The Nativity Story: Why Bethlehem? Micah 5:2 11/01/2020

I say let me get situated up here and people sending me texts already on a Sunday morning. They know I'm in the pulpit.

Okay. Alright. Well we're going to continue our sermon series a king is coming and we're talkin about the Nativity Story Corson tivity means the birth. So we're talking about the birth of Jesus Christ. And remember I first message was How about why Jesus had to become a man. That was our first message. And our second message was on Joseph and how humble man he was. He was the right man at the right time for the right plan and remember not Joseph never spoken word in the Bible. He was the Earthly father of Jesus that he never said a word in the Bible and then we had a sermon on Mary last week very humble young girl 12 or 13 years old probably when she was betrothed and remember what she said when the angel was talking to her. She said she said let let it be let your word be in my life. As you have said so very humble woman. Well today I kind of want to go to the other side of the spectrum and we going to talk about kind of the geography of the Nativity and today's message is why Bethlehem? Why did God choose Bethlehem as the little village or town where Jesus was born? He couldn't shows anywhere. He couldn't shows Egypt lot larger or Rome lot larger and more Prestige. But yet he chose a little village called bethlehem-ephrathah and and other times it's called Bethlehem Judah. And so we're going to talk about those two names here in a minute, but in 1865, there was a man by the name of Phillips Brooks anybody ever heard of him Phillips Brooks. He was at an Episcopal preacher. And he attended a 5-hour Christmas Eve service. Now he had traveled by horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. And at the church of the Nativity and by the way, Bethlehem is about 5 miles Southwest of Jerusalem. The little town there of Bethlehem will Brooks listen to this Celebration by the way, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, it is still there today. Still there, and he listen to all the Christmas songs in the The Nativity Story was presented and he said he just fell in love in it in a new way of thinking about the birth of our savior on that wonderful night with three years later. He was a pastor of a church, of course, and he was he wanted to ride a Hymn for the children of his congregation to sing at their Christmas play and he sat down and he penned the words. To him that we sing. Oh little town of Bethlehem. And he was the one who came up with that. Well when God chose where his son would be born he chose a little village a little town called Bethlehem in the question this morning is why Bethlehem why this little village? Well, let me say this and this this will be our first point today. Bethlehem was prepared historically It was prepared historically God selected Bethlehem Before Time began as the birthplace for his son Jesus Christ and to understand why he did that. We need to know something and it's vital to know this that this city. Is Mitch and 35 times in 11 different Old Testament books? over a. Of 1300 years This little this little city which just amounts to nothing at this time first century. When Jesus was born Bethlehem had a population of between 1 and 200. So why in the world would God choose this? Well, Bethlehem was prepared historically now. Let me give you three ways. It was prepared historically a Bethlehem was a place of Sorrow. Bethlehem was a place of Sorrow. Now we're going to look at several scriptures today and we going to put most of them up here on the board. And the first one is Genesis 48 and I'm going to read this now and I listen to this when when Jacob was dying. He said these words but as for me when I came from Pat and Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, but there was but a little distance to go to ephyra and I buried her there on the way to Africa. That is Bethlehem. Now, this is Jake and I remember we study Jacob just a few months ago when we talked about the life of Joseph. Now what we need to understand is the actual record of Rachel's death and I'm going to read that when I don't have it up here on the screen, but just listen, I think I read this when we were studying the life of Joseph it says here now, this is Genesis 35 16 to 20 then they Journey from Bethel and when there was but a little Distance to go to ephyra which of course is Bethlehem Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass when she was in hard labor that the Midwife said to her. Do not fear. You will have this song also and so it was as her soul was departing for she died that she called her son's