When was the last time you were overjoyed?

Recently I witnessed my daughter’s college soccer team learning just minutes after they won a game that they had clinched the all-season championship and were heading into playoffs and the NCAA tournament. In that moment, I saw a group of young women completely ecstatic and screaming with happiness! They were overjoyed at the surprise of receiving what they had been striving for after countless hours of practice and many, many games. I couldn’t help but feel their joy and celebrate with them as they cheered, jumped up and down, laughed, cried, and hugged while passing around and kissing their team trophy.

I can imagine a similar reaction from the Magi who journeyed to find Jesus. When Jesus was born, they began their journey following a star, then got to Jerusalem and inquired of Herod, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (v. 2). Herod directed them to Bethlehem and, when they arrived, they saw the star over the house where Jesus was.

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed!” Did they cheer? Did they jump up and down and yell with excitement at what they witnessed? Did they reach their arms up to that star and gasp at the discovery?

Actually, it isn’t even possible to translate into English the extreme joy that Matthew expresses in the Greek, which literally means, “They joyed a great joy very much.” We don’t even have a word for that kind of joy!

Why the ecstatic response? Well, the star’s appearance “over the place where the child was” (v. 9) was an affirmation of their search; “the full reward of their toilsome journey” (H.D.M. Spence).

The star that brought such joy to these wise men guided them right into Jesus’ presence.

In this Christmas season take time, be intentional, and look for signs that will draw you to Jesus just like the Magi. Maybe it will be a line from a Christmas carol, a conversation with someone, a quiet moment watching the snow fall, a sun rise, or the twinkling of a star. Watch for the simple signs that will guide you into His presence.

Let yourself be “joyed with a great joy very much” knowing that God, who created the sun, moon, and each star, still guides us into His presence today.