BridgeWay242 Blog

“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.

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There are many things for which to be thankful, but here are two.  In some of his letters, the apostle Paul tells the people that he is giving thanks for them – and he tells them why.  Listen in:

“We always thank God … because we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints” (Colossians 1:3-4 NIV).

“We ought always to thank God for you … because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV).

Faith.  Love.  Paul also takes note of these spiritual virtues in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and Philemon 5.  They are important.  So look around you, and wherever you see signs that people have faith in the Lord Jesus and love for God’s people, give thanks to God.  They are among the most precious of gifts.

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God created your mouth not only so that you can be fed (with physical food), but also so that you can feed others (with spiritual food).  God created your tongue not only so that you can taste the sweetness of honey, but also so that you can share with others something (the Word of God) that is sweeter than honey.  God created your lips not only so that you express your affection to a loved one (whether with a word or a kiss), but also so that you can express God’s affection for His people (by speaking forth the word of grace).  So consider:

• Proverbs 2:4 encourages the reader to look for understanding “as for silver” (NIV).
• Proverbs 10:20 says, “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver” (NIV).
• Now imagine that the people around you – in your home, in your church, in your neighborhood, in your workplace -  are looking for understanding “as for silver.”  Here’s the question: will they find what they are looking for on your tongue?  In other words: Is your tongue “choice silver”?

Dear friend, let your tongue be taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3 NIV). Then your tongue will be a “choice silver” tongue, with precious and valuable words rolling off of it for the good of others, and you will nourish many.  May it be so.

Note: This meditation has been inspired by Proverbs 10 (verses 11, 13, 20-21, 31) and Psalm 19 (verse 10).

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This past weekend two BridgeWay members entered into the covenant of marriage; Lord-willing, the same thing will happen for two other members later in the summer.  The Bible teaches that marriage is a vehicle for displaying the gospel of the glory of Christ.  God designed human marriage to display the supreme value and worth of Christ, and his faithful, sacrificial, and transformative love (see Ephesians 5:22-33).  Participation in this display of glory is the highest calling of a husband and wife.  But there is another Scripture that connects marriage and the glory of God.  It is Psalm 19:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork….  In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber” (Psalm 19:1, 4-5 ESV).  Notice the logic:

1. The heavens declare God’s glory.

2. Therefore, the sun – which is in the heavens and part of the heavens – declares God’s glory.

3. The sun is “like a bridegroom leaving his chamber.”  

4. Therefore, God’s glory is “like a bridegroom leaving his chamber.”  

Which leaves us with a question: what significance does the psalmist intend when he refers to a bridegroom?  Here is how John Piper answers this question:

“Do you see what God wants you to see here—and when you leave this service today? He wants you to see and to feel that when the sun pours forth speech about the glory of God, the message is that the glory of God is an overwhelmingly happy thing. Why else would he say it’s like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber? The point here is not merely that the bridegroom is decked out in the finest clothes and surrounded by his noble groomsmen. The point is that this is the happiest day of his life. This is the fulfillment of dreams. This is the beginning of a whole new kind of joy. That’s what the glory of God is like. That’s the message when the sun rises in lavish red and gold and lavender in the eastern sky. God’s glory is a happy thing—like the happiness of a bridegroom on his wedding day.”*

So let the happiness of this summer’s weddings – and the memory of them – be a signpost pointing you to the most valuable reality in the universe: the glory of God.

* Source: John Piper, “Do You See the Joy of God in the Sun?”  Accessed June 8, 2009.

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