Daily Devotional For Monday, December 9, 2024

Our Christmas word for today is STAR. The star that the wise men followed to find Jesus fascinates our scientific minds. I have to admit, I cannot help but be intrigued by what specific constellation or conjunction of planets might have formed the sign in the heavens that the wise men followed. The answer seems so tantalizingly close.

We must remember that along with the science of discovery, there was also the miracle of revelation. The star that the wise men saw before they began their journey miraculously appears again as they reached Bethlehem. Look at Matthew 2:9-10, “After this interview the wise men went their way. 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. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (NLT).

There are two great truths that shine in this star.

1. First, both the scientific and the miraculous can point to God. God made everything that is studied in science and God ordained every miracle. Today there is a false or untrue dichotomy between science and God. Dichotomy means a division of contradiction. This lie is a fairly modern invention. For centuries, science and God co-existed together. For centuries people and scientists felt you could not understand the universe until you had a relationship to the Creator of it. 
2. Second, and more importantly, we all have something that points us to God. The question is, what was your star? What is it that brought — or is bringing — you to the place where you began to worship Jesus? For many people, it is another person that God used; maybe a parent, or family member, or maybe a friend. Others find that a set of circumstances woke them up to the fact that they needed more than just themselves. Or maybe like these wise men, something in God’s creation caused you to wonder and you were drawn to Him.

I read about a former agnostic young teen who later became a Christian who wrote this:

I’ll never forget a couple of high school boys who knocked on my door when I was in my later teenage years. They were asking people to attend a Christian concert at a local park. Since I wasn’t yet a follower of Jesus, I wasn’t interested and told them so. One of them asked me if I’d like to be certain I was going to heaven. I told them no and closed the door in their face. But something about that question kept gnawing at me. Could you be certain? I’d always thought you had to wait until after you died to see if you’d piled up enough good works to make it in. God used that question as a “star” to get my mind questioning and is part of what led me to begin to worship Jesus. Those two boys probably felt that the conversation with me was a failure, but God was working in ways they did not see.

For the wise men, the process of being led towards Jesus began when they first saw the star and realized there was something out there. This led to a long and dangerous journey where God provided protection and then a revelation received from Scripture when they went to Herod. It ended with the decision that took them to the place where they met Jesus.

Look at Matthew 2:9b-11, “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” (NLT). In that day you brought and gave gold to a king. The frankincense, a glittering, odorous gum obtained from the bark of certain trees, was a gift for deity (Isaiah 60:6). 

And myrrh, a valued spice and perfume (Psalm 45:8), also came from trees and was used in embalming; thus, it was a gift for a person who was going to die (Mark 15:23; John 19:39). When a person died, they wrapped the body in “swaddling clothes” and onto each layer of cloth, they put some frankincense and myrrh. All three gifts were extremely expensive gifts to give and travel with that day. These three gifts would have provided Joseph and Mary huge financial resources to raise Jesus. In fact, a few scholars think these 3 resources provided Joseph and Mary the means to travel to Egypt and back in Matthew 2:13-23. I don’t believe this is true because of the words used. One word is “house.” Jesus was not born in a house but in a manger. Second, the word translated as child [παιδίον, paidion] refers to a toddler, not an infant. I hate to blow your manger scenes out of the water but the magi probably came to Egypt to find Jesus, not Bethlehem. 

The wise men rejoiced when they saw the star over the manger. Once they put it all together, they could not help but be filled with great joy. Stop for a moment right now and ask God to fill your heart with joy for the way he worked in your life to bring you to Jesus.

New Testament scholar Craig Bloomberg writes this:

“Thus one born in obscurity is recognized by unlikely devotees as the future King of Israel. The child whose birth is shrouded in suspicions of illegitimacy (chap. 1) is in fact God’s legitimate appointee. On the other hand, the legal rulers, both political and religious, by their clinging to positions of power and prestige, prove themselves to be illegitimate in God’s eyes. Sadly, the church in many ages has perpetuated this pattern. Meanwhile, God often chooses to reveal himself to pagans, at times even in the midst of their religious practices, to lead them on to the full truth found only in Christ” (Source: Craig Bloomberg, The New American Commentary, Vol. 66, “Matthew,” p. 66).

New Testament scholar Bruce B. Bartong writes this:

“The wise men brought gifts and worshiped Jesus for who He was. This is the essence of true worship—honoring Christ for who He is and being willing to give Him what is valuable to you. We see in their lives a pattern for worship:

• • They entered. They had prepared for their journey, studied, and sought out Jesus.
  • They bowed. They humbled themselves in the presence of their superior. They acknowledged His authority.
  •  They gave. They gave expensive and sacrificial gifts out of respect and honor for the child King.
  • They worshiped. They recognized God’s guidance in bringing them and attested to Jesus’ royalty. They exalted Jesus as the rightful king.
  • They obeyed. Their worship was not empty. They followed the guidance they received from God. Worship God because He is the perfect, just, and almighty Creator of the universe, worthy of the best you have to give” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 29). 

Questions To Consider

1. Look at what the magi did – they entered, they bowed, they gave, they worshipped and they obeyed. Does this describe your relationship to Jesus Christ this Christmas? Why or why not? If not, which of these do you need to do this Christmas?
2. Christmas is about gifts. We give gifts to each other all because God gave the world the best gift – a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Which gifts could you give to Jesus this Christmas? Once you know, then take a box, wrap in Christmas paper and put Jesus’ name on it. Then on Christmas, open it up for all to see what your gift or gifts are to Jesus.
3. The magi obeyed God and did not return to Herod to tell him where Jesus had been born. They feared God more than they did Herod. These are not necessarily godly magi. They were astronomers and in that day, a bright new star was believed to be telling the world that a new king had been born. 
4. Who was instrumental in leading you to Christ? A parent? A Sunday school teacher? A youth leader? A community or small group leader? Or a combination of people? If any of these people are alive, take some time this Christmas to thank them.
5. If you have children or grandchildren, take them outside to look at the stars. Ask them what they see? What do the stars tell us about God?

Scripture To Meditate On: Revelation 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David,the bright morning star” (NLT).

Prayer to Pray: “Father, thank You for the people and the circumstances You used in my life to bring me to a place of faith. I want to stop for a moment right now to rejoice — to take joy — in the fact that You knew just the right way to lead me towards You. That You loved me so much, You would never give up on me and that You protected me from so much as You guided me towards faith. I love you Jesus.  In Jesus’ name I pray,  Amen.”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly