As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold, As with joy they hailed its light, onward beaming bright. So most gracious, O Lord, may we evermore be led to Thee. As with joyful steps they sped, Savior to Thy lowly There to bend the knee before Thee Whom heaven and earth adore So may we with willing feet Ever seek the mercy seat As they offer gifts most rare At thy cradle, rude and bare So may we with holy joy Pure and free from sin's alloy All our costliest treasures bring Christ to thee, our heavenly King In the heavenly country bright, Need they no created light? Thou its light, its joy, its crown, Thou its sun, which goes not dawn, There forever we will sing, Hallelujah as to our King. A sign shall be given A virgin will conceive A human baby bearing on Diminished deity The glory of the nations A light for all to see That hope for all who will embrace His warm reality Emmanuel Our God is with us God is with us. Who could stand against us? Our God is with us, Emmanuel. In the shadow of death, a glorious light has dawned. For all those who stumble in the darkness, behold, your light has come. Emmanuel, our God is with us. If God is with us, who could stand against us? Our God is with us, Emmanuel. So what will be your answer? Oh, will you hear the call of Him who did not spare His Son, but gave Him for us all? On earth there is no power, there is no depth or height that could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ. If God is with us, who could stand against us? Our God is with us, Emmanuel. Emmanuel Our God is with us If God is with us Who could stand against us Our God is with us Emmanuel We do appreciate God's servant and his ministry with us tonight, Emmanuel, God with us. What a blessing that is. And for those who know Christ within now, someday we will be with Him because He has come to live in us. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Emmanuel, what a precious name that truly is. What a precious title it is. I trust that God will be with us even over this period of time. We warmly welcome you in our Savior's name. We thank you for coming. Lovely to have you here. in the house of God it is the Lord's day and we're so glad that you've come made the effort to be in the house of God this evening and any visitors that are our number we welcome you thank you for joining with us even this evening. We'll make the announcements not that many to make with this being a holiday week tomorrow Being Christmas Day, we trust that the Lord will bless you as you gather with family, friends, whoever you gather with. We trust the Lord will bless you and we would say to you, may God richly bless you even tomorrow and in the days that lie ahead. Let's keep the Savior at the heart of all we do. It would be a terrible tragedy if we say that we worship the Christ and then He has no place in our hearts and no place in all that we will do in coming days. Wednesday night we'll meet for prayer, God willing, here in the church 8 to 9. We encourage you to come along, come with a prayerful heart, prayerful spirit, and we want to just close out 2023 in the place of prayer and just give that hour over to the Lord on Wednesday evening. So we encourage you to come along. Friday night, God willing, young people, the Youth Fellowship, they're going to the Laverty home around seven o'clock for a night of fellowship. As I said, we were glad to have them on Friday night at our home, or at the Manse, and a good night was had by all, and I trust that you'll have a good night, God willing, this Friday night in the will of God. Next Lord's Day is New Year's Eve, the last day of the year. We'll close it out in the house of God. 10.45, our Sunday School Bible Class will have Our family worship service at 12 noon, 3.30, the gospel open air service. Our brother, Mr. Brown, will bring the word of God there. 6.30, the gospel service. Take the form of a testimony meeting. Our brother, Mr. Robert Bell, will be along. I'll be bringing a closing and a concluding message. And then we come again to God's house at 11 o'clock for our annual watch night service. We trust that you'll make that effort. Do make that effort to come and to join with us. Let's have God's house well filled. God willing next Lord's Day evening at 11 for a watch night service we say goodbye to 2023 we welcome in the year 2024 in the will of God and that service will conclude just after 12 PM or AM, whatever it is. I'll not remember anyway, but it's around that time. Midnight, yes, just after midnight. I'll use that term with regard to that. Do avail yourself of the free offering envelopes. If you do, if your number is out there, if you don't then see our treasurer at some point. The deputation offering open for our brother, Mr. Chris Killen. And what a deputation meeting that was on Wednesday night. I believe the Lord touched all of our hearts. as we see the reality of what sin has done to our nation and this particular