12-21-2025 O Little Town of Bethlehem
TEXT: Micah 5:2.
The song we just sang comes from a poem written by Phillips Brooks. It’s a Christmas carol we have all sung since childhood. We can take a lot of comfort in the words that tells us of the hopes and fears of all the years meeting in Bethlehem.
Our text this morning is from Micah 5:2 which says: “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting to everlasting.” This is a short verse that contains important truths for Christmas. First, though Bethlehem was a small town, it would be the birthplace of Christ. Second, this Christ would one day rule the world. And third, this birth would be the incarnation of the eternal God. Incarnation is what happens when God take on a human form. That’s what Jesus did when He left Heaven.
I’d like to share some interesting facts about the little town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Savior. It was located about five miles south of Jerusalem. The name Bethlehem Ephratah means house of bread, which is why John, in chapter 6:35 of his Gospel called Jesus, the one born in Bethlehem, the bread of life. Bethlehem was first mentioned as a place of sorrow in Genesis 35:15-20. Rachael, a wife of Jacob, died there giving birth to her son Benoni, whose name means son of my sorrow. And Isaiah 53:3 calls Jesus the man of sorrows. Bethlehem was the place where David was anointed king (I Samuel 16:12-13).
The widow Ruth married her second husband Boaz in Bethlehem as we see in Ruth 4:11. II Samuel 23:15 tells us that David longed for a drink from the well in Bethlehem. John 4:10 tells us Jesus offers all of us living water and in 6:35 that the water Jesus gives quenches the thirst of souls.
Our text says that the one born in Bethlehem will someday rule. The people of the day believed that He would rule Israel and didn’t understand this when He died on the Cross because the Kingdom of the one born in Bethlehem will consist of the entire earth, not just the people of Israel.
And here is the neglected part of the Christmas story: While Luke 1:32-33 tell us that Jesus will sit on the throne of David, the part that’s often forgotten is that He will bring peace to the earth. This is good news for our troubled world. Those who have accepted Jesus by faith will be part of the peaceful kingdom that He will one day rule.
The phrase from our text “whose going forth have been from old, from everlasting” is what tells us that the child born in Bethlehem is the incarnation of the Eternal God. Micah accurately predicted Jesus’ birthplace about 750 years before He was born. The promised eternal king who was born into David’s line, and would come to live as a man, has been alive forever. The eternal Messiah who entered human history as a man is Jesus of Nazareth.
We’re told in Philippians 2:5-7 that God took upon Himself the form of a servant. Jesus came here to serve the people, and we are to follow His example and serve others. Jesus also knows every pain we feel. When we hurt, we can go to Him for relief because He understands what we feel and will see us through it. Jesus has the power to forgive sins, and to meet all our emotional, physical, and material needs. In return, He deserves our worship and obedience for what He has done for each one of us.
God chose the little town of Bethlehem to be a place to bring eternal life to the entire world. All those who make the decision to receive Him into their hearts and lives by faith in this life will become heirs to all that God has. So we can all go to Jesus and receive Him into our lives just for the asking. If you haven’t yet asked Him into your heart and life, don’t hesitate any longer. Accept God’s Christmas gift to you!
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.