Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you wish upon it? Have you seen or made aware of a key indicator that something big was about to happen? Did it happen as you envisioned it would? Have you thought what it might have been like for the wise men who were seeking Jesus?
There is something magical about a shooting star…though they are not stars at all. I have seen them a few times and simply think they are cool. But they are really small pieces of an asteroid and they burn up as they enter our atmosphere, which is why they are bright.
Seeing or hearing about a key indicator that something big is about to happen can be exhilarating. Especially if what is about to happen is a great thing that is in our favor. If we hear there are going to be big raises, we get excited. If we hear we are going to be promoted, we get excited. When those things actually happen, we get excited again.
The wise men had seen a star that indicated the Messiah had been born. They knew the Jewish prophecies. Perhaps each one of them did not know the whole set of prophecies. Perhaps each knew some of them and consulted with one another to come to the proper conclusion. On the other hand, God may have enlightened them.
Regardless of how they knew, the wise men knew the star indicated the Messiah had been born and headed toward it. Notice the Scripture does not state how many wise men there were. Why do we often hear or say there were three? It’s tradition. Prophecy says they came from three different regions, but it doesn’t say there are only three who travel.
We can learn a lesson from the wise men. God shows us signs of what he is doing in this world. We need to be attentive, see the signs, and interpret them properly. Of course, the best way to interpret them properly is to ask God to give us the interpretation.
I pray we all are attentive to see God’s signs. I pray we ask God to interpret his signs for us. I pray each one of us will follow God’s signs and act properly when we know the interpretation. See God’s signs. Ask God for their interpretation. Act properly on God’s signs. Learn from the wise men.
Matthew 2:1-2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
Marty Pressey 