sin that God's servant is involved in. So do remember that offering if you can give generously, we would appreciate that. And then as we said this morning, we do extend our Christian sympathies to Mrs. Edna Kennedy and the passing of her brother, Her brother, Mr. Tom Christie. I mentioned a name, Jim. It's not Jim, it's Tom. Mr. Tom Christie, he lived in Canada. He was 95 years of age, and that man has gone into eternity. And so pray for Mrs. Kennedy at this time in the passing of her brother. and remember all those who are sick and unwell and those who have been bereaved in the last year and in previous years. The passing of time does not take away the pain of not having a loved one around the family table and we're remembering you all and we do remember you and sincerely on our Christmas day we do remember those who have lost loved ones and our hearts go out to you and sometime it will be our family And it'll be our grief and it'll be our sorrow. And so we enter into your sorrow and we stand with you and we're praying for you even in these days. Let's take the hymn book and turn to the hymn number 78. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. This hymn was written by Philip Brooks. He left to the United States of America during the Civil War and went to Israel. And on Christmas Eve, he spent it in Bethlehem. There was a service at 10 o'clock that night. That service went through to 3 a.m. in the morning. And as he made his way back to Jerusalem on Christmas morning, he looked back in to the little town of Bethlehem, and he wrote these words as a poem for his Sunday school class in America. And so we're singing a poem that was written many years ago by Philip Brooks for his Sunday school class, O Little Town of Bethlehem. How still we see thee lie above the deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. Let's stand and worship God, the hymn number 78. O little child of heav'nly heaven, how still we see thee The hopes and fears of all the years are readily denied. of what we are. O holy skies, together, proclaim the Holy Ghost, and praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? We'll turn to Luke chapter 2, Luke's gospel chapter 2. We'll take the reading from the opening verse. I suppose we could almost recite these passages, but may we not lose the wonder of it all as we come to read of our Savior's coming into the world. Luke chapter 2, verse 1, it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria and all, went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, unto Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, The days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And though the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the bee abrapt in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, The angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherds said one to another, let us now go even on to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made it known abroad the same, which was told them concerning this child. Amen, and we'll just end our reading at the verse 17, and we'll just take a moment just to still our hearts, just to pray. Seek the Lord, you pray, that God will help the preacher tonight. Loving Father, we thank you for all that has pertained to this meeting, the worship of thy people unto thee, and Lord, the singing of praise. We've joined the angels, Lord, we sing your praise. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. Lord, we pray now as we come around the Word, as we consider the incarnate Word in the Word, we pray that the Word will be a blessing, a challenge, that some freshness will come with it as it is preached in the Spirit. Come now and fill this preacher, I pray, Lord, by the Spirit, for I offer prayer in and through our Savior's precious name. Amen and amen. The place of one's birth is a most significant detail when it comes to any of our lives. So significant is that detail that it's found recorded on every birth certificate, not only in the United Kingdom, but I'm sure in every birth certificate in the world, along with details like our full name, our sex, the date of birth, and details concerning our parents, their names, and their occupation. I was born in the Mid Ulster Hospital in Macrafelt County, Londonderry. Now I freely acknowledge that my birth in Macrafelt has had no significance to world history whatsoever. The events that happened in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago has undoubtedly changed the entire course of world history. It was Bethlehem in Judea that the Son of God would be born. As well, you know, the birthplace of our Savior was a location that had already been prescribed by God hundreds of years before the event actually took place. It was that little prophet, not little by stature, but little as in length with regard to his prophecy. It was Micah the prophet who would write in Micah chapter 5 verse 2, But thou Bethlehem