Merry Christmas to you all. I look forward to seeing a lot of our church family during tonight’s three Christmas Eve services. Take a Bible and find Micah 5 (page 989 in pew Bible) and Matthew 2. You could call our series Christmas in the Old Testament. Centuries before Mary and Joseph, the Wise Men, or the Shepherds … the story of Christmas was written across the pages of the Bible. Our story takes place seven centuries before the appearance of Jesus at Bethlehem. Bethlehem is living proof that, indeed, big things do come in small packages.
Today’s Scripture
“Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 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. 3 Therefore 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. 4 And 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. 5 And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; 6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.” (Micah 5:1–6)
Note: “Ephrathah” is an older name for Bethlehem that dates back to Genesis 35:19 and Jacob’s wife, Rachel.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘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’” (Matthew 2:1–6).
This passage is famous because of the prediction of Bethlehem. The amazing thing about Micah is that he reasserts the certainty of this promise not at a time when Israel is rising to power but at a time when Israel is sinking toward oblivion.
Sermon Preview
1) A Bright Light for a Dark Time; 2) A Small Town for a Great King, and 3) a Big Head for a Small Heart
1. A Bright Light for a Dark Time
Deliverance comes at what seems to be the last possible moment: “Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek” (Micah 5:1). The prophet predicts a cataclysmic event known to historians as Babylon’s invasion & destruction of Judah in 586 BC. Look over to where you’ll find even more specific predictions: “Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? 10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies” (Micah 4:9–10). Babylon was about to bulldoze the nation of Israel in a little more than a century from Micah’s writing. In fact, at the end of verse one, God predicts that “with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek” (Micah 5:1b). And that is exactly what took place when the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, was led off in chains only to die in prison. Hope was a rare commodity for God’s people as doom was looming on the horizon. God seems to wait until the darkest time to bring His brightest light. God doesn’t hit a grand slam in the middle of the third inning, for He often loves to wait until the bottom of the ninth with two outs. It seems as if all light is extinguished before God brings by His floodlight of hope. Deliverance comes at what seems to be the last possible moment. Deliverance comes when most think it is too late.
1) A Bright Light for a Dark Time
2. A Small Town for a Great King
Deliverance comes at what seems to be the last possible moment. But deliverance also comes from the least expected place. Bethlehem is living proof that, indeed, big things do come in small packages. But before we focus on the place, look with me at …
2.1 The Description of the One to be Born
There are at least two descriptions of the One to be born that I want to call your attention to. First, He is “ruler in Israel”: “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). These words are an echo from God’s covenant with David promised and predicted some 300 years before Micah’s predictions. God said to King David: “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. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13). While David’s house failed, God’s covenant with David did not fail.
Second, please note the last words of verse two: “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2b). How can the newborn child be from old? Jesus had His birth at Bethlehem, but He did not have His beginning at Bethlehem. I remind you of John’s description of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1–2).
2.2 The Location of His Birth
There are “Bethlehems” in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and even Texas. In fact, I located twenty-eight towns named Bethlehem around the globe and in the United States. They have streets named Manger Avenue and Shepherd Street. But Bethlehem hasn’t always been so prominent … The chief priests and the scribes knew that Micah 5 was a reference to the Messiah. So they told King Herod when asked, “He will be born in Bethlehem,” without hesitation. This was the popular understanding among the people as well because, in John 7:42, they ask, “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was” (John 7:42)? So both the leaders and the people knew that Micah 5 predicted the coming of the Messiah — the ruler who would be king in Israel. That is why God saw to it that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, even though his mother and Joseph were living in Nazareth when she got pregnant. Now the human reason why Jesus was born in Bethlehem is because Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken. You can believe one of two things: it was either coincidence, or it was providence. I believe it was providence because He had to be born in Bethlehem because He was this ruler of Micah 5.
2.3 The Location of His Life
Not only does the Old Testament predict the place of Jesus’ birth, but the Old Testament also predicts the place where Jesus spent much of His life: “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1). “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:1-2). “The land of Naphtali” is along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and extends north. While “the land of Zebulun” extends from “Naphtali” toward the Mediterranean Sea. These areas were the hot zone for those despairing from war, famine, and thick darkness. God predicts, “where the darkness had fallen, the light will show up first.” And 700 plus years later, what happens? We pick it up in Matthew 4:13: “And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:13-16). Jesus spent most of His life just where Isaiah predicted. Most of the miracles and much of his brilliant teaching happened in and around the region of the Sea of Galilee Bethlehem and Galilee form a powerful one, two predictive punch.
2.4 But Why Bethlehem?
But let’s return back to Bethlehem again. Why not Jerusalem?
2.4.1 Because Bethlehem was the City of David
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 (see 1 Samuel 16:1). Why Bethlehem?
2.4.1 Because Bethlehem was the City of David
2.4.2 Because Bethlehem was Insignificant
The point of verse two is that Bethlehem is small. Now, the Book of Micah is a small book, and this small book speaks of a small town. And, in that small town, a very small little human being is going to come into the world. But, the Bible says, “Don’t despise the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10), because wonderful things come in small packages. God chooses something small, quiet, out of the way, and does something there that changes the course of history and eternity: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:28–29). God does nothing to attract attention to our accomplishments, but He does everything to attract attention to His accomplishments.
1) A Bright Light for a Dark Time
2) A Small Town for a Great King
3. A Big Head for a Small Heart
Here was a group of religious men who were thought to be intellectually superior but spiritually complacent. Pause and consider with me that those who were far off came near … … while those who were near ended up being far-off. Earlier, I said that when Herod asks the experts, the priests, where the Messiah was to be born ... they immediately knew: “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet…” (Matthew 2:3-5). Here’s a question: If you knew the location, why wouldn’t you investigate the location? Why wouldn’t you travel to Bethlehem? Why didn’t they visit when these foreign dignitaries were prompted to arrive in town? Would you not travel six miles simply out of curiosity? Surely just one of these priests… Surely just one of these preachers would say, “Hang on a minute, and I’ll go with you.” Why were the first visitors to see the baby Messiah astrologers rather than the people who knew the Bible best? A century after the resurrection, citizens of Bethlehem knew the exact cave where Jesus has been born. Surely these priests noticed the star above. And yet, they didn’t pack a bag, and they didn’t move an inch. You can have the book in your hands but not faith in your heart. The wise men were religious outsiders who traveled a good distance while the religious insiders were sitting on the front porch of Bethlehem but failed to take another step. The religious insiders watched the religious outsiders pass them by. Israel knew precisely where the King of the Jews would be born, but it was the Gentiles who worshiped him first. Jesus would later say, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.’” (Matthew 21:31b)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
But let me tell you the story of one who did go to Bethlehem. Phillip Brooks was one of America's greatest preachers in the 1800’s. He was often referred to as “the prince of the pulpit” and was a big man standing in at 6’4” and 300 lbs. In 1865, Brooks made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On Christmas Eve, he rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and visited the usual sights in the village. Then he 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, which was built in AD 326, and worshipped from 10 p.m. at night until 3 a.m. in the morning. He said it was one of the greatest experiences in all 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 sits down to write a poem about his powerful experience. He gave a copy of his poem to his organist & 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” that song perfectly captures the beauty of Christmas.
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.
Then we all know the last stanza: O 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; o come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel!