name Ben onai but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrata that is Bethlehem and Jacob set of pillar on a grave which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. Rachel was the first woman recorded in biblical record to die in childbirth, and she was given birth to who we know is Benjamin Joseph little brother. But Rachel called him being owned. I thought it was Jacob who changed his name to Benjamin after Rachel had died. Been 09 means the son of my sorrow because she died in childbirth. So it was the son of my sorrow was centuries later in this same little place. Very place. Another little baby was born named Jesus and the Bible says he is the Man of Sorrows, I think about that years and years centuries before Benjamin been owned. I was the son of my sorrow Jesus is said is the Man of Sorrows. He carried our sorrows in his body and becauseof him when we lose a Christian friend or loved one. The Bible says, we don't sorrow as others who have no hope We do not because we have hope and one day because of him. We're going to go to a place where they'll be no more. Sorrow. Amen. That's what we're going to do. No more pain no more sorrow, so it was prepared historically, but see the the story continues. 1100 years after Rachel died in remember being so nice out of my sorrow Jeremiah wrote this and I was going to put it up on the board Jeremiah 31 and 15. I listen to what Jeremiah says 1100 years later. Thus says the Lord a voice was heard in Ramah lamentation in bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more. What's he talkin about well to find out what he's talkin about. We have to go to Matthew's gospel because it connects Jeremiah Prophecy with another great time of sorrow in Bethlehem. Now, this is what Matthew rights and we're going to put this up Matthew to 16218. I listen to this then Herod when he saw that he was deceived by the wise man was exceedingly angry and he sent forth to put the death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its districts from 2 years old and under according to the time but she had determined from the wise men Ben was fulfilled what the Prophet by Jeremiah the prophet saying A voice was heard in Ramah lamentation weeping and great morning Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted because they are no more. You see what Matthew does he connect the birth of Jesus with the death of all the babies 2 years old and under in Jerusalem. He connects that so Matthew looks back to Jeremiah in Jeremiah takes us all the way back to Genesis to Jacob and Rachel. You see there's a Scarlet thread running throughout the Old Testament all the way to the New Testament and that thread is Jesus Christ and we can we can see that you see in a source of the story of Christ's birth in Bethlehem threads this way from Genesis to Matthew. So until we see the glory of the Lord verse against the black backdrop of all these children being massacred in Bethlehem. We will never realize the significance of he being born in Bethlehem. You see there's the significance there. He came to read human kind of the ugliness of sin and there's no picture of the ugliness of sin like the infanticide in Bethlehem. You see it all points to Jesus. So it was prepared historically number one because it was a place of sorrow, but be it was prepared historically because Bethlehem What's a place of selection? Now listen to this in 1st Samuel 17 verse 12. This is what we read of David selection as the king of Israel now David was the son of that effort here. It is Bethlehem Judah Whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons and the man of was old and advanced in years in the days of salt here is called Bethlehem Judah. Why because Jesus was from the tribe of what tribe of Judah and there was a district. They're called Jude. I will talk more about that in a minute. So little Bethlehem remember population 1 to 200. Provided Israel with his most I would say biggest hero in the Old Testament. And that was King David. You see David was the first king Israel had that was God chosen God chose him. The people chose Saul Saul was the first king, but he wouldn't the right thing. It was David and God chose him matter fact Bethlehem became known as the city of David and you know what? Jesus was called the son of David you see it was a place of Select throughout the city of Bethlehem flowed the lineage if you will and The Descent of Jesus, So that that night that Jesus was born another king was selected not the king of Israel, but the King of Kings and the Lord of lords Jesus Christ. So it was a place of selection. It was prepared historically how play some sorrow place of selection C.

