Have you heard that the Christmas star will appear in the sky this week? Its peak will be on Monday 12-21-2020. This rare event happens once every 800 years, and it happens to be in 2020?! NASA calls it “The Great Conjunction,” but it’s known as ‘The Christmas Star” or “the Bethlehem Star.” God placed the stars, planets, moons, and sun to serve as an ancient calendar, to define day and night, the seasons, and to guide. I don’t mean as a guide in the astrology “What’s your sign” but a navigation guide or map in the sky to guide travelers. God used the stars as a vision for Abraham to hold, and he used the wise men and a signpost marking the place of the Messiah’s birth. Is he telling us something with this convergence on 12/21/2020?
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of [a]Herod the king (Herod the Great), [b]magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star [c]in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
False Prophesies
I’ve heard people theorizing that the date of the Christmas star will be the day of the second coming and/or the end of the world. I can say with 100% confidence that this is a false prophecy. Jesus looked through the future years, knowing we would face theories and confusion, and he gave us a tool. In his kindness, he armed us with a straightforward verse, Matthew 24:35. Anytime you hear the end of the world or the second coming of Christ is coming on a specific day or time, you know that it’s a false prophecy. Why because no one knows, or will know, not even the angels.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Matthew 24:36
“God with Us”
Is it a coincidence that the star appears at the end of this monumental year of Coronavirus, quarantines, murders, riots, looting, election craziness, and civil and political unrest? I think the 2020 Christmas Star should remind us of the first Christmas star’s message over Bethlehem. We find it in Matthew 1:23, the point of it all, that God is with us no matter what life deals. He stepped out of heaven to walk on the dirt with us, to live entirely, die innocently so that we can be with God eternally. There is no better moment in time to meditate on the fact that God is with us.
“Behold, the [a]virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23
Peace On Earth
I think we could all use some peace about now. Peace came through Jesus in many ways. Two stand out to me. First, was our guilt and sin are removed through Jesus. We can now be at peace with God. Jesus is named the “Prince of Peace.” His government isn’t one that will be imposed on the earth, but it’s his reign in our hearts. This government, with truth and love, changes us and rules our spirits in peace. The same government translates us into the kingdom of heaven when we die. The second is the goodwill among men.
….his name shall be called[b]Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
Isaiah 9:67
Good Will Among Men
We are missing goodwill among men on so many levels right now aren’t we? I’ve never seen a more divided time in our world. Family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, business associates have been divided. Who wins when we are divided? When we take our politics, man and women and ideologies off of the throne and reinstall the king of kings. A political leader is never meant to replace God in our lives, and every idol and form of idol worship causes pain. If I can’t love you because your votes for a specific person, the problem is me and my love walk. The enemy wants to divide us because then he’s in the middle. That a big reason for a lot of the division now. God came for all the people, not just a color, a race, a country, a socioeconomic background. All people.
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill[a] toward men!”
Luke 2:14
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11
The Message of 2020’s Christmas Star
Maybe just maybe, everything aligned at the end of 2020 for a reason. No matter what you’ve been through, heartache, trouble, pain, and doubt. The loneliness, rejection, from within and without or the bitterness, anger, over what should have been. The death, the destruction, the separation, and the ravage of sin. God is here with us, Emmanuel. We may be separated from each other through plague, pandemic, politics. God never wants to stay at a 6ft distance; he wants a relationship with us. God came down to walk in the dirt with us. When we allow God’s kingdom rule in our hearts, as it will one day usher us to heaven when it’s our time. May we let the love, healing, and the Prince of Peace establish his kingdom in our hearts, let’s rejoice in the Christmas message as its renewed in our hearts.
After hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them [continually leading the way] until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:9-10
Merry Christmas!
Signs Not Answers – Side note
God gave us the alignment and patterns of movement of the stars and planets to help us keep track of seasons and days and times and navigate, but he never put them there to predict the future. He would never give us something that would replace a personal relationship with him. When we try to use a thing, whether it be tarot cards, fortune-telling, astrology, to tell our future, we attempt to circumvent our reliance on him. This is when we leave ourselves upon deception.
