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By the time this blog posts on our website, the Christmas season will be over. Toys will be opened and maybe even discarded by now. Wrapping and bows will fill our garbage bins. Maybe your decorations will even be stored in the garage, waiting patiently for next year’s display. 
But how do we feel? Some of us feel relieved that the festivities are over and we can return to our busy, normal lives. Some feel a sense of disappointment that the holiday season is done. 
But do you know what strikes me year after year in the nativity story? The birthday of Jesus was not the end of the time of celebration. Let me explain.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 2, the magi, who had awaited the birth of the new King of the Jews, were excited to see a new star in the sky. Upon observing this phenomenon, they visited King Herod to ask where the baby was because they wanted to go worship him. Herod, of course, had other plans, but that’s not important to my point today.
What is important is this: once Herod told the magi to go and worship the new King, they once again saw the star that would guide them to Jesus. The Bible tells us, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (Matthew 2:10, KJV)
I don’t often choose the King James Version for my Bible study time, but the KJV contains my favorite wording for this verse. The wise men (magi) were not just happy or excited. They were exceedingly joyful! Wow!
Can you think of a time when you rejoiced with exceeding great joy? The birth of a child or grandchild? A marriage or proposal? A promotion or a raise at work?
How about when you were led to Jesus, the King and the Savior of the world? I was only 11 years old when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, and I don’t think I fully understood the weight of that joy at the time. Now, though, when I think of all Jesus has done in my life, I am grateful, blessed, and yes, I rejoice with exceeding great joy.
Will you join me? There is no star to lead us to Jesus in modern times. But there is God’s Word to act as that beacon of light. Here’s what the Bible says:
John 3:16–17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 10:9–10, 13 “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved… For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”
John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Friends, Christmas may be over, but the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is offered to you today. Just as the star guided the magi to the Savior, God’s Word is guiding you now. If you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can do that right where you are by having Faith, evidenced by sincerely praying something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know I need You. I confess I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness and your help as I turn away from my sinful ways. I believe that You, the perfect son of God, died for me and rose again as payment for my sins. I declare that You are Lord. Please forgive me, make me new, and help me follow You from this day forward. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer sincerely, the Bible says you are saved (see Romans 10:13 above). That is truly a reason to rejoice with exceeding great joy! We want to rejoice with you. Please share your decision with us and with others today.