Bethlehem was a place of salvation. You say well, what do you mean by that? Well, I want us to look in Ruth chapter 4 in verse 11. The little book of Ruth which is only four chapters long. I listen to what the Bible says and all the people who were at the gate and the Elder set. We Are Witnesses the Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah the two who built the house of Israel and may you prosper in ephrathah and the famous in Bethlehem. So in this little book Bethlehem is mentioned seven times in the Book of Ruth. In fact Ruth presents us. I think one of the most perfect pictures of the Old Testament of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, you say why do you say that because the word Redemption and redeem and kinsman redeemer occurs 19 times in four chapters, Ruth is a book about salvation and matter fact the whole story of the Old Testament leads up to the birth of Jesus. I think about this in Bethlehem was the story of Jacob. Well, the Bible says Jesus descended from Abraham Isaac and Jacob David is selected as Israel's first King. Jesus is called the son of David and in the genealogy of Jesus Ruth is mentioned in being in the lineage of our savior. Ruth is in the one thread that connects all this together is the little town of Bethlehem. It's just that one little town, you know, there's a lot of preachers out there today who are saying that preachers out not to preach the Old Testament because it no longer applies. I don't know if you've noticed but every year when I preached and I try to put out my preaching calendar. I always have an Old Testament something in the Old Testament to preach now. I know how valuable the new test when is and I know we're no longer under the law. We are under grace but the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. You see when people start separating the old from the new that's not the way to do it. You have to look at how the old point to the new so last night I was thinking about this and this is a good overall picture of how to look at the entire Bible in this is it In the Old Testament the Old Testament says behold he comes. If you look in the gospels the gospel say behold he dies. If you looking at access behold, he lives if you look in the Epistles, the epistle says behold he says and then when you look in the Book of Revelation, you see butthole He reigns. That's exactly who we serve and we need to know that he's coming and we'll find out that he's coming not in the gospels in the Old Testament is where we will find that out Bethlehem was prepared historically place of Sorrow place of selection a place of Salvation number two. Bethlehem was prepared symbolically Now this is where we come to Micah chapter 5 in verse to we going to put it up on the screen. I want you to look at this. Michael and Old Testament minor prophet written probably 700 800 BC said this but you Bethlehem ephrathah. Though you are little among the thousands of Judah though. You are a little village among the thousands of villages. You're very little yet out of you. Shall come forth to me. The one to be ruler in Israel. Who's going forth are from old from Everlasting. All right. Now, here's what we need to understand. Who is he talking about there? Who's going to be the real Jesus Christ? Who would be born 807 hundred years later. Here's what we need to understand Bethlehem means the House of Bread. All right the house of bread and when Jesus come when he came Jesus said I am the living bread which came down from heaven Matt about Jesus said I am the bread of life look at it like this.

What about this other name Bethlehem, ephrathah? Well ephrathah mean fruitfulness. To be spiritually hungry and thirsty the world was during that time at the exact right time. God gave us the bread of life. Which was Jesus the bread of life and he teaches us to be fruitful for him. Remember Jesus told his followers by this. My father is glorified that you bear much fruit. So you will be my disciples then he said you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear much fruit. So you see the House of Bread Bethlehem brings to this earth the bread of life. That's exactly what happened. Well number three and we'll close with number 3. Bethlehem was prepared prophetically Prophecy, we kind of talked about that Michael rowed his prophecy around 7:50 BC at the time of his birth when Herod gathered all the Jewish Sanhedrin together. He wanted to know where this Christ was going to be born so he could probably be there and take care of him. He asked the Sanhedrin about this and this is what they said and I noticed this and Matthew to four and five and we're going to put it up on the screen. This is What he said Matthew 2 4 and 5. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the price was to be born. So they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet Prophet. They talk about Micah. This is what Micah had said. So all these leaders here knew that he was going to be born in Bethlehem hair didn't know that until they said it so they had read this prophet of Micah and then some people say well maybe you really wouldn't born in Bethlehem. He could have been born somewhere else. Maybe the Jews made that up but Luke says that the holy family went down to Bethlehem and he says they're Jesus was born in Luke Chapter 2. The angel said that a savior has been born in the city of David Luke Chapter to where the city of David was Bethlehem in the shepherd said let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass in Luke Chapter 2. So we see here both history in the Bible affirm the truth of Micah's prophecy. Let me say this and let's just get a handle on this. When Michael made this prophecy. There were only three continents known to