First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
2But 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. 3Therefore 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. 4And 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. 5And he shall be their peace.
Psalm 80:1-7
1Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. 2In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us. 3Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. 4O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people? 5You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have given them bowls of tears to drink. 6You have made us the derision of our neighbors, and our enemies laugh us to scorn. 7Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” 8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Over the years, I’ve come at our Advent texts, for this Sunday, from the perspective of one, or maybe two, of the main characters, focusing on how or what they experienced. Today however, I want to widen our focus and look at the incarnation of Jesus from a more historical view. Today I’d like for you to consider God’s amazing work, not just in an event or two, but across the centuries. God not only breaks into history at specific times, to act, He also works across time, sometimes over centuries, in order for His will to be accomplished, always at the right time.
It’s said that every person’s existence can basically be summarized with three words: birth, life, and death. When you think about the birth, life, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, three cities instantly come to mind: Bethlehem, where He was born, Nazareth, where He grew up, and Jerusalem where He died. Each one of these cities conjures up a different picture.
When you think of Bethlehem, you think of the manger. When you think of Nazareth, you think of the carpenter. When you think of Jerusalem, you think of the cross. I do like what Diane posted on Monday: at Jesus’ birth, His first cry tore the silence. On Calvary, His second cry tore the Temple veil, and upon His return, His third cry will tear open the sky. The incarnation of Jesus began in a quaint little town called Bethlehem.
Bethlehem, in what would otherwise have been an unheard of Palestinian town, shrouded in anonymity, has instead become the theme for poets, the subject for artists, and the goal for pilgrims. Bethlehem, even to this day, is still relatively a “little town.” However, Bethlehem is also living proof that big things do indeed come in small packages. There are three facts about the city of Bethlehem that make it one of the most unique and indeed greatest cities in all the world.
First, it was a city of fulfilled prophecy. Micah 5:2 is one of the clearest, most concise, and concentrated messianic prophecies in all the Bible. Keep in mind that what Micah wrote was penned some 750 years before Jesus was ever born. To put this into context, imagine someone in the year 1124 AD making this statement: “From Plains, Georgia will come the 39th President of the United States.” That’s exactly what happened here. In the 2nd verse of our Old Testament reading, our prophet pinpoints several identifying characteristics of the coming Messiah, hundreds of years before the event occurred.
First, the One to come is to be “ruler in Israel” and from this we now know that the Messiah, who is to be born, was to be both a sovereign and a shepherd. He was to be the anointed One who would indeed be the ruler over the nation of Israel. Now the Jews recognized that this prophecy indicated the birthplace of the Messiah. When the wise men came to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King, Herod gathered the chief priests and the scribes to find out where the Christ was to be born. In Mt. 2:5-6 we read, “So [the Chief Priests and Scribes of the people] said to [Herod], ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’” So, whoever the Messiah was to be, he was to be born in Bethlehem. But this passage from Micah tells us more, it also reveals that the One to be born would also be both human and divine.
Additionally, Micah tells us that this One who is to be born, is the One “whose goings forth are from of old from everlasting.” The Hebrew word for everlasting literally means “the days of eternity.” In other words, the Messiah was going to be born, but He was not going to be created. From eternity to eternity the Messiah has always existed. This means that the Creator was going to become the creature. The one who said, “Let there be light,” was going to become the “Light of the World.” The one who hung the stars in place, was going to become the “Bright and Morning Star.” The one who created man was going to become a man. St. John said: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).
The Apostle Paul spelled it out even more plainly when he wrote: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17). The divine Son of God would not only come from heaven, He would come from a city: “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” (5:2). From this one small lesson, we know that the Messiah was not only fully divine, but he was also fully human.
The Son of God is also the Son of man. As a man, He was baptized in water; as God He baptizes with the Holy Spirit. As man, He was thirsty; as God, He walked on water. As man, He was hungry; as God, He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fishes. As man, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus; as God, He raised him from the dead. As man, He was crowned with thorns; as God, He is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. As man, He died on the cross; as God, He rose triumphantly from the grave. Micah continues, the coming Messiah will not only be the Ruler, but in v.4 we’re told “He shall stand and shepherd His flock.’ In other words, the Messiah was prophesied to be a Sovereign ruler that would lead His people, and a Shepherd that would provide for His flock.
Thus, in these verses we see the identity, divinity, humanity, and activity of the Messiah. There’s more. In Luke 2:11 we see how this prophecy was fulfilled in the Jesus. Here’s the fascinating part: first, we see His humanity: “For there is born to you”; then we see His activity: “this day in the city of David a Savior”. The Angel said, His name was to be called Jesus, for He would save His people from their sins; then we see His identity: “who is Christ”; then we see His divinity: “the Lord.” Micah announced it seven and one-half centuries before His coming, and the angel affirmed it. It all happened in Bethlehem, a city of fulfilled prophecy. And to further reinforce God’s work across time and in all things, there’s more.
