What was the star of Bethlehem? People ask was it a real star, a planet, a comet, a meteor, an angel, or a special creation just for this time or what was it.
(Matthew 2:1-18 1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 ¶ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 ¶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.)
The star of Bethlehem or Christmas star as it is called was seen by the wise men in the east. When the wise men went to go and see Jesus the star was seen and it stopped over the house of Jesus as seen in verse 9. Many people believe the star led the wise men to Israel from their land and then straight to the home of Jesus. This is possible, but it also may have disappeared after initially getting the attention of the wise men who most likely studied the stars each night and would notice a new bright object in the skies. It may not have reappeared until after the wise men spoke to Herod and they headed for Bethlehem. The star may have guided them to a nearby town or to a place in Bethlehem where Jesus was. Verse 9 says the star they saw in the east guided them to the house of Jesus. I personally believe the star most likely led them to Herod and then maybe disappeared so that events could unfold with Herod and then when they left it reappeared to guide them to Jesus. This is why they rejoiced as seen in verse 10.
Scripture does not tell us much about this star. There are many theories as to what this star was. Many people say this was not a real star that hovered over Jesus’ home as stars are too big and hot to be that close to earth. They are right. Stars also seem to be fixed objects, though in reality they do move just very slowly due to their distance and our orbit. All stars rise in the east. Astronomers said around the time of Jesus’s birth there was a conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn or between Jupiter and Venus, but these years say around 6 BC or 4 BC and are I believe years before Jesus was probably born around 2 or 1 BC. A conjunction is when two planets appear to be in the same spot from our perspective on earth and appear as one bright star. Some say it was Jupiter that appeared to be in retrograde motion as seen against the stars as a planet appears to stop just before it appears to go backwards. In reality the planet never stops or goes backwards. It is just an illusion to our eyes. Some of these movements make it appear the star is dancing in the night sky. Other people say it was a comet or a supernova. A comet would go too fast and none where seen at the time of the birth of Jesus. A supernova is a star that explodes and causes a very bright light for a while before fading away. This can last years, but none occurred then nor do they guide people. The Jehovah’s Witnesses say the star was from Satan since it led the wise men to Herod who wanted to kill them. None of these beliefs are correct. A planet or star or other object will not move and stop and then move again and directly guide a person to a spot and then stop again. None of the dates match with the birth of Jesus. Some say it was a star created just for the birth of Jesus. God finished creation after day 6 and the star would still be a star that would be disqualified for the same reasons as other stars. Some say the star was an angel or angels that shone brightly to guide the wise men. That is possible as angels are referred to as stars in such places as Job 38:7 and Revelation 1:20, but I believe the star was none other than God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told in John 3:13 that he was in heaven at the same time he was here on earth since he is God. (John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.) Jesus could be a young child here on earth and still be the Star. Scripture foretold of Jesus coming as the Star. (Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.) The wise men who most likely knew scripture would have been looking for this Star. They knew the stars were for signs and the heavens declare the glory of God. (Genesis 1:14 ¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:) (Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.)When they suddenly one night saw a new bright star appear in the east and then most likely saw it move, they knew this must be the Star and in faith followed it. Whatever the star of Bethlehem was it was a supernatural event and miracle from God. Even if it was a real star special made by God to wait to shine until the moment of the birth of his Son to announce to the world the Saviour was born, it was still supernaturally controlled by God. This was no ordinary star or planet conjunction or anything else. Whether the star was an angel or Jesus himself, this was no ordinary star. It was a miracle of God for that time only.
