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Matthew 2:1 (NLT), Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”... 7[Herod] called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9 After this interview the wise men went their way.
Astronomy or Astrology?
Deut. 4:19, “...when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.”
Psalm 19, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.”
“The star guiding the magi was not to predict, but to proclaim the birth of Christ.” - Norman Geisler
Matthew 2:9b (NLT), And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Conclusion
1. Joy is in Wisdom that focuses on Christ.
“Out of all this throng of theories it [education] must somehow select a theory; out of all these thundering voices it must manage to hear a voice; out of all this awful and aching battle of blinding lights... it must manage somehow to trace and to track a star.” - G. K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World
2. Joy is in Giving to Christ and His priorities.
“True worship involves giving... nobody forced the magi to give. They did it willingly... Giving doesn’t get you to Jesus, but it is a sure sign that you’ve met Him.” – Daniel Darling, The Characters of Christmas
