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Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
– From the Christian hymn”Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”
The Second Sunday of Advent 2019
(Micah 5:1, Matthew 2:1-6)
Andy Nagahara
(Micah5:2) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
(Matthew 2:1-6)1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” pherd my people Israel.’”
A. Bethlehem
1. Memories of sadness
2. A town that birthed the glory of David
3. Bethlehem today
B. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth or Jerusalem
1. Born into suffering, sadness, and pain
2. Let’s welcome Jesus into our hearts
Summary
When we find ourselves in a crisis which we cannot resolve on our own, we experience fear and distress. And rather than trusting in God whom we can’t see, we find ourselves putting our hope in other people and the practical help they can offer in the moment. It may seem as though this will solve the crisis, but it is only a temporary solution. The real peace and resolution comes from this truth: Immanuel (God with us). Jesus came into this world and gave his own life to become our “God with us” before we ever learned to put our trust in him.
For Discussion
- What kind of town was Bethlehem?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus was born in Bethlehem?