His Star

December 1, 2006 - As you leafed through this magazine, why did you stop at this page? What got your attention? Was it the title? The graphic? When you go to the mall, what causes you to stop and browse in a particular department? Is it the display of items? The colors? The fragrance? What makes you pause your channel surfing to watch a particular television commercial, the sound of the music or the announcer’s voice?

by Anne Graham Lotz

Our senses are bombarded 24/7 by thousands of sounds and sights. Marketing companies spend significant amounts of money to determine how to get our attention for whatever they are trying to sell or promote. Politicians have highly paid staff members who do nothing but analyze how to get publicity for their candidate so that we will be drawn to vote for him or her.

I wonder … What would I have used to get the world to turn aside and look at a tiny Baby? How could I turn the world’s attention to an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, in a stable behind some inn in an obscure Judean town? A trumpet blast? A lightning bolt? A thunderous announcement from Mt. Sinai?

When God wanted to get the attention of His own people to look into His own infant face, He sent angels. When He wanted to get the attention of the nations of the world, wrapped up in their own religious traditions and belief systems, He used a star.

Read Matthew 2:1-12

His Star Leads People to Seek Him

Not in a Religion ...

• Who was seeking Jesus in Matthew 2:1?


• What other words do we get from the root word for Magi?


• What does this tell you about who they were?


• Using a map, name the nations east of Jerusalem.


• Describe some of the religious practices of the eastern nations. See Daniel 3:1-8 and Jeremiah 51:47.


• What do these practices tell you about the religious background of the Magi?


• What implies that the Magi were restless in their religious experience and yearning for something more?


• Who do you know who is looking for something more than their own experience or religious tradition?

• What did God use to get the attention of the Magi? See Matthew 2:2.


• How does God use similar means to get the attention of those outside the Church today? Give phrases from Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:20.


• What are some other “stars” God uses to get the world’s attention? Consider Matthew 5:16 and 7:15-20 along with John 15:8, Mark 16:15 and Acts 8:6.


• How do you think the Magi knew the King of the Jews had arrived? Given Daniel’s position in Babylon, what prophetic writings might the Magi have studied? See Daniel 5:10-12.


• When have you invited an unsaved person to your church or Bible study where they can hear God’s Word for themselves?


• What was the stated purpose of the Magi in seeking Jesus?


• This Christmas, would you ask God to make you a “star” that leads others to seek Him through your words and life?

• How did the political leadership react to the stated purpose of the Magi? See Matthew 2:3.


• What proof is there that Herod was lying in Matthew 2:7-8? See Matthew 2:13-18.


• Do you know people who pretend to be interested in Jesus for their own hidden agenda?


• Why do you think political leaders, governments and even entire cultures are threatened by Jesus and those who seek to worship Him? See Matthew 28:18 and Ephesians 1:22.


• Name some efforts to eliminate Jesus from our society. Do you think it’s possible for them to be successful? Why?

• What was the public’s reaction in Matthew 2:3?


• Why do you think the public was disturbed?


• In Matthew 2:3, who seemed to set the agenda for what was or was not politically correct?


• How does this relate to our world today?


• Read John 15:18-27; Matthew 10:18-20; 1 Peter 2:23, 4:19; Acts 4:18-21; and Matthew 5:11-12. As you seek to lead others to Jesus, and face political hostility and public animosity, how do these verses encourage you?