Notes of Faith December 9, 2024
The House of Bread
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
John 7:42
The most popular name for cities and towns in the United States is Washington. Eighty-eight times, the nation’s first President has been memorialized in city names.1 So when someone says they are from Washington, it’s completely legitimate to ask, “Which one?”
The same question might have been asked in biblical times if someone said they were from Bethlehem since there were two. One was in the north in the Galilee region (Joshua 19:15). The other was six miles southwest of Jerusalem in the land of the tribe of Judah. Bethlehem in Judah was the home of the family of Jesse, one of whose sons, David, became the second king of Israel. Thus, Bethlehem was eventually known as the “City of David.” When Caesar instituted a census, Joseph—a descendant of David—took his pregnant wife, Mary, to Bethlehem to register. While there, Jesus was born, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2.
In Hebrew, Bethlehem meant “house of bread.” How fitting that the One who was the Bread of Life was born in the “house of bread” (John 6:48).
The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.
Ralph W. Sockman
1. “Most Common City Names in the US,” World Atlas.
Luke 2:15
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."
God reveals Himself to mankind! Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” We may not have seen Jesus with our physical eyes but we have seen Him with our spiritual eyes! We know God through the faith given us to believe in Jesus…who He is, and what He has done, is doing and promises to do. Faith is the Victory that overcomes the world!. Be blessed this Christmas season as you focus on what really matters…your relationship with God!
Pastor Dale