The Star of Bethlehem

The Star God Sent

☐

A star led the wise men to Jesus. That star tells us something wonderful about God: He made the stars, and He guides people who are looking for His Son.

His star. The wise men said, “We have seen His star in the East” (Matthew 2:2). It was not just any star. It was the King's star.

God made every star. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6).

The sky tells about God. “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). The firmament means the sky.

God knows the stars. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:3-4). God cares about you even more than the stars.

A moving star. “The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was” (Matthew 2:9). Stars do not usually lead people to a house!

God was guiding. Whatever God used to make this star shine, He was the One moving it. He led the wise men right to His Son.

An old promise. Long ago a man named Balaam said, “A Star shall come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). Many Christians see the wise men's star as an echo of that promise about a coming King.

Star, then Scripture. The star brought the wise men to Jerusalem. Then God's Word told them the town: Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5-6).

Not a fortune-teller. God used a star one time to point to Jesus. But God does not want us to look to the stars for answers about our lives. He speaks to us through the Bible.

God's lamp. “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Trust Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Great joy. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” (Matthew 2:10). Following God's lead brings joy.

What we learn. The God who made the stars cares about one family in one house in Bethlehem, and He cares about you.

What to do. On a clear night this week, look at the stars with your family. Thank God for making them, and ask Him to guide you through His Word.

The star of Bethlehem was God's sign to the magi. It led seekers from the East, and then God's written Word finished the job. The order shows how God guides.

“His star” (2:2). The magi linked the star to a person. It belonged to the newborn King. They saw it “in the East,” which can also mean at its rising.

Psalm 33:6. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.” The stars are not gods or fate. They are things God made, and He commands them.

Psalm 8:3-4. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him.” The Maker of the stars bends down to care for people.

The star moved (2:9). It “went before them” and “stood over where the young Child was.” A star that leads travelers and stops over one house is God at work. God, not the sky, was in charge.

Numbers 24:17. “A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Balaam, a man from the East, spoke of a coming King. Many Christians see the magi's star as an echo of these words.

Creation and Scripture. The star brought the magi to Jerusalem, but only the Scriptures named Bethlehem (2:5-6). Creation shows that God is there. His Word shows who He is and where to find His Son.

Astrology. Astrology is the belief that stars control or reveal our lives. God's law warned Israel against fortune-telling (Deuteronomy 18:10). God met the magi with a sign they would notice, then led them to His Word and His Son.

Matthew 2:10. The magi “rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” when the star appeared again. God's guidance came with joy, because it led them to the One they were seeking.

2 Peter 1:19. Scripture is “a light that shines in a dark place.” It is the surer guide for every believer.

John 16:13. The Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth.” God guides His people by His Word and His Spirit together.

Hebrews 11:6. God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The magi kept going until they found Him.

Application. When you need direction, open the Bible, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Talk with wise believers too. God still leads seekers to Jesus.

Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star

☐

The star over Bethlehem shone for a little while. But the One it pointed to is the Light who never goes out. Jesus calls Himself a star too.

The Morning Star. Jesus said, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).

What is the morning star? The morning star shines brightly just before sunrise. When you see it, you know the night is almost over.

A dark world. Sin makes the world dark. People hurt each other, and everyone sins. “The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2).

The Dayspring. Zacharias sang that “the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness” (Luke 1:78-79). Dayspring means the dawn.

The Light of the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Light in our hearts. God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Rising in you. Peter wrote about the day when “the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

Dark to light. God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).

Why He came. Jesus came into the dark to die on the cross for our sins. Then He rose from the dead on the third day. His light is stronger than any darkness.

You can shine. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). People who follow Jesus carry His light to others.

Let it shine. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

A promise. The morning star means the day is coming. Jesus promised to come back, and one day there will be no more night.

What we learn. The wise men followed a star to find Jesus. Now Jesus Himself is the bright star we follow.

What to do. This week, shine for Jesus. Do one kind thing for someone, and tell a friend that Jesus is the Light of the world.

The star of Bethlehem was a sign. Jesus is the reality it pointed to. Scripture uses light, dawn and the morning star to show who He is.

Revelation 22:16. “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Jesus is David's Root, before David as God, and David's Offspring, born in David's line.

The morning star. In the sky, the morning star is the bright light seen just before dawn. It announces that night is ending. Jesus is the promise that God's new day is coming.

Isaiah 9:2. “The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light.” Matthew quotes these words when Jesus begins preaching in Galilee (Matthew 4:16).

Luke 1:78-79. Zacharias called Jesus “the Dayspring from on high,” the dawn breaking over people who “sit in darkness and the shadow of death.”

John 8:12. “I am the light of the world.” Jesus said this in the temple, where great lamps were lit during the Feast of Tabernacles. He is the true Light.

2 Corinthians 4:6. The God who said, Let there be light, now shines “in our hearts” with “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Salvation is a new creation.

2 Peter 1:19. Scripture is a lamp “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Many Christians see this as the full light believers will have when Jesus returns.

Colossians 1:13. God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” Salvation moves a person from darkness into the light of Christ's kingdom.

Darkness defeated. Jesus entered our darkness, bore our sin on the cross and rose again. The darkness could not hold Him. He is alive today.

Matthew 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world.” Believers reflect His light the way the moon reflects the sun.

From the magi to us. The magi needed a star to find Him. We have the Bright and Morning Star Himself, and He has given us His Word.

Application. Light is meant to be seen. Ask God to show you one person who needs the Light of Jesus, and look for a way to show them His love this week.

📖

Complete all sections to finish!

Read each section and answer the questions correctly.