Monday, December 24, 2007

The Star of Bethlehem

A celestial manifestation

Genesis 1:15 He made the stars also.



The star that led the wise men to Jesus' manger has been extensively studied by astrologers (and astronomers) for centuries.

There is a consensus that it did occur, and was part of a natural, celestial, phenomenon.

A lay astrologer, Rick Larson, started his long project of trying to identify the authenticity and nature of this star after his daughter's innocent request that he put up a star on their Christmas decorations. His question: "What was the star?" led him to years of investigative work. You can read the transcript or watch the PBS video here.

Eventually, he concluded that the star was possibly a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, making an extremely bright light.

But Larson doesn't stop there. Nine months earlier, there were some other celestial events which were recorded by St. John, indicating Jesus' conception. At Jesus' death, there was also a lunar eclipse recorded, as described in the crucifixion account.

Nature and the heavens conspired through the centuries to align the stars and the planets at the exact, precise location to indicate the mystery and glory of the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas to all!