Atharath, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me, he that is to be ruler of Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. How Joseph and Mary came to be in Bethlehem the night of the Savior's birth is, I believe, an example of the providence of God outworking itself in the lives of a God-fearing couple. You see, this couple, they lived in the city of Nazareth. However, a Roman emperor by the name of Caesar Augustus had issued an edict that required all who live within his realm to be taxed, to be enrolled, to be registered. There was a stipulation, however, within that process of taxing that would require every meal to be taxed in the hometown of family birth, along with their wives and their dependents. For Joseph and his heavenly pregnant wife, that meant a journey of some 90 miles from Nazareth in the north of Israel to the little town of Bethlehem in the south, because Joseph he could trace his lineage all the way back to King David and Bethlehem was a town of David a shepherd boy look informs us in the verse 6 and 7 of this chapter it was that while they were there speaking of Bethlehem while they were in Bethlehem, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Soon the shepherds will come in from the fields surrounding Bethlehem to behold the wondrous mystery, to behold the infinite who made the heavens, now lying as an infant with his head on the hay. I want us to consider the biblical significance of the place where the Lord Jesus Christ was born because it wasn't Hebron. It wasn't Emmaus. It wasn't Nain. Neither was it Sychar. It wasn't the port of Caesarea. Neither was it the capital city of Jerusalem. But it was Bethlehem. Why Bethlehem? Why Bethlehem? There must be a reason why Bethlehem. And I want to suggest to you that there is. I want us to trace really the events and really trace with respect to references concerning Bethlehem. And I want to draw out a number of gospel lessons from our observations tonight. And so I've entitled my message tonight, Let Us Know go even on to Bethlehem they are the words of the shepherds having heard the angelic messengers they said let us now go even on to Bethlehem now the law first mentioned one of those laws that Bible commentators and preachers and pastors they use really to come to an understanding of a particular word or a particular doctrine that they find in the Word of God. We go back to the place of first mention the law first mention and as we go back to that place we then come to study it out we come to glean certain truths that we find concerning that word or that particular doctrine and so it is with regard to this time the town of Bethlehem we need to go to the very first reference for those lessons for us to learn so take the word and turn to Genesis chapter 35, the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis chapter 35. And we're going to spend a little time here in Genesis chapter 35. Now this chapter, to give you the setting of it, the context of it, Jacob has been away from home. His brother and him didn't get along. That happens in families. Jacob has stolen the birthright and he's been mommy's favorite. and there's been a conflict in the home and Jacob has left home and he went to his uncle Laban's house and he got married there he found himself a bride well he actually found two brides there with regard to Laban cheating him with respect first of all to the sister Leah that he married and then he will come to marry Rachel and now they're on the way back home again the journey back to the house, the family home, the homestead. And here we find that as they make their way back again, that Rachel is heavily pregnant with their second son, their second child. Joseph has already been born, and now they come to have, or she is about to have her second son, to Jacob. This woman who had been born for so long, God has given to her as another son. Something happens on the journey. Rachel goes into labor. The Bible says that she goes into hard labor. It seems to suggest that there is a difficulty in the pregnancy. There seems to be a difficulty in the giving of the birth and the birthing process. So much so that what happens is as Rachel is giving birth to the son, that she dies in the process of it, or just after she gives birth to Benjamin. And it all happens at a little place called Ephrath. A place that will be later called Bethlehem. Let's read the account from verse 16. And they journeyed from Bethel And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not. Fear not. Isn't that interesting? Those words will be heard again. Where? Bethlehem. The angels will say those words, Fear not. The angel will say, fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy. And here we have the first mention of Bethlehem. Fear not, she said, thou shalt also have this son also. It came to pass, as her soul was in departing, for she died. What I want you to notice is that the first time that