The place of Messiah's Birth, Bethlehem
Foretold 700 years before the fact
Micah 5:2
5:1 ¶ Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Luke 2:4-7
2:1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem ; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
What many of our viewers may not know is the relationship between this citation in Scripture, about a birthplace, and the function of that town in relation to the Jewish Temple.
Bethlehem was the place that held the sheep for Temple sacrifices. Messiah came to be called "The Lamb of God" and this links his birth origin on the earthly stage, the purpose of Bethlehem, and ultimately a role for Messiah as a sacrifice for all of us who accept His grace provided through His sacrifice for us. The typical sacrifice of a lamb "covered sin" for a year. It was not an everlasting solution to sin.
With Messiah, the need for the temporary efficacy of the sacrifice of a lamb was commuted to a decision by us who receive His once and for all time sacrifice. Life is in the blood of the lamb and in the Lamb of God, His blood shed for us ... that we may be freed of sin and have a relationship with Him, now and for ever. The parallel between the Temple practice of sacrifice and what Yeshua did ...meant there was no longer a need for lambs and the Temple as was the case before He came. His departure, for a time, does not remove the efficacy of His sacrifice and we all can make the decision to recognize how His gesture is an invitation for all who will receive Him.
Those today who seek to rebuild the Temple have missed their Messiah ... but will they come to know Him soon ... ? The Bible speaks to this question, for evidently some will build others will see Him and be part of the Jewish remnant that will be present when He comes again.
