Unwrapping Christmas - Viewing the Nativity Through Luke's EyesSample

Day 21

Joseph also went up…to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem...  Luke 2:4

New York. London. Milan. Tokyo. Sydney. And then, little Bethlehem. 

We could discuss how this small town, found just six miles south from Jerusalem, ties the Old Testament to the New Testament by being King David’s birthplace, a man who would become a part of the Messiah’s lineage. We could ponder its other title, the City of David, and how it segues into the eternal reign of Christ upon King David’s throne. 

We could also consider how such a small village speaks to us about how God uses small things, places, and yes, people like you and me to do great things for Him. Yep, that would be a good thing to discuss. 

Yet, what speaks most profoundly is Bethlehem’s meaning in the original Hebrew: House of Bread. Bethlehem, the House of Bread, would be the birthplace of the Bread of Life – King Jesus.

What comes to your mind when you think about a warm loaf of bread from the oven? Could it be comfort, satisfaction, and both filling and sustaining? This describes bread in the physical sense, but what does it say about our soul? Is this what we are experiencing in our lives in Jesus?

No, this isn’t just Christian theory. I lived far too long in that. I knew a lot about the Lord, but I didn’t daily know Him as the Bread of Life. I was still hungry. I wasn’t satisfied. Or fulfilled. It wasn’t until I started to experience His presence in my quiet times, and then when I opened His Word to speak to me- did my life change. I didn’t need to do more; I just needed more of Him. 

Oh, little town of Bethlehem, we hear you speaking to our hearts.