“We Have Seen His Star”
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Some years ago, we witnessed the unbelievable feat of a man actually walking on the moon.
It was Neil Armstrong who took one small step that became the giant leap for mankind.
But he could not have taken that step if the stars had not been set on course and ordered by God so that they never change their courses.
As far back as mankind’s beginning, there is evidence that he used the stars and the heavens as guides to lead him to his known and unknown destinations.
So it is not surprising to discover that the wise men, who journeyed to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king followed a brightly illuminated star that led them to the Christ child.
In Numbers 24, we find that Israel was about to go to war with Moab, and Balaam the prophet was called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel.
However, every time Balaam tried to curse Israel they were blessed instead of being cursed.
And one of those blessings involved a prophecy involving a star.
Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
The prophecy that Balaam made concerning the Star of Jacob talks about a king whose kingdom would reach far beyond the kingdom of Balak and would stretch over a vast amount of space and time.
The Star speaks of the method by which God would work to overcome the enemy, conquer sin, and establish everlasting righteousness.
Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this prophecy.
He was Israel’s Messiah and King and He came to give them victory over their enemies.
But Israel rejected their King and it caused them to be scattered into every nation.
And they lost victories that they could have won because they rejected Him.
The true light of God has been shown to us through the Christ Child.
Through the Christ of Christmas, He has come to give us victory in every aspect of our lives.
It doesn’t matter what you’re facing. It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, the Day Star is shinning upon you, therefore you will overcome.
I refuse to reject Him, I refuse to dwell in the darkness of sin when I can walk in the light of Christ of Christmas.
For I have seen the Star, He has touched my life. He has changed me. He has made me whole.
Matthew 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo,
the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
The Bible says that wise men came from the East in search of the young Child who was born the King of the Jews.
Historians say that these wise men were possibly from Arabia or Persia where probably they had heard prophecies concerning the Christ child.
The coming Messiah was the great hope of every Jew; it was very much a part of their prophetic history that pointed toward the future.
So prophecies regarding the Messiah would have been well known by everyone who embraced Judaism.
The wise men arrived in Jerusalem some time after the Christ child had been presented in the Temple for circumcision.
Since they felt that such a great event would be well published in and around Jerusalem, after all this Child was to be the King of the Jews, they went to Herod and asked where they might find him.
They asked in Matthew 2:2, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
The message delivered to Herod was not received with the same excitement in which they had delivered it.
But the Bible says that Herod was troubled, and instead of rejoicing he became afraid of the possibility that his position as king was in jeopardy.
Don’t allow greed, hate, and envy to rob you of the blessings of God.
But catch a glimpse of the Day Star, lift your hands and worship him, and when you do he will open the windows of heaven and bless you beyond your imagination.
Herod had the opportunity to bow and worship the newborn King.
He had the opportunity to rejoice in the fact that the Messiah had been born.
But he chose not to worship Him, but instead he chose to try to destroy Him.
Herod summoned the chief priests and scribes and demanded to know where the child was to be born.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
The prophet Micah had announced the birth centuries before, and now the star confirmed it.
Herod asked the wise men when the star appeared.
His plan was to destroy all male children who were born between the time of the appearance of the star and the arrival of the wise men seeking to worship this newborn king.
Herod asked the wise men to let him know when they found the Child so that he could also worship Him.
But God warned them of his evil plan so they went home a different way.
From the beginning of time the devil has tried to destroy the plan of God for our redemption.
He tried to prevent Jesus from coming, and he tried to nullify His power by tempting Him in the wilderness.
He tried to mess Him up in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And even at the cross, the devil tried to stop Jesus Christ from fulfilling His purpose.
But he could not stop the plan of God. Jesus redeemed us. He gave us the plan of salvation.
Matthew 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
It seems that the star appeared to the wise men while they were in the East and guided them in the direction of Jerusalem.
When they left King Herod, the star which had led them to Jerusalem went before them until it stood over where the young Child was.
There are a lot of different opinions concerning what the wise men saw.
Some have said, the star was a meteor, a falling chunk of space debris which has a moment of brilliance as it enters the earth’s atmosphere.
Some believe that the star was a comet, flaming across the sky. That it’s ice and frozen gasses melted as it approached the sun.
Others say that what the wise men saw was actually the explosive death of a giant star, or a supernova.
But whether a planet, meteor, or a special phenomenon ordered by God just for this great moment.
The fact is, that it was ordered by God. And it led these worshipers to the King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s why Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work.”
The hope of all mankind rested upon the small shoulders of this newly born Child.
The seed of the woman that would bruise the head of the serpent, the devil.