We are never told much in scripture about the wise men and there are many different opinions about them. The wise men came from the east. Some say they were from Babylon, others Persia, and even some say the Orient including as told in the hymn We Three Kings of Orient Are. The hymn The First Noel also mentions the wise men. Many people say they were professional astrologers for the king of the nation they were from and this status would also have allowed them access to king Herod. Most people believe they were either Babylonians or Persians. The Chinese language characters do tell the story of Genesis as they were originally godly people, so it is possible that some descendants were the wise men. These are all possible, but I believe they were godly men who were looking for the Messiah in Jesus and the King of kings. I believe the wise men were most likely Jews descended from Jews from the Babylonian captivity who were still living in Babylon or in Persia. Babylon would be where modern Iraq is and Persia modern Iran. They probably were wealthy and had some governmental ranking to afford the gifts and to travel a far distance. Some people believe they were Gentiles since they asked Herod “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”. It is possible that the wise men were Gentiles and thought Jesus was his son because they did not know scripture. More likely, the wise men as Jews recognized Herod was not the legitimate king of Israel and so was asking Herod where the real King of Israel was since they had traveled for a while and did not expect for Jesus to still be in Bethlehem where he was born, but rather expected to find him in Jerusalem as King. Herod was not a real Jew, but was descended from the Edomites [From Esau]. His ancestors had converted to Judaism, but he had no right to the throne of Israel. His dad had been appointed by the Romans and he inherited the throne and the interest of the Jews was not Herod’s priority. It was to the Romans and him staying king no matter what. Since Herod was not a real Jew he would not know scripture foretold where Jesus would be born and this is why he asked the Jewish priests in verse 4 who answered him in verse 6. When Herod asked the priests he referred to Jesus as Christ and not King as he believed only he was the king of Israel. (Micah 5:2 But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.) Herod told the wise men he wanted to worship Jesus as well. Herod asked to speak to the wise men in private since he knew the Jewish leaders knew how evil he was and they might discover his plot to kill the Messiah and King. The wise men may have been deceived by Herod and believed him and this is why they were later warned in a dream not to return to him. These men should have realized Herod was up to something since Jesus was not his child and this would make him mad referring to someone else as King of the Jews.
The wise men came to see Jesus most likely when he was close to two years old. It was not like the Christmas story that has the wise men appearing at the birth of Jesus. If the wise men really did come from the Orient, it probably would take close to two years traveling on camels. We are told in verse 11 of Matthew 2 that they came to the house were Jesus lived and Jesus was a young child, not a newborn baby. Jesus had been born in a manger and did not have a home. Luke 2:39 says Joseph moved the family back to Nazareth after fulfilling all those according to the law with Jesus and Mary. (Luke 2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.) Most likely Joseph, Mary, and Jesus ended up moving back to either Bethlehem or a surrounding town sometime before the wise men came, possibly so Jesus could be closer to Jerusalem and the temple. We also see in Matthew 2:21-23 how when Joseph and his family returned from Egypt they were going back to Judea, but then were told by God in a dream to go to Nazareth. If they were still living in Nazareth when the wise men came, they would have probably gone directly back there. We know since the wise men saw Jesus in the house that it was not at the time of his birth. Herod asked the wise men when they first saw the star so he could determine how old Jesus was and how old his competition to the throne was. Herod in verses 16 of chapter 2 says he had all of the boys two years old and under killed in an attempt to kill Jesus. Satan used Herod in his attempt to destroy Jesus. Herod most likely added a little time to the age to be assured that he had killed Jesus. This shows Jesus was around two years old when the wise men arrived. People say Jesus was living in Nazareth at the time of the wise men, but Herod had the boys in Bethlehem and the coasts nearby killed, so this shows Jesus most likely was living in one of these areas and possibly in Rama as verse 18 says. Rama was a small town about five miles from Jerusalem. He had all of the boys killed since he did not know what Jesus looked like. Herod was an evil man, much like many modern day politicians.
