Dec
14
2009
The Star of Bethlehem: A Meditation
Author: brian“We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him…. The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:2,9 NIV).
Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on the function of stars. Stars are glorious luminaries in the heavens above, but their purpose is not to draw attention to themselves. What is their purpose? King David tells us: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). The function of stars is to draw attention to the glory of God and the greatness of his work.
This “star in the east” – the so-called Star of Bethlehem – was assigned a special purpose in keeping with the function of all stars. The function of the “star in the east” was to draw attention to the birth of the Son of God, whom the New Testament reveals to be the very glory of God (Hebrews 1:3) and the light of the world (John 8:12). Moreover, the Incarnation is surely among the greatest of God’s works. So this “star in the east” was afforded the unique privilege of drawing the attention of the Magi to the glory of God in the person of our Lord and to the majesty of the Incarnation.
Christian brothers and sisters, you are called to imitate this star. It is your proper function and privilege. If we may personify the star, the star would have said, “Look at me, but only so that you may look upon him; look at my light, but only so that I can direct you to the true light.” And this reminds me of the beginning of John’s gospel:
“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:6-9 NIV).
Do you see the similarity between the star’s mission and John’s mission? What happens if we substitute “star” for “John” in the above passage: “There came a star that was sent from God. It came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him all men might believe. The star itself was not the light; it came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”
This is our calling: to testify to the light. The star “went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” The star led them to the Son of God and then faded from the scene. Mission accomplished. Likewise with John the Baptist. He testified, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NIV)! John pointed others to the Savior-King and then faded from the scene. John said, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30 NIV). Mission accomplished. Eventually John was beheaded.
Dear friends, imitate the Star of Bethlehem; imitate John the Baptist. In all of your holiday giving and receiving, remember that you can give no greater gift than the gift of testifying to the Son of God. Let your light shine so that others will be drawn to the true light. And once you have led people into the heart of the Christmas story, get out of the way. After that, you can vanish into outer space or be beheaded, and whether it’s one or the other will make very little difference. Just let it be said of you: mission accomplished.
