus came to save not just Israel but the world and here is the first evidence of that Divine plan. Oddly enough it also tells us exactly what gifts the wise men brought. Think about it! We don't even know how many Wise men there were but we know exactly what they gave to Jesus! For this reason I want to focus on the gifts this morning because I believe there is some meaning in this detail.
So why does Matthew go to the trouble of identifying these specific gifts. One possibility is to demonstrate that this event is a fulfillment of prophesy. Isaiah had said that Gentiles would come bringing Gold and Frankincense. While this is part of what the spirit is leading Matthew to do there is more. If that were his only motive in naming the gifts he would not have mentioned Myrrh. He might have written Gold Frankincense and other gifts. You see Myrrh is not mentioned in any prophecies that I know of. So there must be some other significance to these gifts!
So what is the significance of Gold? I like the way the song puts it "Gold I bring to crown him again." We often speak of the wise men as kings when actually they were philosophers and magicians. But the idea that Jesus is the King of Kings is expressed in their arrival. The gold is a symbol of that Kingship.
Of course Jesus had no need of a Gold crown to demonstrated for the world his kingship. Partially because his Kingdom was not of this world. He was not a Monarch like Caesar or Cleopatra who ruled for a short time over a limited territory. Jesus was there at creation and was King of the entire universe. And as the King of Kings he would wear a crown - a crown of thorns.
The first gift: gold, draws our attention to these truths.
The second gift is Frankincense. Frankincense was used in worship. It was made from the sap of the frankincense tree. In Old Testament Judaism it was used in a number of different ways to worship God. It was one of the ingredients in the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:34). It was also burnt as part of the cereal offering(Lv. 6:15) and placed on the showbread in the tabernacle(Lv. 24:7).
This gift demonstrates Jesus priestly roll. But it also suggests that Jesus will be more than any earthly priest. Like earthly priests he would go before God interceding on behalf of the faithful. He would also offer a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Some would also suggest that this gift reveals that Jesus himself is worthy of worship. The Gold shows that he is a King but the Frankincense reveals that he is God in the flesh. Not only will this child lead people to worship God. He himself will also be worshipped.
The last of the gifts was Myrrh. This is the strangest and most shocking of all the gifts. Of course like Gold and Frankincense, Myrrh was a valuable commodity. But it was used mainly as for anointing the dead. When the first gifts were presented to the child Messiah I am sure Mary and Joseph nodded in approval and understanding. But when the last gift was presented they probably looked puzzled.
Who would give embalming fluid to a King. But the gift was prophetic just like the others. Jesus was the King of kings as the Gold suggested and he was the great high priest and God incarnate as the Frankincense proclaimed. But Jesus had also come to die.
I remember singing the hymn "What child is this?" in an Episcopal church. The refrain in our hymnal goes: "This, This is Christ the king whom shepherd's guard and angels sing." The refrain for the first two verses was the same in the Episcopal hymnal. But the refrain for the last verse was different and it shocked me with its profoundness when I sang it: "Nails, spear shall pierce him through the lamb of God for me for you." His death as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world is the truth behind this gift. That was God's goal in the incarnation; that by sending his Son to live a perfect sinless life he would have the only worthy sacrifice to pay for the sins of the world.
Each of the gifts of the wise men reveal something about who Jesus is and what he came to do. The gold shows that Jesus came to rule the hearts of people as the King of kings. The Frankincense speaks of Jesus' role as our great high priest making offerings for the faithful and that Jesus came as God in the flesh - the object of our worship. And the Myrrh reminds us that Jesus came to die - for the sins of the world. He came to die for your sins and my sins.
What do your gifts say about who Jesus is and what he does in your life. You know our lives are our gifts to Jesus. The way we live are the Gold Frankincense and Myrrh that we present to the King of kings.
What does your life say about Jesus. Do you words and actions demonstrate the Love and righteousness of Jesus? Do your prayers point to the one who intercedes on behalf of all who believe? Do your offerings speak prophetically about the one who gave his life for sinners like you and me?
If our lives don't reflect these truths, then maybe we need to reevaluate what it is we really are giving to God.
Matthew 2:1-12
The star of Bethlehem: it's the light that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus. We have seen it depicted in art and movies and fiction. It is often portrayed as a bright star that moves in the sky to show the Wise Men where to find the baby Jesus.
But what does the Bible really say about the star of Bethlehem? First of all it does not say that is was bright. In fact there is reason to believe that it was not very bright. There is no indication that anyone saw it other than the Wise Men. One of the things that Wise Men or Magi did was to map the stars. They thought they could predict the rise and fall of kingdoms from observing the stars. So the star only had to be bright enough to be visible for the Wise Men to take notice of it. Since only they seem to have noticed, it would seem that it could not have been much brighter than any average star.