Bethlehem is mentioned in Scripture, it is connected with the death of a much-loved individual. The death of a much-loved individual. How different it is whenever we come then into the New Testament. It's a completely different picture. It's between night and day. It's the complete opposite, the antithesis of what happens the first mention. Now think about the first mention in the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, there is the talk or there is a mention of the death of someone that is much loved. But in the New Testament, or as we come into the New Covenant, we find here that the image is all about life. Because the first mention of Bethlehem in the New Testament is found in Matthew 2, verse 1, where we read, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. So Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem. But who is Jesus Christ? He is the way, the truth and the life. according to John chapter 14. He is the resurrection and the life according to John 11 verse 24. In him was life and the life was the light of men according to John 1 and the verse number 4. And so what I want you to see is that the place of death under the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant became the place of life under the New Covenant, under the New Testament. What a picture that is of the gospel. Death reigned by one man, the old covenant, covenant of works, but Christ came in with a better covenant. Christ came in to bring life, and by His death, by His death, He purchased eternal life for those who trust in Him. And so we find this dear woman, this woman Rachel, dying at Bethlehem. You know, Rachel's death at Bethlehem reminds us of something. It reminds us that we're all going to die. But the Bible is silent as to how old Rachel was. Jewish scholars and rabbis, they would believe that Rachel was somewhere between the ages of 36 and 45. Regardless of what age you take, Rachel was obviously then a relatively young woman whenever she died, especially whenever you come to remember that her husband, Jacob, is going to die at 147. If that is the age span and probably was at that period of time in world history, men living to a good ripe old age, then we find comparatively that Rachel was only simply in the spring of life when she came to die. It is a reminder to us all that you do not have to be old to die. You think of the road traffic accidents that sadly take some of our young people and some of the brightest of our land out into eternity? What if that was to happen to you, sinner? What if death was to come tonight and take you out into eternity? Do you think that death is concerned that tomorrow is Christmas Day? Some family, their loved one will not wake tomorrow. Maybe some young person will not come home tonight. They went out into the world to enjoy Christmas Eve and maybe a drink with their friends, and they'll not make it home tonight. I fear that there are people, maybe there's one such person, and you plan to go out into eternity on, and I coin a phrase here on a wing and a prayer, Listen to me, you need to go out to meet God on a more solid foundation than a wing and a prayer. You need to go out into eternity knowing that all is well with your soul. You need to go out into eternity knowing that your sins have been pardoned, and your sins have been cleansed, and you've been forgiven, and that you're reconciled to God, and that you're at peace with God, and that you're right with God. I tell you sinner, you need to go out into eternity more than on a wing and a prayer. For some people in this meeting tonight, I don't know how I'm going to bury you. I hope that shocks you. I hope that sends a shock right into the very core of your being tonight. I, as your minister, do not know how I'm going to bury you. Does that trouble you? Does that trouble you? It ought to. I, who have known you for 10 years now, I do not know how I'm going to bury you, but I'll give you this guarantee. I will tell no lies at your funeral. I'll guarantee that. I will not bury you a Christian. I will not bury you a Christian. you who have no saving interest in Jesus Christ. And let me say this, what I do not say at your funeral might be as significant as what I do say. What I do not say. Here's a young woman What a tragedy it was as she comes to give birth. But let's linger in this chapter for a few moments because there are little glimpses, little glimpses. Now the type, can I say it's not a perfect type here? But let me draw out a few, a few glimpses that we get of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first glimpse that we get of our Savior, Another individual that was born in Bethlehem, associated with this place, this place we're thinking about Bethlehem, first glimpse is seen in Rachel's name. Her name means ewe, not Y-O-U, but E-W-U. Now those who are sheep farmers, you all know what a ewe is, a female sheep, a ewe. In Bethlehem, You could put it like this, a