The Salty Peanut Gallery

After two years of research Notre Dame astrophysicist, Grant Mathews, thinks he has uncovered the most likely identity of the Bethlehem star. For hundreds of years astronomers, theologians and historians have theorized about the star that led Wise Men from the east. Without any real accurate documentation on the exact time of Jesus birth, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty what caused this heavenly occurrence. However, with modern day access to NASA’s databases Mathews has made an attempt that he feels is “as good as you can do for now.”

Mathews has identified a handful of possibilities that include supernovas, novas and planetary alignments. He believes the most likely candidate, though, is a planetary alignment which took place April 17, 6 B.C. in which “the sun, Jupiter, the moon and Saturn aligned in the constellation Aries while Venus and Mars were in neighboring constellations.” He attributes this conclusion not only to the timing of the event, but also the astrological implications which would have signified to the Magi the birth of a powerful leader.

And who am I to argue with an astrophysicist of Mathews’ caliber? But I’m wondering if maybe this isn’t less of an astrological issue and more a theological issue. Follow me on this one. In Matthew 2:1-2 & 9 we read:

Now 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 have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” … When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

Notice that they initially saw the star “in the East”, but later on, after leaving Jerusalem, the star “went before them and stood” over where the Christ Child was. Now I ask you, does that sound at all like the characteristics of a natural astrological occurrence to you? Can we really hazard a plausible scientific explanation for this?

Or might there be a more biblical explanation? Are there any other instances in scripture that resemble this phenomenon? How about Exodus 13:21 when the Lord led the children of Israel through the wilderness “by day in a pillar of cloud…and by night in a pillar of fire.” God radiated His Shekinah glory in the form of light that was indescribable. Isn’t it more likely that this was what the Magi saw?

I find it interesting this insatiable need that we have to find scientific explanations for everything in scripture. Is it really that difficult for us to acknowledge God’s inscrutable and incomprehensible nature? Can’t we just admit that there are certain things about who He is and what He does that are far beyond our ability to understand? The Bethlehem star appeared to the Magi for no other reason then this: God spoke it into existence, just like every other star in the heavens. What’s so difficult about that?