What was the star of Bethlehem?

The star of Bethlehem was a bright light that God used to announce that Jesus has been born and show the wise men where He was.

The Bible doesn't explain what made this light, but it does call it a "star." Some people think that the star was a supernova, a comet, or several stars that met together in one place in the sky. Others think it could have been a miraculous light (called the Shekinah glory) that was not normally in the sky, a light that God put there just for the wise men to see.

Whatever the star was, God used it in a very important way, to signal the birth of His Son Jesus, and to bring many people to faith in Him.

Bible Truth

• "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi [wise men] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him'" (Matthew 2:1-2).
  
  
• "On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route" (Matthew 2:11-12).
  
  
• "After they heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed" (Matthew 2:9-10).

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