WORD for the Week BETHLEHEM
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 ,
'But you, Bethlehem , in the land of Judah , Are not the least among the rulers of Judah ; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel .'"
"Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem , where David was?" Matthew 2:1, 6; John 7:42 NKJV
Recently, when doing a search on the ‘net using the word “Christmas”, a wide variety of results surfaced ranging anywhere from the obvious Santa Clause to gift giving and tree decorations, along with games, activities, cards, and other festive holiday themes. However, not much was easily found in respects to why Christmas is celebrated within the Christian faith. While December 25th is most likely NOT the actual date of Christ’s birth, that time of year is used across the world as a remembrance of the very fact that the Son of God did indeed come, in the form of an infant child, and that He came to redeem mankind through His sacrifice (His sufferings, death on the cross, burial, and resurrection). Christ came to earth a little over 2,000 years ago, and the account is reveled to us in the writings of Matthew and Luke. When Christ was born, He was delivered in the town of Bethlehem , where His earthly family and ancestor, King David, was born. Bethlehem is an interesting birth location for Christ, for the name of this little town means “house of bread.” House of bread... Have you ever been to a house of bread, or even baked bread yourself at home? The aroma completely fills the air, and seeps into every tiny crack of every corner. “Fresh bread is prized for its taste and texture, and retaining its freshness is important to keep it appetizing.”1 Christ, who was born in the “house of bread”, is also known as “the bread of life” (John 6:35 & 48), and expresses Himself as the “living bread” (John 6:51). And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
I am the bread of life.
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." John 6:35, 48, 51 (NKJV)
Just as our physical life will not have a lasting value without food, so our eternal and spiritual life has no significance and strength without Christ. He came from His heavenly home and lived among us, born into the human race, so He could redeem us. All of our needs are cared for by Him. Christ, who was born in “the house of bread”, is our living bread and we are sustained in Him. As we travel through this next week, may we be filled with the healthful truth of God’s Word, and may we find strength in the nourishment from the “bread of life!” So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/l/olittle.htm 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. … 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 Emmanuel!
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread
WORD for the Week is a new format with the Barnabas / ECHO publications. The purpose is to bring a short devotional with a theme (or topic) from a particular word or phrase found in the scriptures. This publication is tasked to be delivered once a week, thus the title – “WORD for the Week.”
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