A WONDERFUL PLACE
His name is Wonderful • Sermon • Submitted
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HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL
HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
A WONDERFUL PLACE
A WONDERFUL PLACE
That Jesus, the creator of the Heavens and Earth, would lay in a manger is nothing short of miraculous.
Joseph, the espoused husband of Marry, has returned to Bethlehem for taxation. Upon arrival, he finds that the house has been filled and there is no room available. Why was there no room? All of Israel was to be taxed, and many travelers had filled all the rooms. It is very possible that it was the elderly who took priority, and that is why there were no accommodations granted.
But why Bethlehem?
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
The birth in Bethlehem was prophesied in Micah 700 years before the birth of Jesus.
Nazareth was 70 miles away from Bethlehem. If they followed the Jordan River, their last portion of the journey would have led them from Jericho to Bethlehem. This was a 3,500-foot ascent up from the dead sea. The fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as prophesied, is miraculous.
The name Bethlehem is derived from two Hebrew root words. First, Bet-meaning House. The Second is Lehem- meaning bread.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
48 I am the bread of life.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Bethlehem was a small insignificant town of around 300. It neighbored Jerusalem (less than 7 miles), which would have had approximately 40,000 and over 1/4 million at times.
This fits Christ.
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
The INN
The INN
The references in the Mishnah attest to the wide use of inns at least in the first two centuries A.D. in Palestine. (Although written in A.D. 200, the Mishnah can also reveal Jewish practices and laws common early in the first century.) A consistent point, however, in the Mishnaic references is the bad reputation of the public inn. Inns and innkeepers were not held in high esteem, at least by the rabbis formulating Mishnaic law.
The Mishnah places innkeepers on the lowest scale of degradation and states that inn keepers are to not be trusted.
Because inns had such a bad reputation, it is not surprising that the Jews and early Christians recommended keeping an open house for the benefit of strangers. The Jewish tradition looked to the example of Abraham, who practiced hospitality to three strangers and was blessed for his kindness (Gen 18.1‑11).
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The word Inn comes from the Greek word-meaning guest room.
As was mentioned earlier, the town of Bethlehem only had around 300 people and wouldn’t have been large enough to sustain a hotel. So there was no room for them in the Inn, in a guest room.
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
He was born with nowhere to lay His head, so he borrowed a manger. When He died, He had nowhere to lay His body, so He borrowed a tomb.
He did this so that He could go and prepare a place for you and me.
Why was He laid in a manger?
Manger
Manger
A manger was typically a rock that has been hollowed out.
It was used for feeding or watering the flocks.
Bethlehem was known for raising animals for sacrifice in Jerusalem. The Manger was not some dirty barn. It was a cave that was used for keeping the livestock. Ancient historians, dating back to the second century A.D., stated that Jesus was born in a birthing cave.
The place where these sheep were birthed was at MIGDAL EDER, in Bethlehem. This was where there was a tower that the shepherds could use to keep watch over the flocks.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Ephrath means “ash heap” and “place of fruitfulness,”
8 And you, O tower of the flock, The stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
21 Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
8 And you, O tower of the flock, The stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
The caves used to birth sacrificial animals were typically kept to ensure the lambs were safe.
As a result of the demand for spotless lambs, the shepherds would swaddle them at birth. This swaddling would stay until the animal was examined for blemishes. Then, only the spotless firstborns’ animals would be taken to Jerusalem for sacrifice.
It very well may be that Jesus was swaddled in a cloth meant for a sacrificial lamb.
When Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, it signifies that He was being prepared for sacrifice in Jerusalem.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Furthermore, in Revelation, we find that He is still the Lamb of God. In the last chapter of the Bible Rev 22,it says,
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
The Manger is a miracle because it was unfitting for a king. However, it was fitting for a sacrificial lamb.
Yet we know that the last time He came, He came as a lamb, but the next tie will be as a lion.
Bethlehem was the home of the sacrifices, but it is also of the tribe of Judah.
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
The next time He comes will not be to offer Himself as a sacrifice but rather to reign as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
The first time- He was a Lamb
The next time- He is a Lion
The first time- He came in a Manger
The next time- He comes in Might
The first time- He was born in a sheep stall
The next time- He comes riding on a white horse. Rev 19:11
The first time- He was wrapped in swaddling clothes
The next time- He will come in a vesture dipped in Blood. Rev 19:13
The first time- He came on a silent night
The Next time- His voice will be like thunder Rev. 14:1-2
The first time- He came to die
The next time- He comes to defeat
He came the first time so that we may be ready at His return. Are you prepared to meet your creator?
He was born in a manger but do not mistake He meekness for weakness. On the contrary, he is kind, loving, merciful, and faithful. However, He is also just and faithful to His commandments and promises.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Just as His last visit came in the night, His return will be the same.
If it happens today, are you ready?
Is your heart right with God?
Do you know Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem’s Manger?