sheep, or if we look at it with regard to her age, and the age of a sheep, what do we call a young sheep? We call a young sheep a lamb, a lamb. A lamb died, and when did she die? She died as she revealed. She died as she revealed in birth to bring another to life. Now, admittedly, it's only a fleeting glance, only a fleeting glimpse. Do you not see in that detail Jesus Christ, the perfect, pure, holy Lamb of God, travailing in birth in order that He might bring sinners from death to life? Isaiah writes these words, He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before shears is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. The lamb dies in order to bring life. Rachel gave her life so that her offspring would live. It's the gospel in Genesis chapter 35. I wonder, is that life yours tonight? Eternal, everlasting life. I wonder, is that life yours tonight? Now, we'll get another glimpse of the Savior, and that is now in Benjamin's names. And I use the plural, names, because he's given two names. As Rachel is dying, she calls him Benoni. However, Jacob, his father, he calls him by a different name. He calls him Benjamin. So this child, it has got two names, and there's significance in that. Number one, the name Benoni, do you know what it means? Son of my sorrow. In Bethlehem, the son of my sorrow was born. Jesus Christ is described by the evangelical prophet Isaiah as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He would say prior to his death on the cross, my soul is exceeding sorrowful even on to death. From his lonely manger to his shameful death bed on the cross, the man of sorrows ate the bread of adversity and he drank the water off affliction. And yet the sorrow that he passed through would secure our joy, because by his death he secured eternal redemption for his people. Bethlehem is associated with the son of my sorrow. But he got another name, and the other name is Benjamin, and that name means son of my right hand. Having died for sin, the Lord Jesus I speak of here, having died for sin and fulfilled all that was required for our salvation. Jesus Christ was exalted to the Father's right hand. We thought about that this morning. Speaking of the Son of God, the writer to the Hebrews, he said, Who being in the brightness of His glory and the expressed image of His person, and withholding all things by the word of His power, when He had Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty and High, in Bethlehem the Son of my right hand was born. Bethlehem, the son of my sorrow was renamed the son of my right hand. And praise God, the son of God's sorrows are now over, as he has been exalted to heaven's highest place. No longer is he the son of sorrow, but he is the son at God's right hand. Speaking about God's right hand, let me ask you, will you be found at his right hand when the sheep are separated from the goats on the day of judgment? We thought about that this morning. Have you a saving acquaintance with the one who sits at the Father's right hand? Do you know Christ? Have you been reconciled to God through the work of Christ the Redeemer? These are questions that you need to ask yourself tonight. Just in passing, Did you notice that regarding in our reading, whenever Jacob buried his wife in Bethlehem, he did something. Look there at verse 20. It says, and Jacob set a pillar upon her grave, and that is the pillar of Rachel's grave until this day. You see, for Jacob, that pillar in Bethlehem would act as a perpetual reminder with regard to the day that her beloved died. Beloved, God has given us a memorial whereby we come to remember the death of our beloved, the beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that memorial is not a pillar of stone, it's called the Lord's Table. We remember him at his table in the emblems of bread and wine. We recall to our minds all that the Son of God did for us at the cross of Calvary. And so there we find the first mention, Bethlehem, but it comes and appears again. The town of Bethlehem makes another appearance, this time in the book of Judges. Judges chapter number 12. Judges 12 and the verses 8 through to 10. Because after the judge Jephnath died, we're told in Judges chapter 12, verse 8 through to 10, and after him, Abzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had 30 sons and 30 daughters whom he sent abroad and took in 30 daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Abzan and was buried in Bethlehem. This was one of Israel's judges who came from Bethlehem. His name means splendid. Note that in your mind. There is a close connection with the town of Bethlehem with a splendid judge. Friends, Jesus Christ has been appointed as the judge of all men by His Father. God the Father, according to John chapter 5 verse 22, has committed all judgment onto His Son. God appointed a day in which he will judge the world and righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained