Grace in an Unlikely Place

They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

A small place. There was a sense of former glory because it was the city of David. But David was long gone and that distinction had moved to Jerusalem. An overlooked place.

But there the glory of God is revealed in Christ.

Matthew quotes from

micah 5:2-

Micah 5:2–5 ESV

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men;

Egypt - Christ Revealed as the Deliverer

Matthew 2:14–15 ESV

And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Matt 2:

Egypt is a place of sorrow and oppression. It is a place of oppression.

Christ came to bring liberty to the captives, and proclaim good news to the poor.

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Nazareth - Christ Revealed as the Mediator

Nazareth was a place of shame and stubbornness.

Netsar - hebrew for shoot

Isaiah 11:1 ESV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.