If you know that the author is a scientist who worked for the European Space Agency, you might think that this book offers scientific explanations for the star of Bethlehem, how it could have moved and when it might have appeared, etc. You’d be wrong. From the start, Stuart Burgess declares his belief that the star of Bethlehem must have been a one-off, miraculous star and therefore beyond the realms of scientific investigation or explanation.
The author’s purpose is rather to point us to ‘Lessons for Today’ from the Bible’s account of the star that magi from the east saw and followed to find the infant Jesus. He hopes to encourage seekers after Jesus to persevere and to help Christians “to have a deeper appreciation of the wonder of the Christmas story”. He does so in 10 short chapters that make up a book of only 62 pages. In the ‘Introduction’, which at 7 pages is longer than any of the chapters, the author argues that the star must have been supernatural and highlights some false beliefs and lesser-known facts of the story.
For example, the magi did not follow the star to Jerusalem—it only reappeared when they were on the short, six-mile journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. We don’t know how many magi there were or how they travelled but there must have been at least three. They did not visit the stable with the shepherds but brought their gifts to Jesus months later, at least, by which time he was in a house.
Having dealt with those background issues, the author goes on in each chapter to use one aspect of the star to point us to a lesson about God’s plan of salvation. ‘A Star of Light’ reminds us that the world was in spiritual darkness when Jesus came as the Light of the World. ‘A Guiding Star’ points to the fact that God now guides people to his Son and directs their lives by his written word, the Bible. The fact that the star of Bethlehem was ‘A Modest Star’, not a dazzling cosmic display for all the world, is suggestive of one who came humbly to serve and not to conquer. There are also chapters on ‘A Star of Grace’, ‘A Hated Star’, ‘A Neglected Star’, etc.
The book is engagingly and clearly written with helpful examples and illustrations, and could certainly encourage a serious seeker after Jesus to persevere. It could also be a helpful source of meditations on the Christmas message for a believer—perhaps reading a chapter a day in preparation for Christmas.
essor Stuart Burgess has held academic positions at Bristol University and Cambridge University in the UK and Liberty University in the USA. He has been involved in church leadership for over twenty-five years, including seven years as a pastor. He has written several books on apologetics and has a worldwide speaking ministry. He is married to Jocelyn and has five grown-up children.