The wise men brought Jesus three gifts; gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. People often say there were only three wise men since there are three gifts. Scripture never says that. It is possible that is correct and most likely is, but two wise men could bring three gifts and so could 30 wise men. The number three does represent divine completeness and resurrection. It is possible that a large caravan of wise men came as Matthew 2:3 says Herod and all Jerusalem with him were troubled when they heard the wise men ask about the King of the Jews. They could have been troubled about such a large group of men looking for the King and they did not want any trouble with the Romans or they could have been troubled since they were afraid they could no longer live their lives of sin and power if a new King came. I do believe it was most likely just three and the people were troubled that they were not looking for the King of Israel like these wise men. The gifts they brought all were representative of Jesus. The gold represents Jesus as King and his deity as God. The frankincense represents Jesus as our High Priest. Frankincense is an incense. Myrrh is a perfume that represented Jesus being anointed at his death. Frankincense and myrrh were very expensive and even said to be more valuable than gold at that time. This shows the wise men had money or either they were bringing the gifts on behalf of a government or rich people. The gifts most likely were used by Joseph and Mary to pay for the house and live off of. Remember they were poor and brought the poor person’s offering of two turtledoves when they went to the temple for the dedication of Jesus. (Luke 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.) The wise men came to worship Jesus, not Mary or Joseph. These wise men came from far to worship Jesus yet the Jewish priests and scribes could not follow the wise men and travel a short distance (about five miles) to see if their Messiah (Christ) had been truly born. This shows the true heart of the priests. God will always let those who truly seek him find him just as the wise men did.
God warned the wise men not to return back to Herod, but to return home another way. I believe this shows they were godly men who had been seeking and waiting for Jesus for a long time. I believe they understood scripture. The reason they did not go directly to Bethlehem knowing Jesus would be born there was because they came two years later and did not know where the Messiah would be living now. I have heard some say they were not true wise men and were not saved, but I disagree. I do not believe unsaved people would have traveled as far as they did on camel to see a supposed King of Israel that they did not believe in and then bring such expensive gifts. These men according to verse 11 worshipped Jesus. That is much more than Herod did. Believers worship Jesus, not unsaved people. Many people today are just like Herod and want to “worship” Jesus for the wrong reasons. They only worship Jesus for themselves and what it will get them. Herod only wanted to know the location of Jesus so he could kill him and eliminate any competition to his throne. This is why God warned the wise men not to go back to Herod. God knows people’s heart and can see the future. God warned the wise men and Joseph and will warn us too if we are walking with God and will listen.
Joseph was warned in a dream by an angel of the Lord to escape to Egypt to avoid Herod. Joseph obeyed and returned after his death. (Matthew 2:19-23 ¶ But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.) He planned to return most likely to Bethlehem or nearby where they had previously lived, but feared the son of Herod and therefore moved out of Judea where Bethlehem was located and moved to Nazareth in Galilee. This shows that Jesus may have lived in Bethlehem or a nearby town such as Rama when the wise men came. Jesus would grow up in Nazareth and the early Christians were referred to as Nazarenes by the Jews and considered a separate sect similar to a different Christian denomination today. This remained until after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 when the Jews blamed the Christians for the destruction and they were now considered a separate religion. (Acts 24:5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:) Nazareth means branch in Hebrew which is why Jesus grew up there as Jesus is the Branch. (Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:) (Jeremiah 23:5 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.) Jesus was spoken by the prophets to have been called a Nazarene. This is never mentioned in scripture by the name Nazarene, but rather as Branch which is why Jesus grew up in Nazareth and was called a Nazarene.
The wise men who came to see Jesus were truly wise. Modern bibles refer to them as Magi which is incorrect and misses the connection. Once again the King James Bible shows its superiority over all other bibles and its inspiration by God. Anyone who truly seeks Jesus is a wise man. These wise men recognized Jesus as their King, Lord, and Saviour and recognized they needed a Saviour. These wise men were not just Babylonian astrologers. They were most likely Jews who were descendants of some left in Babylon from the 70 year captivity or while in Persian captivity. These men were looking for Jesus and anyone who is truly seeking Jesus will find him. They knew to look for his Star. East represents the coming of Jesus. Those who are wise will seek Jesus. I pray that if anyone listening today is not saved that they will be wise like these men and seek Jesus today, the true Star of Bethlehem and call upon him for your Saviour.