In Luke 2:4 we’re told how it came about that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. “And 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.” Now when you study the history of this little city called Bethlehem, you find out some interesting truths.
Bethlehem is a town six miles southwest of Jerusalem, 2,500 ft. above sea level in the hill country of Judea. In those days it was on the main highway that led to Hebron and Egypt. In Jacob’s time it was called Ephrath, and it was the burial place of Rachel. After Israel conquered Canaan, the name was changed to Bethlehem—Judah. It became known as the city of David, because it was here that David’s great grandmother, Ruth, met David’s future great grandfather, Boaz. It was here that David’s father, Jesse, was born. It was here that David was a shepherd who kept watch over his flocks by night, and later was anointed king by Samuel the prophet. All of this was divinely guided by our Sovereign God. All this was accomplished because this is where the Messiah was to be born. But none of this should surprise us, God is always at work preparing us and the world for His will and what’s to come next.
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city” (Luke 2:1-3). God came to earth for the first and only time as a man to a certain place at a certain time. This place was Bethlehem. Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken. But the interesting events don’t stop here, God was guiding events at all levels of society.
Yet another fascinating fact is that historians tell us that this census was the first of its kind in the history of the Roman Empire. This leaves us with a choice, it was either coincidence or it was providence. For me, the evidence tells me that this wasn’t a mere coincidence; God guided these events. I believe that Caesar Augustus was a tool in the hands of a Sovereign God to bring about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the right time and place. Otherwise, He would have been born in Nazareth. But not only did Jesus come to a certain place, He came at a certain time.
Notice Luke 2:11 specifically says, “there is born to you this day.” St. Paul in Galatians 4:4 wrote, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son…” God is never early, God is never late, He’s always right on time, and for Jesus the time was now. And at Jesus’ birth, the greatest praise gathering in the history of this world took place in that little town called Bethlehem.
At the birth of Jesus, immediately both heaven above and earth below began to sing out the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this praise was in three parts: First, there was the proclamation of the angel. “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (2:10-11). Then there was the celebration of the angelic choir: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!’” (2:13-14)
Then there was the adoration of the shepherds: (2:15-18) “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”
When you think about it, Bethlehem really does tell us what Christmas is all about. First, it’s about proclamation, because we ought to be sharing the Lord Jesus. Then it’s about celebration, because we should be singing about the Lord Jesus. Then it’s about adoration, not only are we to worship our Savior, we must also be about the business of serving in God’s kingdom. But the importance of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem doesn’t stop here, the meaning of the city’s name is important as well. Micah 5:2 said that Jesus would come from “Bethlehem Ephrathah.”
The city actually had two names: Bethlehem, which means “house of bread” and Ephrathah, which means “the fruit fields” or “fruitfulness.” As I said, this is important. Bethlehem refers to bread. Ephrathah, fruit fields, refers to wine. Bethlehem has always been a place of fruitful vineyards. When you think of this in terms of Jesus as the Lamb of God, you come to realize that Bethlehem refers to the body of Jesus, and Ephrathah refers to the blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His body to be the bread of life, and He shed His blood to be the wine of salvation.
Jesus is our “house of bread.” In John 6:57-58, Jesus said, “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” Not only is Jesus our house of bread, He’s also our field of fruit. Did He not say in John 15:1: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” Then in John 6:54-55: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.”
God had everything planned right down to the very names of the city where Jesus was born, God had it all planned so that we would always be pointed back not only to the birth of Jesus, but His life, death and resurrection as well. God’s actions across time point us to the body of Jesus and the blood of Jesus, and to eternal life.
19th century preacher Phillip Brooks made a pilgrimage to Palestine. On Christmas Eve he rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and visited the usual sights in the village. He then went east to the traditional Field of the Shepherds. As darkness fell, he stood for a while by the cave where the shepherds saw the angels and the glory of God. He then went to a worship service in what is now known as the Church of the Nativity, built in 326 AD, and worshipped from ten at night until three in the morning. He said it was one of the greatest experiences of his life. Three years later in 1868, he was searching for a new Christmas carol for his children to sing in their Sunday School Christmas program.
He gave a copy of his text to his organist and Sunday School Superintendent, Lewis Redner, and asked him to compose a simple melody that children could easily sing. Redner struggled with this for several days. Finally, on the evening before the program was to be given, he said he awakened in the middle of the night and sat down and wrote the music and the melody. He said until he died, he knew it was a gift from heaven. We now know that song as, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
This song perfectly captures the beauty of Christmas. Little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight. Then we all know the last stanza: Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, Be born in us today! We hear the Christmas angels, The great glad tidings tell; Come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel! As we think about “The little town of Bethlehem” may her prophecy instruct us, her history inform us, and her mystery inspire us to give Jesus our lives, our loyalty, our love.
Amen