traditional christmas imagery celebrates the star of bethlehem as a symbol of hope and divine guidance, adorning countless trees and decorations during the holiday season. however, a deeper analysis of the biblical narrative reveals a more complex and potentially troubling symbol, complicated further by significant timeline discrepancies often overlooked in popular retellings.
the star's problematic path the star's path itself raises troubling questions. as recorded in matthew 2:1-2, "after jesus was born in
bethlehem of judea in the days of herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to jerusalem, saying,
'where is he who has been born king of the jews? for we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship
him.'"
if it were truly meant as a divine guide to the newborn christ, why did it not lead the magi directly
to bethlehem? instead, it first led them to jerusalem and herod's court. this indirect route proved
catastrophic when the magi inquired at herod's palace about the newborn "king of the jews," they
unknowingly triggered a sequence of events culminating in mass infanticide. as matthew 2:7-8 records, herod
"secretly called the wise men and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared." the star's
guidance, therefore, indirectly contributed to herod's brutal decree to kill all male children two years old
and younger in and around bethlehem.
a critical examination of the biblical text reveals significant chronological details that challenge the
traditional christmas narrative. herod's decree to kill children "two years old and under" (matthew 2:16)
provides a crucial temporal clue that demands attention: "then herod, when he saw that he had been tricked
by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in bethlehem and in all that
region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men."
if jesus had been a newborn when the magi arrived, why would herod extend the killing to such an older age
range? this detail suggests a significant gap between jesus's birth and the magi's visit.
several pieces of evidence support this extended timeline:
1. the magi's information given to herod about "the exact time the star appeared" (matthew 2:7) was used to
determine the age range for his decree.
2. matthew's account describes the magi visiting jesus in a "house" (οἰκία, matthew 2:11), not the manger
mentioned in luke's account (luke 2:7, "and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling
cloths and laid him in a manger").
3. the logical time required for the magi to observe the star, prepare for their journey, and travel to
jerusalem would likely span months, if not years.
the astrological paradox
the use of astrology in this narrative presents another layer of complexity. the magi, following
astrological practices explicitly forbidden in jewish law (deuteronomy 18:10-12: "there shall not be found
among you... anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens"), were led by
star-reading – a practice consistently condemned throughout the old testament (isaiah 47:13-14: "you are
wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze
at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you").
this raises questions about why such a problematic method of divination would be divinely sanctioned in this
instance. it's notable that after finding jesus, these same magi received direct divine intervention through
a dream (matthew 2:12: "and
being warned in a dream not to return to herod, they departed to their own country by another way"), warning
them to avoid herod – a more biblically consistent form of guidance.
the tragic aftermath
the aftermath of the star's appearance cannot be separated from its significance. the holy family was forced
to flee to egypt as refugees, as recorded in matthew 2:13-14: "now when they had departed, behold, an angel
of the lord appeared to joseph in a dream and said, 'rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to egypt,
and remain there until i tell you, for herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.' and he rose
and took the child and his mother by night and departed to egypt."
meanwhile, countless other families in bethlehem faced the unthinkable horror of losing their children. the
prophecy from jeremiah speaking of "rachel weeping for her children" was indeed fulfilled, as matthew
2:17-18 states: "then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet jeremiah: 'a voice was heard in ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation, rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are
no more'" (referencing jeremiah 31:15). the star, rather than purely announcing christ's birth, became a
harbinger of death for many innocent children.
rethinking traditional representations
this analysis challenges us to reconsider several aspects of how we commemorate these events:
the traditional compression of events into a single night obscures a longer, more complex historical
narrative that likely unfolded over months or years, as evidenced by the chronological markers in matthew's
account (matthew 2:1, "now after jesus was born...").
the star appears to have been a longer-lasting celestial phenomenon rather than a brief miraculous sign, as
indicated by herod's careful calculation of its timing (matthew 2:7, "then herod summoned the wise men
secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared").
