By Peter Kennedy
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” – Matthew 2:1
No one knows what guided the wise men from the east to Bethlehem. One leading candidate is the rare alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. On December 21, 2020 the two planets appeared so close that a pinkie finger at arm’s length will easily cover both planets in the sky, NASA said. In space, however, the two planets remain hundreds of millions of miles apart.
It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night. The planets also aligned in April 6 B.C.
Although scientists have ruled out several possibilities, we may never know for sure what the Star of Bethlehem was or if it even really happened, barring some remarkable archaeological finding.
"Nothing in science is ever case closed, nor is it in history," said Grant Mathews, a professor of theoretical astrophysics and cosmology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. "We may never know if the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction, astrological event or a fable to advance Christianity. Maybe it was simply a miracle."
Wise men and women still seek Jesus. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that God became a man to die for you.
“Oh, star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide with thy perfect light.” – John Henry Hopkins Jr.
God’s Word: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” – Matthew 2:10
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