wherefore he hath given assurance unto all men and that he had raised him from the dead Bethlehem is connected with a splendid judge and Christ is the judge of all men there is a time coming My unconverted friend, that God will in the most public and in the most solemn of manner, that he will judge the entire human race by that splendid judge that is his own dear son, Jesus Christ. Let me ask you on that day, what will be your plea? Upon what grounds do you, a sinner, hope to gain heaven? Can I tell you that the only plea that will prevail with the judge on that day, the only grounds by which you'll come to enter heaven, is Jesus' blood and righteousness. This is all my hope and plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Is that going to be your plea when you stand before the judge of all men? The little town of Bethlehem makes another appearance in the time of the judges when every man did that which was right in his own eyes. You see, Bethlehem was the home of Elimelech, of Naomi, of Malon, and Chilion. That four-member family unit would leave Bethlehem during a famine that had come to Israel. After a hiatus of some 20 years in the land of Moab, only one member of that original four, Naomi, returned to Bethlehem, this time accompanied with her Moabite-esque daughter-in-law Ruth and Toad. It would be in Bethlehem that these two widows came to experience the kindness of a Bethlehemite, a man by the name of Boaz, a relative of Naomi. As Ruth will glean in the fields, the harvest fields at the time of barley harvest, she gleans in the part that belongs to Boaz. Boaz sees her and, well, all we can say is the rest is history. They fall in love with one another, Boaz with Ruth and Ruth with Boaz. However, before Boaz can marry Ruth, there's some legal matters that need to be all tied up. For the law stipulated that a close relative had the right to purchase a field that Naomi was now selling. The closest relative at the gate of the city, he's initially interested in the purchase. However, when he's reminded that he's going to have to redeem everything that belonged to Limelight, including Ruth, well, he's just not so keen. And so he forfeits his right under the law. He forfeits his right. And that right comes to one who is going to show grace. Because now Boaz can step in, in grace. Where the law has failed, Boaz steps in in grace. In Bethlehem, this man associated with Bethlehem, and he does something, he pays the price of redemption. And as a result of paying the price of the redemption, something happens. A union takes place between Boaz and Ruth in the covenant of marriage. Boaz effectively becomes Ruth's kinsman redeemer. What a beautiful picture it is of the gospel, once again, of Jesus Christ. You see, the law cannot redeem us. The law is impotent. The law cannot redeem man. And yet someone comes in. One comes in in grace. One who is able to redeem. One who is able and has met the demands of the law. One who has upheld the law of God. And one who is able and willing to pay the price of redemption. And he unites us to himself in covenant union. That one. is the infant who lay in Bethlehem's manger, Jesus Christ. In the book of Ruth, Bethlehem is a place that now comes to be associated with redemption by a Kinsman Redeemer, pointing us to the Christ of God who is our Kinsman Redeemer, who by his death has purchased for us eternal redemption. Now in that marriage, God blesses that marriage, and in that marriage, a child is born. The child's name is Obed. Obed will marry and have a son in his marriage. His name is Jesse. Jesse marries, and he has a son, and one of his sons is called David. By the time we come to read about David in 1st Samuel 16, we find that the family home is still in Bethlehem. I suppose they're like many of us, we don't really move far from home. Well, they didn't move. You think of the generations, the number of generations. Ruth and Boaz, they stay in Bethlehem. Obed stays in Bethlehem. Jesse stays in Bethlehem. David's still found in Bethlehem. It's like the family place. Like one of those places you go in and everybody's related and you don't say anything. Well that was a bit like there, Bethlehem. You don't fall out with Jesse and his sons. Everybody knows him, everybody's related to them. Well, here they are. And David is the shepherd of Bethlehem. He tends his flocks in Bethlehem's fields. 