We are now officially in the Advent Season as we eagerly anticipate the culmination of our celebrations of Jesus’ arrival on December 25! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, last minute Christmas shopping has begun in earnest. This is the season for everything red and green.
One of the most powerful symbols of Christmastime is the star. This decoration reminds us of the star that miraculously appeared and led the Wise Men to Jesus. Astronomers and theologians have offered many explanations of exactly what this star or celestial occurrence was, but the thought of God using a heavenly event to announce the birth of His Son is very powerful.
Stars themselves are very powerful and another of God’s amazing creations. While we are all grateful for our nearest star, the sun, which provides heat, light, and all manner of blessing for us on earth, countless other giant fireballs fill the vast universe. With the continual discoveries of hundreds of thousands of new galaxies, astronomers now estimate there are one trillion trillion stars in existence which is a number followed by 24 zeros! To help comprehend such a huge figure, it means there are roughly as many stars in the heavens as there are grains of sand on all of earth’s beaches. One of them is Betelgeuse, the massive star in Orion’s right shoulder. This star is 500 times the diameter of our sun and 10,000 times brighter! And even it is not the largest nor the brightest star known.
Scientists also tell us about pulsars which they believe are the cores of collapsed stars. Each one consists of a sphere of neutrons and is so incredibly dense that just one table-spoonful of pulsar dust weighs more than a billion tons! Amazingly, these 10–20-mile diameter atomic nuclei rotate very rapidly, and as they do, they send out radio signals, some more than 1,000 times per second! That’s some speedy rpms! Not only are they extremely fast, they’re also miraculously regular. So regular, in fact, that they only vary by one part in ten billion making them the most accurate timekeeping system in the universe! A coincidence of evolution? I don’t think so!
With such amazing regularity, purpose, and design throughout all of God’s creation, why would we be surprised that He would use a massive stellar display to broadcast the birth of humankind’s Savior and earth’s Redeemer? If He can form trillions of stars with their many variations in size, color, temperature, and composition, it is but a small thing for Him to create a unique one for the most special purpose.
But let’s go a little deeper before we pause to worship. While creation reflects God’s general revelation, His Holy Word discloses His specific revelation. And while pulsars are very dense, His Scriptures are even more so. The Bible is tightly packed with truth upon truth, precept upon precept, and principle upon principle all pointing directly to God Himself. Although authors, pastors, theologians, and all believers have sought to unpack the deep truths in God’s Word, we have yet to deplete its fullness and richness, nor shall we ever! Even in eternity, we will continue to discover new aspects of God’s power, mercy, and grace. And it all flashes with one consistent regular message of God’s great love for those He created in His image and we don’t need telescopes or radiotelemetry to detect it.
The most clear and obvious demonstration of God’s love for all persons is the arrival of His Son on earth. His sinless life, multiple miracles, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection all unmistakably point to the One Who made all the stars, including the one that announced Jesus’ birth. As we celebrate Christmas this year and gaze up at the stars, let us recognize the love and power of their, and our Creator, give ourselves to Him, and worship Him forever. Blessings, George