#4 Jesus' Birth, as told by the Constellations

by Katie Summerrow December 17, 2024

Psalm 19:1-4 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Romans 1:19-20 "What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

From the Beginning

The constellations tell a story that’s often overlooked. The word Zodiac simply means "the path or way of the stars." Understanding these star patterns have been part of human history for thousands of years, with the same names and meanings we have today, going back as far as 5000 BC—the time of Enoch.

The Israelites, in particular, understood the signs in the stars well. Jewish scholars believe that the 12 signs of the zodiac correspond to the 12 tribes of Israel.

Let’s take a closer look at two constellations that tell the story of Jesus:

VIRGO

Virgo tells the story of:

A virgin maiden
Holding wheat in one hand and a branch in the other

Isaiah 11:1: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."

Zechariah 6:12: "Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!"

Additionally, in ancient illustrations, Virgo is sometimes shown seated on a royal throne, holding a baby in her lap. Interestingly, the brightest star in her constellation isn’t in her body—it’s in what she holds. This detail beautifully signifies the coming Messiah from the virgin, wether He's depicted as the branch or as a baby, the same message has always been communicated.

LEO

The last constellation in the zodiac is Leo, the lion. In Leo, the lion is depicted as pouncing on the head of a fleeing serpent. This image echoes Genesis 3:15:

"He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Leo, the Lion of Judah, speaks of Christ’s ultimate victory over Satan.

Each constellation tells us a different piece of Jesus' story. What I love about this is that God created all things with irrefutable proof of His existence. He created this story in the stars so that if someone were to never be told the story of Jesus, they would know it by just looking up. The heavens declare the glory of God and point us to the King who came to save the world.

If you'd like to learn more about each constellation, you can read the studies in 'Story in the Stars' by Joe Amaral or 'The Witness of the Stars' by E. W. Bullinger.

The sign on September 11th, 3BC

Genesis 1:14 "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years."

God didn’t just create stars for light; they were made to be signs. One of the greatest signs ever seen was the Star of Bethlehem. To understand it, we need a quick detour in Revelation.

Revelation 12:1-5 "A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth...She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter."

This passage is a clear picture of Jesus’ birth and Herod’s desperate attempts to kill Him. However, on September 11, 3 BC we see this scripture play out in the stars, a course the was set in motion at the creation of the universe to align on this exact day. The constellation Virgo, aligned with the moon below her feet, the sun clothing her body and 12 stars above her head.

On September 11th, 3 BC, the night this specific constellation aligned in the sky—just as described in Revelation—we can conclude that Mary either miraculously conceived or was visited by the angel Gabriel. It was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and she, along with all of Israel, would have heard the sound of trumpets echoing through the streets. A sacred celebration of God's first human presence taking form in the world, within the womb.

And this day gets even more amazing! It was also the moment the Magi received their first sign, and this is what they witnessed over the next few months:

Jupiter, referred to as the King Planet or King of Kings, began a rare conjunction with Regulus, the Little King star in the constellation of Leo.
Jupiter passed Regulus three times in a motion called retrograde. To the ancient world, this would’ve looked like a royal coronation of the coming King. The King planet was crowning the Little King.
This taking place in the constellation Leo, representing Judah, confirmed this as a sign of a Jewish King.

The Magi, who were expert astronomers, would have immediately recognized this as a prophetic event and set off on their journey to Jerusalem, to celebrate the coming birth of this king.

The sign on July 17th, 2BC

Exactly 40 weeks from September 11th, we see our next sign in the sky! June 17th of 2 BC, Jupiter moved suuuuper close to Venus, creating a dramatic conjunction, what might look like a mega star!! The two planets appeared so close together that their light combined to form the brightest star anyone had ever seen- The Star of Bethlehem. This date would mark the humble birth of the King of Kings.

This spectacular conjunction guided the Magi toward Bethlehem.

The sign on December 25th, 2BC

On December 25th, 2 BC, Jupiter went into another retrograde motion. To observers on Earth, it appeared as though Jupiter stopped in the sky over Bethlehem—just as described in Matthew 2:9:

"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was."

This likely happened when Jesus was around six months old—not at His birth, but when the Magi arrived to honor Him.

The Star of Bethlehem wasn’t a random comet or supernova. It was a meticulously timed event, part of God’s perfect design, using the heavens to announce the awaited moment of Christ’s arrival. As Psalm 19 says, the stars "pour forth speech," sharing the greatest story ever told.

What I find most beautiful is how God has orchestrated the entire timeline of history, from the beginning. Just like the stars He set on a precise course, He knew you and chose you before the earth's foundation was even laid (Ephesians 1:4). He is intricately involved in every detail, yet has designed it all to flow forward without interruption, just as He planned.

Isaiah 46:9-10 "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

As a baby grows in the womb, a flower opens to the sun, and a tree rises from a seed, we behold at the Lord’s perfect rhythm, set in motion through all of creation.

I'll leave you with the lyrics to one of my all-time favorite worship songs to meditate on:

And as You speakA hundred billion galaxies are bornIn the vapour of Your breath the planets formIf the stars were made to worship, so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You've madeEvery burning starA signal fire of graceIf creation sings Your praises, so will I

God of Your promiseYou don't speak in vainNo syllable empty or void

For once You have spokenAll nature and scienceFollow the sound of Your voice

And as You speakA hundred billion creatures catch Your breathEvolving in pursuit of what You said

If it all reveals Your nature so will II can see Your heart in everything You say

Every painted skyA canvas of Your graceIf creation still obeys You, so will I

(So Will I, Hillsong 2017)