Most of the time we imagine the Wise Men seeing the star night after night during their journey until it led them to the baby Jesus. Actually from Matthew's report it would seem that the star appeared twice. It appeared a first time in the sky and based on its position they concluded that it signaled the birth of a king in Israel. So at first they did not follow the star as one would follow an arrow pointing the way, but they followed the meaning of the star. When they arrived in Israel they went straight to the King, Herod, to see the new prince that the star signaled. It was only after they left Herod that the star appeared again. It was then that the star appeared to lead them to the Christ Child.
As you know, one of my areas of interest is Astronomy. So I have always wondered what the star of Bethlehem was. One suggestion is that it was a Supernova. A supernova is the explosion of a star. When a large star dies it goes supernova and a supernova can be so bright that it appears in the daylight. Supernovae have also been known to get bright, then dim, and get bright again. From the point of view of the Magi it may have appeared, disappeared, and then appeared again. But it would not have moved in relation to the other stars.
Another possibility is that it could have been a conjunction of planets. A conjunction is when one planet passes in front of another The Wise Men would have tracked the visible planets like Jupiter and Mars and there were a couple of rare conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn about the time Jesus was born. The Wise Men would have been familiar with Astrology and might have interpreted a conjunction of planets as having special meaning. Most other people would not have noticed it at all especially the scribes and Pharisees who rightly considered Astrology to be a form of idolatry. Two different conjunctions in the same area of the sky could also have appeared as one light appearing, disappearing and then reappearing. It would also have moved from night to night.
Another possibility is that the star of Bethlehem could have been a comet. A comet would have appeared to move and would have been bright enough to be noticed. The tail could also have appeared to point to a particular house in Bethlehem.
The other possibility is that it was not an astronomical phenomenon at all. Instead of a natural event, it could have been a supernatural miracle. God could have sent an angel or some other light to draw the Wise Men to Israel and eventually to Jesus.
So what was it: a supernova, a conjunction, a comet or a miracle? I don't know. And the Bible doesn't tell us enough to figure it out. But what it does tell us is significant. Learned men from the east came to Jerusalem seeking Jesus. They were not Jewish. They were not believers in God. They were even practitioners of a superstition that was in violation of the laws of God given through Moses. And it was a heavenly light them led them to Jesus.
Sure, their knowledge was primitive by our standard. Even a high school algebra student could have taught them a few things about mathematics. Their concept of the solar system was probably based on an earth centered solar system. But they knew the positions of the stars. Their ignorance was so extensive that they even operated under the false belief that they could predict the future by following the motion of the planets in the sky.
But God used their limited and even misled knowledge to lead them to Christ. By whatever means, God placed a light in the sky where the wisest of the Gentile world would see it. Through that light God led these wise Gentiles, who practiced idolatry, to Israel. And once they got there the Scriptures revealed the real truth of where the King was. And in the end these astrologist Wise Men knelt and worshipped the only begotten Son of God who created the stars, planets, comets, etc.
You see that is the way God works. God uses our limited knowledge to lead us in the right direction. If we are honest we have to admit that our understanding of Divine things is very limited. We do have the advantage of having the Bible to lead us. But sometimes we even have trouble understanding the Bible. We can't even figure out what the star of Bethlehem was that lead the Wise Men.
But God still led them even if the means are beyond our understanding. And God still leads us. Not by lights in the sky like some non-believers suppose, but by the light of God in our lives.
The Star of Bethlehem may not be visible in the night sky. But its light is still with us. It's the light of Jesus. And just as it led those wise men so long ago it leads us now.
God led the wise men and God leads us. In the same way God is reaching out to the lost peoples of our world. There are more than 6 billion people alive today. One estimate says that there are more people alive now than all the people who have ever lived before. About a third of them claim to be Christian. Of that third of the world's population, Lord only knows how many actually place them faith in Christ.
And God is still reaching out to lead these billions to Christ. The light of Christ's love is still shinning in the world. Sometimes that light leads people to the church just as it led the Wise Men to Israel. The question is: What do we do when they come to the church? The scribes in Herod's court opened the books of prophesy and told the Wise Men that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They pointed the Magi in the right direction and God helped them along.
When people led by the light of God's love come to the church, where do we point them? Do we point to involvement and action and fellowship? Do we appoint them to a committee? Do we proscribe rites and rituals? Or do we open the scriptures and point them to Jesus? Better yet do we walk with them as they follow the Scriptures to the place where they can kneel and worship the Son of God made human?
God sent Jesus his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world so that whosoever believeth in him shall have eternal life. And God is leading people to Christ today just as God led the Wise Men. We need to be prepared for them when they come seeking the King of the light they are following. We need to be ready to tell them how they can be saved and find Jesus. We need to be able to tell them that Jesus is the only true source of the light they seek. We need to be able to tell them that they don't need to look to the stars for guidance because they can know the one who made the stars. Like the scribes we need to point them to Bethlehem and Jesus, because only he can save them.