Thank You for the bright star
That shined and led the way,
So wise men found and worshiped Him,
As we still do today.
Thank You for the bright star,
Your precious Christmas gift.
—A Christmas Prayer
For over two thousand years now, scientists have been trying to explain “the star in the east.”
But the wise men, they needed no explanation.
Their one line says it all: “Where is the baby who was born to be king of the Jews? We saw his
star in the east. We came to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 ICB).
These wise men knew exactly what the celestial phenomenon was about, and they set out on a
long journey to worship the newborn King. They journeyed all the way to Bethlehem, the star
leading the way. When they did find Jesus, under this magnificently bright star, they worshiped
Him and presented Him with precious gifts.
If you’re a Christian who has heard this story countless times, this is just another part of the
Christmas story. But to put it in a more modern perspective, imagine Albert Einstein, Thomas
Edison, and Stephen Hawking (yes, I know, but imagine . . .) all packing up and heading on a
years-long journey to the Middle East to present an unknown child with precious gifts. It would
raise an eyebrow or two, no?
Still, these wise men were so certain of their mission, so certain of the evidence, that they
weren’t concerned with what the world thought of their journey. They had one goal: to find this
King and express their allegiance to Him.
