In the Christmas story, we see the heavens responding by sending a star to shine gloriously over the spot of Jesus' birth. It's presence was such a celestial phenomenon that the wise men from the East noticed its rising and followed it. It led them to the Christ child. Though earth was largely unaware of the birth of Christ, heaven couldn't contain its excitement! 

Though men often rejected Jesus, his own people most noticeably, Jesus always enjoyed the recognition and worship of creation. In a word, he could direct the wind, and in a single action, he could make water a solid floor. Creation obeyed his every command (Matt.14). 

At Jesus death, creation witnessed the tragedy before anyone else--the earth shook, the sun darkened, and the ground gave up the dead (Matthew 25). Why such earthly upheaval? In short, the death of Jesus was no normal death, and so creation could not respond normally. In reading the creation's response, one gets the sense that the fabric of the world was shaken to its very core. He who holds all things together was in that moment torn apart (Col.2). It is only fitting that the earth would grieve too. 

Three days later at the resurrection of Christ the earth responds again with a tremendous earthquake (Matt.27). As the Creator reenters and reroutes sin and death, we get the sense the old world with its old ways will give way sooner or later to a New Heavens and a New Earth. It is the beginning of the end of this world, and the end of the beginning of the world to come. 

As we approach Christmas, we do well to remember that Christ's power and redemption extend beyond humanity to the whole of the cosmos. In Christ, God has given us a new world order. Old things are passing away and behold new things have come... and will come. 

And all the stars looked down."--G.K. Chesterton