The Beauty of Bethlehem.
I’ve been captivated by Bethlehem lately, studying and reflecting on this seemingly insignificant town that God chose to cradle the Savior of the world. Why Bethlehem? Why this small, unassuming blip on the map, home to outcasts and shepherds?
As I delved deeper, the answer became clear: it had to be Bethlehem.
Jesus wasn’t born in Rome, the center of political power in His day. He didn’t arrive in Athens, where intellect and philosophy flourished, or in Jerusalem, the heart of Israel’s religion and history. He wasn’t born in any place the world would deem significant.
Instead, He came into the world in Bethlehem—a humble town that reveals so much about His mission and character. Follow along as we explore the beauty and purpose behind this remarkable choice.
Bethlehem sat five miles outside of Jerusalem and was home to a community of shepherds. While glorified in our Christmas nativities, shepherds were outcasts. Because they were always watching the sheep, they could not take place in the ceremonial cleansing in the temple and were considered dirty and inferior by the religious elite. (Remember back in the Book of Samuel? David was a shepherd and was forgotten by his family when Samuel came to anoint the next king. See 1 Samuel 16:1-3)
"And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." (Micah 5:2)
God foreordained, through the prophet Micah, this insignificant and forgotten place because it resembled the character of His Son.
Bethlehem Reveals Jesus’ Character.
He was born in a place that reflected His character. “I am lowly and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Isaiah described Him as having “no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). Bethlehem, small and overlooked, was a perfect mirror of the Savior it welcomed.
He wouldn’t have been born amidst the grandeur of Rome, for He was “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3).
He wouldn’t have entered the world under the intellectual superiority of Athens, because this Rabbi taught in simple parables so all could understand.
Nor would He have come in the religious pomp of Jerusalem, burdened by tradition, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).
It had to be Bethlehem. Because He is Bethlehem—humble, unassuming, and full of grace for the outcasts. And, in a way, so are we.
We Are Bethlehem.
We are not Rome, neither powerful nor famous.
We are not Athens, highly esteemed or intellectual giants.
We are not Jerusalem; we will never be ceremoniously pure.
We are Bethlehem . . .
The place where outcasts live.
The place no one desires.
The place of insignificance.
But because we are Bethlehem, He can be born in us.
Because we are Bethlehem, He can be born in us.
The proud and powerful often dismiss Him.
The intellectual giants struggle to comprehend Him.
The religious think they know Him, yet their hearts remain closed to His presence.
But Bethlehem…
He can do something with Bethlehem's people. He can work through humble, open hearts that yearn for Him. He can transform a Bethlehem heart, taking the insignificant, the outcast, and the forgotten and giving them purpose. He reveals Himself to those whose cry is to embrace Him, worship Him, and love Him simply for who He is.
He speaks to Bethlehem-lives because they are willing to listen and obey. They hear the angel’s words with open hearts: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Bethlehem reminds us that the King of Kings does not seek palaces or thrones. He comes to those who are ready to make room for Him. May our hearts forever be like Bethlehem—humble, open, and longing for the Savior.
We all have moments when we feel insignificant, inferior, or simply not good enough. In those moments, remember this: you are Bethlehem. God has chosen to reside inside of you. Can you grasp the wonder of that? The God of all creation, the Alpha and the Omega, has CHOSEN to make His home in you!
It’s in the humility of a Bethlehem-life that God does His most extraordinary work. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”(Proverbs 3:34). It had to be Bethlehem, my friend, because we are Bethlehem. And I am humbled and honored to be the place where He abides.