man Europe. Asia and Africa Now my cat shows Asia you say well Asia is a big continent. Asia has many countries. But Michael only mentioned one country. It was a part of the country. It was called Palestine of Syria. You say yeah, but in Palestine there was three different districts. Yes. It was Judea Galilee and Syria. or Samaria so which one did Michael choose he says Bethlehem Judah he chose Judea you say but you did have thousands a little towns and Villages. That's exactly right but hundreds of years before the event Michael chose Bethlehem Judah with God Spirit guiding him Michael chose the right continent the right country the right District the right Village and the right City it not wonderful in that something how we can trust the Bible and aren't you glad that the message of Christmas in the Nativity rest on the Acura word of God say about eight hundred years before he just drilled it down to this little city of 1 to 200 people and he started with the right constant, but you see what happened when Jesus came Is really the real story I think and then tivity now where he was born this interesting this interesting fact, but the reality that he came and why he came is really what is thrilling to us. You see he loved us so much that he obeyed his father when his father said son. I have a task for you. I want you to walk out of the Gates of Heaven and I want you to go down to that little dirty spec called Earth and I want you to live there for 30 years and I want you to give your life a ransom for all the lost people so that I can bring them to heaven to be with us. And what did Jesus say he says it is written and this is what he said in Hebrews 10 to do your Will O God Now I want to I want to say this here. I want to show you a scripture here. We going to put up. It'll be the last scripture we put up here. I've never preached on this scripture before not here at this church. I want you to look at Philippians 2:6 through 11, and we going to put it on the screen. And remember the theme of what we've been talked about so far in the Nativity is how God uses the insignificant. Joseph never spoke a word he was just a poor carpenter. He was insignificant. Mary was just a little insignificant barely teenage girl, but she trusted God and she said as your word says so beat Bethlehem was just a know where nothing waste one or two hundred people. No one cared anything about Bethlehem ephrathah or Bethlehem Judah. You see what we're seeing here how God uses just the humble and insignificant thing that look what it says about Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:6 through 11 when he left Heather. This is what it says. It says been in the form of God. He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man of the sea speaking of Jesus, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. Even the death of the Cross there for God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on Earth and of those under the Earth in that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. He humbled himself just like all the other people just like Bethlehem just a humble. Geographical place with humble meet people. This is who Jesus Christ was if there's nothing else you get from this story. I want you to get this. the Christ exalts the humble and he rejects the proud. This is what we see from this story. You see we celebrate Bethlehem this morning because we already been to Calvary. Amen. We've been to Calvary so we can celebrate Bethlehem. We can celebrate the Cradle this morning because we stood beneath the cross. That's why we celebrate it and we can celebrate his coming because our sins have been forgiven and we can celebrate his second coming because he's coming back to get us in to take us to be with him forever in heaven. You see that's why we celebrate the important truth about Christmas. In the Nativity is that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever Shall Believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So if you have believed in Christ of the Nativity, have you put your trust in him? Have you opened your heart to him? Have you allowed the birth of Christ? In your own heart you save the Bible says if we going to spend eternity with Jesus, you must be born again. You must be in Jesus the one born in Bethlehem. He wants to be born in our own Hearts. He wants to set up in his home in our life and give us Direction and strength. Why did God choose Bethlehem? Because it was prepared historically we see that it was a place of Sorrow of selection and salvation. He chose Bethlehem because it was prepared symbolically because I swear the greatest King on Earth ever came before Jesus and that was King David and it was prepared prophetically because my cap it the right continent the right country the right Village the right town the right person Micah did it. Amen. Well as pray father we do. Thank you and praise you in love you today for your word Lord. We thank you how you use the Hub? And how the Bible even says that you will exalt The Humble but you will put down the proud lord. We thank you this morning that Jesus was not born in Summit epicenter are some big city for all the philosophy and all he was just born by Humble means in a humble stable and a humble cradle Lori. Thank you this morning. That he's no longer a child in a cradle. He's no longer a corpse on the cross. But Lord, he's the reigning King who lives today and he's coming back for us one day Lord. Thank you for the Nativity and thank you for this story and Lord help us to take it to heart this morning. He'll put the change our heart and change our lives and if we never accepted Christ help us to have that birth today in our own heart forcing Christ's name. I do praying for his sake. Amen.