Thursday, January 8, 2015

Teaching Astronomy for Sunday School (The Star of Bethlehem)

When did Jesus die?
26 – 33 A.D.
Must fit with the timelines of Pilate, Tiberius, Caiaphas, Herod (Jr.)
He rose again and was seen by more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15)

When did Herod die?
5 – 1 B.C.
Passover, eclipse, accurate dates, after Jesus’ birth

When was Jesus born?
7 – 1 B.C.
Star, Caesar, before Herod’s death

What was the Star of Bethlehem?

[Matthew 2] 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…” Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 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.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Jerusalem and Bethlehem are just a few miles apart. Also, the Star must have appeared in the evening (in the western sky), and it must not have appeared in the morning, so it must have risen during the morning or afternoon daylight hours.

Planetary conjunctions – Jupiter and Saturn (3x in 7 B.C.); Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars; Jupiter and Venus (very close in 2 B.C.); Jupiter and Regulus (king planet and king star)

Miracle – [Job 38] “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

God could have used natural or supernatural phenomena…

When did the Star appear?
7 B.C. – 1 B.C.
Jesus the baby or Jesus the child; before Herod’s death; beware astrology; we’ll get final answers in Heaven; Jesus' birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection are far more important!

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