Bethlehem’s Baby

Bethlehem’s Baby

You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. . . . And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength.

Micah 5:2, 4

The Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.

John 7:42

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea.

Matthew 2:1

Bethlehem was a small and unimpressive village. And though the Jewish people remembered Micah’s prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem as a descendant of King David, they were not expecting their Savior to be born in such a humble place.

We are often a little surprised when someone from a small town accomplishes something of true greatness. We have a tendency to think that for something or someone to be significant, the idea, the business, or the person must be birthed in a major city or well-known place.

When God sent Jesus, he turned every expectation of what people thought would make him great upside down. Jesus came as a baby instead of a grown man. He was born to ordinary parents, not people of prominence or power. He came as a humble teacher rather than a conquering king. And he was born in an obscure little town rather than one of the great cities of the day.

This tells us something important about how God chooses whom and what he will use and bless. He doesn’t choose on the basis of accomplishments or reputation or worldly value. God chooses to use simple, ordinary things and people so that he is the one who gets all the glory.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Are there some great companies or organizations or people who come from the city or town you live in?

What are some of the ways we show that we believe bigger is better?

Bethlehem means “house of bread,” and it is King David’s hometown. Why are these two things significant for the place of Jesus’ birth?