The Savior of the world, the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world had come.
Here He was, spoken of in the earliest prophecies, longed for from ages past, dreamed of by the prophets of old and was the hope of every believer.
The hope of the world was lying in a manger, innocent, helpless, pure, untouched by sin, yet He was also the mighty God and everlasting Father, the one called the I Am.
Born to die, yet not for His own sins but for our sins, the innocent dying for the guilty, the pure suffering for the impure.
He was the Lamb of God that was to justify every Passover lamb slain from Egypt to the cross.
He was the Savior! And He took upon Himself a body of flesh so that we could know freedom from condemnation!
The old saying is still true. “Wise men still seek and worship Him.”
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The wise men of the East came seeking the Christ child, for they had seen His star, and when they found Him they fell down and worshiped Him.
There is nothing like the joy that comes when somebody finds Jesus.
I don’t know how long they sought Him, but I do know that when they found Him, it was worth every effort that they had to make.
You will never be disappointed when you find Jesus. It’ll be worth whatever you have to give up.
Does anybody know what I’m talking about?
Do you remember when you sought the Lord? Do you remember when you found Him?
How He delivered you? How He healed you? How He turned your life around? How He put a smile on your face?, joy in your heart and a bounce in your step?
Were you disappointed? Absolutely not! But you left rejoicing because you found something that you were longing for.
I’ve come to tell somebody that you can find Him today.
You can be delivered. Redeemed. Forgiven. Set free. Made Whole.
You can receive the Holy Ghost. Because the Day Star is still shining.
Matthew 2:11 ... “they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
The wise men gave gifts to the Lord. They offered Him the very best that they had.
Giving is a part of worship; what we offer God should always be done in a spirit of worship.
We should never offer God anything less than our very best.
Israel was guilty of offering God less than their very best.
Malachi 1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
God forbid that we would ever be guilty of holding out on God.
Shortchanging Him in our giving (of tithes and offerings), giving God what is left instead of the first fruit’s of our increase.
Sometimes we don’t worship like we should. We don’t always give God our best.
Sometimes folks half-heartedly worship the King of kings, offering to Him praise from a heart and mind that is filled with the cares of life and even sin.
But we need to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.
Because He is worthy of every praise that we can possibly give to Him.
We will never be able to repay the Lord for the joy that we have received.
For coming to this world as a man and dieing for our sins, so that we might be saved from our sin and its consequences.
But we can thank Him! We can bow down and worship Him! We can praise Him!
The wise men were led by the light of the star to Jesus who is the truth; they knew that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
God is still filling people with the Holy Ghost today, even though they do not understand everything about Him.
That’s why the Bible says that the Spirit is given to guide men to the light of the full truth.
Mathew 2:12 says, the wise men departed into their own country another way.
Herod had his mind made up that he was going to destroy Jesus.
So God warned the wise men in a dream, and they went home another way.
When you catch a glimpse of the Day Star, you won’t go home the way you came in Jesus name.
But you’ll go home free from bondage. You’ll go home encouraged.
You’ll go home strengthened. ... enlightened. ... delivered.
And if you will repent, you’ll go home forgiven.
If you will get baptized in Jesus name, you’ll go home cleansed.
If you will seek the Christ of Christmas, you’ll go home filled with His presence.
Don’t let the enemy steal the Christ of Christmas out of your life.
Don’t let him destroy your faith and cause you to completely loose out with God.
But be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit for the Day Star is leading you into the presence of God.
And let me tell you, that once you get in his presence you will never be the same again.
Your life will be forever changed. He will renew your mind through His Spirit. Your thoughts will change.
You will never be the same again.
That’s how we become more like Him the longer we live for Him.
We actually leave and return a different way.
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
The wise men followed the star that led them from afar, and they were introduced to the true Star of Bethlehem.
Jesus, who is called the Christ.
The Day Star is shining upon us today. Will you follow Him?
Jesus said, that no man cometh unto the father but by me.
There is no other name under heaven that is given among men whereby we must be saved.
You’ve got to follow the Day Star.
Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
The wise men were Gentiles so they didn’t have much knowledge of the truth, but their faith was strong enough in what knowledge they had that it led them to the knowledge of Christ.
We know that the Christ of Christmas is born, and we ought to rejoice this Christmas Season because we know who He is and we are a part of His church.
Conclusion:
It has been nearly 2,000 years since the signs of the heavens announced His birth.
Now there are new signs appearing. Signs that tell us Jesus is coming again.
Don’t miss it.
I hope this message is a blessing to you and the church you pastor. If you would like to contact me, my E-mail is lucas@wabash.net. I would enjoy your comments.
