“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11
Our thinking of Bethlehem centers on the birth of our Savior, the One who died on the cross for us. His coming was the fulfillment of God’s plan and ushered in the new day of the kingdom of God. But we do ourselves a disservice if we fail to highlight some of the particular blessings of His coming. There are many events surrounding Jesus’ birth that occurred in Bethlehem that picture the life God intended for His people.
The star of Bethlehem reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. The apostle John describes Jesus as “the true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). Jesus declares that “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (8:12). Often on Christmas cards or animated depictions of the first Christmas we see the star shining directly on the stable or the baby Jesus giving off an aura. All of this may not have happened exactly as portrayed, but we must not fail to see the Light of God shining in our dark world.
The star which led the wisemen to Jesus produced great joy in them (Matthew 2:10). Such joy is found only in Christ (John 15:11; 16:20, 24), and is God’s gift to us, resulting from the conviction that we are living in God’s will and experiencing His presence. The events surrounding the Bethlehem story predict the joy believers can have, for it is a component of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Even the shepherds, as they returned to their flocks, after reporting the events that happened in the fields to Mary and Jospeh, rejoiced, and glorified God for what they had seen (Luke 2:15-20). As someone has said, “The joy of the kingdom is contagious!”
The story of Bethlehem also witnesses to God’s peace. We learn this when the heavenly host proclaims:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (2:14).”
This peace is more than absence of problems; it is the assurance that all will be well with my soul. The idea of peace here is shalom, the Jewish concept of wholeness and blessedness, a promise only available to those on whom God’s favor rests. This peace is possible because of the blood of Christ shed on the cross (Romans 5:1-2), and it becomes a reality only through belief in the gospel, the good news stated succinctly by the apostle Paul when he reminds us “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We recall that Bethlehem means the “house of bread;” what more fitting place for the “Bread of Life” to be born than Bethlehem?
Bread is synonymous with food in general. How often do we say, “let’s break bread together”? Several times in John 6, Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of Life (6:35, 48, 51). This Bread has come down from heaven and whoever eats this Bread will never die (6:50). We pray to God for our daily bread to meet our physical needs; but this prayer is for our spiritual needs as well (Matthew 6:11). Such bread is essential to our lives, both in this life and the next. Jesus warns us not to work primarily for bread that perishes but for the Bread that produces eternal life (John 6:27). We discover this life and this Bread in God’s word (Matthew 4:4).
He is our light, our joy, our peace, and our bread, all of which entered our world in Bethlehem.
May we conclude with the following thoughts about Bethlehem:
Compared to other cities and towns in Israel, Bethlehem was insignificant in size and influence. This made it a perfect place of origin for David’s line and the birthplace of the Messiah. God often chooses what is small and lowly in order to reveal His glory and power. Despite Bethlehem’s humble state, it was not “least among the rulers of Judah,” for it was the birthplace of both David and the Messiah. By sending His Son to be born in a manger in Bethlehem, God exalted that town before the world. It was there that God Himself would arrive, being made incarnate in the womb of the virgin Mary, for the sake of our salvation. *
The town of Bethlehem, often only remembered at Christmas, should be a constant reminder of the gospel of Christ and the faithfulness and the goodness of our God!
by Dr. Rich Menninger
Prayer
May “We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell, —O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!” Amen.
*https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/bethlehem-ephrathah