The Adventures of Jesus Christ
Episodes from the Life of Jesus for Young Readers
by Vincent Cheung
[ Contents ]

Chapter 5. Jesus and the Star
WHERE’S THIS HUGE STAR TAKING US?

Far away to the east from the town of Bethlehem, a group of wise men had been studying the stars. These men were sometimes called Magi. They were scholars, knowledgeable in science, the stars, and ancient prophecies. One night, a bright and unusual star appeared in the sky, unlike anything they had seen before. This caught their attention.

The wise men had read ancient writings that spoke of a great king who would be born, one who would bring light to the world. They believed that this star was a sign that this king had arrived. Excited by the discovery, the wise men decided to set out on a long journey to find this king and honor him.

They gathered their supplies and brought many precious gifts. Then they set off toward the west in the direction of the bright star. After many days of travel, the wise men arrived in the city of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. They began asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We have seen his star and have come to worship him.”

This made a stir in Jerusalem, and Herod soon heard about it. At this time, Herod was the king of Judea, so this news was a direct threat to him. If a new king had been born according to prediction, so that even wise men from far away knew about it, did it not mean that this boy was destined to replace Herod?

King Herod became nervous about this. The wise men were looking for a newborn king, and this king was so important that even ancient prophets talked about him. Herod understood that these wise men were looking for the Christ, the Messiah. How could Herod compare to something like that? He wanted to find this boy and stop him from becoming king.

So Herod called together some priests and scholars. He asked them where the Christ was predicted to be born. They answered, “The prophet wrote that the ruler will be born in Bethlehem, in Judea.”

Then Herod called the wise men and sent them to Bethlehem. He said to them, “Go search diligently for the child. When you have found him, make sure to let me know. I would also like to come and worship him.” But it was a lie. Herod wanted the wise men to find the child for him, so that he could stop the child from becoming king.

After leaving Herod, the wise men continued their search. And look! The star that led them to Jerusalem went before them and stopped above the place where Jesus was. Going into the house, they found the child Jesus together with Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasures and gave him the gifts that they had brought. These included gold and frankincense and myrrh, all valuable items.

The wise men had intended to return to Herod and tell him where they had found the child. But in a dream, they were warned not to do that. God did not want Herod to hurt Jesus. So the wise men returned to their own country by another route, and Herod did not find out the child’s location.

Meanwhile, after the wise men had left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel warned him, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Joseph got up, and taking Jesus and Mary, they left in the middle of the night and fled to Egypt.

When Herod realized that the wise men had outsmarted him and did not return to tell him where Jesus was, he became furious. But by then, Jesus and his family had already escaped. Although it appeared that they were in danger, God knew about this long ago and had arranged for their safety. One of the prophets even predicted that God would later call his Son back out from Egypt.

Even though Jesus was born in humble circumstances, God honored and protected him. His importance could not be totally hidden. God made sure that some people knew who he was and came to worship him. He made sure that Jesus and his family received gifts and supplies. He used angels and dreams to arrange for their safety. It was not yet time for everyone to know about Jesus. He needed time to grow into a man, and when he was finally revealed, he would amaze the world and change it forever.