the traditional nativity scene combining shepherds (luke 2:8-20) and magi (matthew 2:1-12) into one tableau
appears chronologically inaccurate given the textual evidence.
this understanding is further supported by the fulfillment of multiple prophecies:
micah 5:2, cited in matthew 2:6: "and you, o bethlehem, in the land of judah, are by no means least among
the rulers of judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people israel".
numbers 24:17: "i see him, but not now; i behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of jacob, and a
scepter shall rise out of israel".
hosea 11:1, fulfilled in matthew 2:15: "out of egypt i called my son".
the fulfillment of prophecy, while central to christian theology, raises ethical questions when it involves
such profound suffering. must divine purposes necessarily involve collateral damage? the star's role in this
narrative suggests a more complex and troubling symbol than typically acknowledged in christmas
celebrations.
a symbol of complexity and sorrow
the star's legacy thus emerges as a symbol of profound ambiguity – a sign that brought both revelation and
devastation, guidance and misdirection, divine purpose and human suffering. its appearance marked not just
the birth of jesus but initiated a sequence of events that led to tragedy and displacement, as detailed in
matthew's careful chronology (matthew 2:1-23).
the extended timeline between the star's appearance and the magi's arrival adds another layer of complexity
to this symbol. the star wasn't simply a birth announcement but a long-term celestial sign that set in
motion events spanning years, culminating in both worship (matthew 2:11: "and going into the house, they saw
the child with mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him") and tragedy (matthew 2:16-18).
this deeper understanding invites us to reconsider how we use this symbol in our religious celebrations.
should we continue to display the star as a purely joyful symbol, or should we acknowledge its deeper, more
troubling significance in the biblical narrative?
the magi themselves experienced this duality - their joy at seeing the star (matthew 2:10: "when they saw
the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy") was followed by the necessity of secret departure and
the knowledge that their visit had unwittingly triggered devastating consequences (matthew 2:12).
the complexity of divine intervention is further emphasized by the multiple divine communications occurring
in rapid succession:
1. the star's guidance (matthew 2:9: "after listening to the king, they went on their way. and behold, the
star
that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was").
2. the warning dream to the magi (matthew 2:12).
3. the angelic warning to joseph (matthew 2:13).
4. the subsequent divine direction for return (matthew 2:19-20: "but when herod died, behold, an angel of
the
lord appeared in a dream to joseph in egypt, saying, 'rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land
of israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead'").
perhaps the star's true meaning lies not in the bright hope it has come to represent in modern christmas
celebrations, but in its role as a marker of the complex, extended, and often painful nature of divine
intervention in human history. this interpretation aligns with the broader biblical pattern of god's signs
often carrying multiple layers of meaning, as seen in the prophetic tradition (e.g., isaiah 7:14's virgin
birth prophecy, which had both immediate and long-term fulfillments).
this perspective challenges us to engage more thoughtfully with biblical narratives and their symbols,
recognizing that their meanings often extend far beyond our simplified holiday representations.
the complete narrative involves:
1. divine guidance through forbidden practices (the magi's astrology).
2. political intrigue (herod's deception in matthew 2:7-8: "then herod summoned the wise men secretly and
ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. and he sent them to bethlehem, saying, 'go and search
diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that i too may come and worship
him'").
3. prophecy fulfillment through tragedy (jeremiah 31:15).
4. the preservation of the messiah through exile (matthew 2:13-15).
conclusion
when i read the bible, it always made me think so hard when i saw people include the star during the
nativity scene, include both the magi and the shepherds, seeing the star being pulled over the manger and
hang them on our houses. are we hanging a literal death symbol on our houses or is it just another symbol
that showed everyone else that the "king of the jews" or "the messiah" is born?
or did we even do justice to the birth of jesus and shame to the birthday by hanging something that
represents the death of multiple innocents, which is something that we'd never want to associate the life of
jesus with which was filled with actions of love and peace until his crucifixtion.
is this heresy?