O Little Town of Bethlehem
Pastor Leslie Chua
“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. ”
O 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.
This is the first stanza of the beautiful Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. This hymn captures the essence of that Christmas night two thousand years ago. God’s wonderful gift of Christ Jesus was presented as a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke tells the story briefly but wonderfully.
Bethlehem was a little town with less than a thousand inhabitants. It is perhaps better labelled as a village instead of a town. Bethlehem was small as well as insignificant at that time.
So, the question is why did God choose Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah? Why didn’t He choose Jerusalem?
Jerusalem was the religious centre of the Jews. It was also the capital city of ancient Israel and it would also be the city from which Jesus would rule over the nations of the world in His future Millennial Kingdom.
So, why Bethlehem?
The simple answer is because of an event that took place just before Jesus’ birth. Caesar Augustus ordered for a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire for taxation purposes. All the people would have to register themselves at their birthplace.
Mary and Joseph were originally from Bethlehem. So, they had to make the 150-km journey from Nazareth, where they lived, to Bethlehem. Mary gave birth to Jesus while they were at Bethlehem.
But I believe that there is a tapestry of other reasons for God to choose Bethlehem as Christ’s birthplace as we read deeper into the Bible.
Humility is the Prerequisite For Salvation
When reminding the Philippian believers to be humble and to consider others to be more significant than themselves, the apostle, Paul, pointed to Jesus as an example -- “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).
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Because humility is the prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Man must acknowledge his moral bankruptcy and hence his inability to save himself. He must come humbly in brokenness and by faith accept all that Jesus had done for him on the cross of Calvary.
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Though He was the Son of God, Jesus was the embodiment of humility in His First Coming. Born a King, Jesus’ attitude was like that of a bond slave. That is how God wants Christians and all the people of the world throughout history to remember the Saviour.
Why?
Because humility is the prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Man must acknowledge his moral bankruptcy and hence his inability to save himself. He must come humbly in brokenness and by faith accept all that Jesus had done for him on the cross of Calvary.
The insignificance of the little town of Bethlehem is a perfect fit for God’s emphasis on humility.
Only Christ’s Death Could End the Ugliness of Sin
The first mention of Bethlehem in the Bible is found in the thirty-fifth chapter of Genesis. The passage recounts the sad passing of Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel, when they were on their way to Bethlehem, then, known as Ephrath (Genesis 35:19).
Jacob never seemed to get over the grief of Rachel’s tragic death as a result of childbirth. He recalled his sorrow on his deathbed decades later (Genesis 48:7).
Shortly after the birth of Christ, Bethlehem was a place of sadness and brokenness once again.
King Herod had been greatly troubled since he heard of the birth of the King of the Jews. Jesus’ birth did not take place in a vacuum. Several ancient prophecies attested to this reality. One such prophecy came from the prophet, Micah – “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” (Micah 5:2).
Unable to gain the cooperation of the wise men from the East to track down the whereabouts of the infant Jesus, Herod ordered the massacre of all the children under the age of two in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions (Matthew 2:16).
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Bethlehem stands as a reminder of the undesirable consequences of sin, and it would take the death and sacrifice of Christ to rid humanity of its sin problem. The ugliness of sin could only be eradicated with the cleansing blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
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Hundreds of children died in the horrific bloodbath. The Gospel writer, Matthew, recalled an ancient prophecy that spoke of this tragedy – “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18).
That is the ugliness of sin. Whether it is the sorrow over the death of a loved one or the senseless killing of children, the root problem is sin.
Perhaps this is another reason for God’s selection of Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Saviour of the world. Bethlehem stands as a reminder of the undesirable consequences of sin, and it would take the death and sacrifice of Christ to rid humanity of its sin problem. The ugliness of sin could only be eradicated with the cleansing blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Son of David
Another reason that God chose Bethlehem as Christ’s birthplace is the Saviour’s connection with King David. Bethlehem was also David’s hometown.
As you know, David was the greatest of all the kings of Israel. He was also known as a man after God’s own heart.
In the New Testament, Jesus is frequently referred to as the Son of David. That was how Jesus was commonly known to the Jews. Recall the first Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a colt and the crowds shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” as (Matthew 21:9).
Why did they hail Jesus as the Son of David?
Because the Son of David was the title given to the Messiah and they recognised Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah.
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Bethlehem is a reminder of Jesus’ destiny. He was the prophesied Messiah who would come and one day in the future, this Jesus will rule as the King of kings and the Lord of lords over the entire world.
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This association arose from a prophecy given to King David. God promised David that his kingdom would last forever and one of his sons would rule over this kingdom – “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
This is the prophecy of the coming Messiah who would rule over God’s eternal Kingdom. The Messiah would come from the lineage of David. Thus, the title of Christ is the Son of David.
Bethlehem is a reminder of Jesus’ destiny. He was the prophesied Messiah who would come and one day in the future, this Jesus will rule as the King of kings and the Lord of lords over the entire world. When that happens, we can look forward to a time of continual peace and prosperity.
House of Bread
Bethlehem of Ephrathah has a wonderful meaning. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and Ephrathah means “fruitfulness.”
Prophetically, Bethlehem fulfilled its destiny. In Bethlehem was born Jesus, who would later proclaim, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
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In Jesus Christ, we find salvation as well as fruitfulness.
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If we abide in Christ, we will also produce much fruit (John 15:5). Jesus has promised – “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
In Jesus Christ, we find salvation as well as fruitfulness.
O little town of Bethlehem, in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
Have a meaningful and blessed Christmas!