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Pastor's Corner The Star of Bethlehem

Carol’s and my first winter living here will always be remembered. Christmas of 2020. We had snow the week of Christmas here in Fort Davis. But what was truly a blessing, was Carol and I walking in the snow that Christmas week and seeing the star that is hung by the First Presbyterian Church that shines over all of Fort Davis. That is such a beautiful sight announcing that Christmas is once again upon us with our town’s own replica of the Star of Bethlehem.

There has been conjecture the past ten years or so that the Star of Bethlehem was really not a star, but what is known in the astronomy world as a “planetary parade,” which is when eight planets line up to form a bright showing in the evening sky. The last time this happened was December 28, 2022. Months before this happened in 2022, news networks and publications all around the world were announcing that “Christmas of 2022 will once again see the Star of Bethlehem.” That proclamation caught on quicker than a West Texas wildfire and soon people were taking this news as fact that there was no star of Bethlehem but instead a “planetary parade.” Hold the phone Charlie Brown and Linus… let’s not rain on my parade!

First, I believe if God the Father had wanted to use “planets” to announce God the Son’s birth, God the Father would have mentioned it. One might argue that in the time of the birth of Christ, people then did not know about planets. Not so. As early as the 2nd millennium BC, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were identified by ancient Babylonian astronomers. “BC” is of course “before the birth of Christ” and Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn make up five of the eight planets of the planetary parade. Even in the time of Christ, the educated would have identified this happening as something else than planetary alignments.

Second, one might say, “Well, the Bible doesn’t mention “planets” at all.” Wrong again. In Jude 1:13 we find “…wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.” “Wandering stars” is from the Greek word “planetes” meaning, you guessed it, “planets.”

And lastly, we find in Matthew 2:1-2 “…magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “…. 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” The word “magi” is where we get the (incorrect number of 3) wisemen or kings that came to worship the baby Jesus. These “magi” were actually from Persia, and they were what is as known as Persian Zoroastrians. And what are Persian Zoroastrians? None other than educated astronomers who were well versed in Hebrew Scriptures. In other words, they would have known stars from planets.

So, what then was the Star of Bethlehem? According to Theologian Matthew Henry, it was “…more than an extraordinary star; more than a comet hung in balance or a stilled meteor. It was the radiance of God’s Shekinah Glory.” This is not the only time we see God’s Shekinah Glory shine. We see it in Exodus 13:21-22 where the Shekinah Glory shown as a pillar of fire to light the way to travel by night. It is found in Exodus 34:9-35 when the light was upon Moses’ face. We see it also in Matthew 17:1-8 in the transfiguration of Jesus.

What is the Star of Bethlehem for us today? Just like in ages past, it is to announce the Glory of God shining on what Christmas is all about. Not Christmas presents, trees and all the decorations. It is The Star of Bethlehem today that still shines on Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

Christmas Blessings to All!

Pastor Paul