The Star, the Magi, and the Spirit

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The Christmas account of the Magi offers insight into how the Holy Spirit works to bring mankind to Christ. The wise men or μάγος (wise men, magicians) were likely educated Babylonians who would have heard of the Jewish Messiah when the Jews were in captivity and exile. Due to their fascination and study of the supernatural, they were prime candidates to witness Jesus’ arrival.

The unusual star is what got their attention. And, being astrologers themselves, they quickly recognized that this star was different than other stars that moved about in the night sky. The star’s physical illumination led the way for the Magi to find Jesus nearly 2 years after his birth. But if we take a few moments to reflect, there is something deeper at work here. In the Bible, darkness and light are two terms used metaphorically. Darkness is generally associated with ignorance or evil, and light is used as a metaphor to describe understanding or the Holy Spirit and his work. The star illuminated the path to the physical Jesus; the Spirit illuminated their minds to worship Him.

It is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they can see, understand, and apprehend the truth of Christ. Knowing that mankind lives in darkness and needs the illumination of the Spirit to grasp who Christ is, it should be no surprise that God chose a star to lead the way for the Magi.




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