Why Bethlehem?
Why Bethlehem?
“Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.”
[Prophecy 700 years before Jesus’ birth from Micah 5:2]
Why Nazareth?
“So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:21-23
Why Mary?
“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.‘ But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.’” Luke 1:28-31
Why Joseph?
“So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:19-20
Why Shepherds?
“When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:15-18
Why Jesus?
“‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:21
“He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:10-14
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Why me?
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person-though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ Romans 5:6-8
Why not?
I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
What now?
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.” Ephesians 1:17-19
Christmas is not just an event that changed the world, it can change you. Personalize the story of Christmas. See Jesus as more than a baby in a manger, He is Immanuel, God with us. He came to demonstrate God’s love when He took the penalty for our sin on the cross. He conquered death so we can have not just eternal life, but a life that matters today. If you have never placed your faith in God’s plan for your salvation, won’t you accept God’s greatest gift today? Trust Him. His gift of salvation came –don’t miss it! If you’d like to know how the Bible tells us we can obtain God’s greatest gift, you can read Scriptures here that will help guide you: FAITH . I am always available if you would like more information–just comment below and I will respond to you personally.