1 Samuel 17, 15 tells us that David went and returned from Saul, having spent some time in the royal palace. What to do? To feed the father's sheep at Bethlehem. And so we find here at Bethlehem, now there's another mention. Here we're now at David, in the year of David, and we're seeing here that Bethlehem is now associated with a shepherd who is going to be anointed, who is going to become king. The anointed shepherd king. David's greater son, Jesus Christ, did not become king like David did. David became king, but Jesus Christ was born king. The wise men will say that, where is he that is born king of the Jews? And eventually those wise men there directed to Bethlehem where they come to pay homage to the king of kings. And so we find now in the days of David that we find this place, Bethlehem, associated with kinship and royalty, not only in the days of David but also in the days of Jesus Christ. The shepherd king came from Bethlehem. Christ is the great, the good, the chief shepherd. He is the king of glory. He is the one who came from Bethlehem. Is David's greater son? Is he your king? He is king, but is he your king? Have you come under the reign of him who today is crowned with glory and honor? If not, let me encourage you to do that just now. Sinner, do not end this year in the same spiritual state as you entered this year. Come to Christ. Believe on Him. Believe on Him to the salvation of your soul. I say this matter of your soul's salvation. It needs to be settled. Now, are you listening to me? It needs to be settled at some point in your life, does it not? Well, why not tonight? Why not now? Why not Christmas Eve 2023? It has to be settled some point, sinner. Why not tonight? In closing with this thought, time is gone. You know the name Bethlehem, it means house of bread. That's so familiar to us all. That's significant. The Lord Jesus Christ would say this about himself in John 6, 51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The living bread comes down from heaven to the house of bread. Note that the Lord Jesus Christ, note how he speaks of the bread. He speaks of the bread, did you notice how he speaks of it? You can look at it later on, John 6, 51. Let me read it again. Could we say that Bethlehem was the house of bread, or could we put it like this, the house of flesh? That's how Christ, it's like synonymous, bread and flesh. Could we say that? Some Bible commentators do. The house of bread was the house of flesh, and the Word was made flesh. dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace." Why did Christ, why did the eternal Son become flesh? He became flesh so that he might die in the flesh on the cross of Calvary. We had sinned in the flesh. And so he takes our flesh, a sinless humanity, and yet a flesh nonetheless. He dies so that he might be crucified. He takes to himself flesh and blood according to Hebrews 2 verse 14, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the devil. He takes flesh. Have you come to trust in the work of Christ? he did for you in the flesh when he died in the cross was he dying there for your sins do you see in his sufferings a payment of your sins i trust you do whenever we come to the earthly ministry of the lord jesus christ the focus moves from bethlehem to jerusalem the last reference in the new testament to bethlehem is john 7 verse 42 And it's really referring back to what happened to Christ when he was born. And so Bethlehem, it fades from our view. Bethlehem is left behind. Why does Bethlehem fade out of the picture? I suggest that as important as what happened in Bethlehem was, the greatest work that Christ did was at the hill called Calvary, just outside the city walls of Jerusalem. Not Bethlehem, but Jerusalem. That in no way diminishes from the incarnation, but it was at the cross where redemption's price was paid. I trust tonight finds you there at the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away, the burden of sin. It was there by faith that I received by sight and now I'm happy every day. Get to the cross. Get to Calvary. May God, in his good mercy, bring you to himself, and may God be pleased to bless these devotional meditations to your heart tonight concerning Bethlehem. Why Bethlehem? Could I suggest that these are maybe some of the reasons why, because of its association In the past, Bethlehem was the right place for Christ to be born. Let us now go even on to Bethlehem, but let us now go even on to Calvary, and there find your Savior. suffering there for you. May God be pleased to bless His Word. Let's bow our heads in prayer. We appreciate you listening tonight. Just let's seek the Lord. If I can help you, don't go home without the Savior. Take them with you in your heart and life and make this Christmas the best that you have ever experienced. Our loving Father, our gracious God, how glad we are that we've heard thy word and we've heard thy voice and we've been instructed in the things of God tonight. We thank thee for this little place, the least of all of the places in the land. And yet thou didst choose that little insignificant town in which the Christ would be born. We bless thee for his coming and the purpose for which he came. They all enter in to that and the experience of what Christ did when he suffered and bled and died for our sins upon the tree. Answer prayer and part us with thy blessing and may the blessing of the triune Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with us all, until we meet again, if not around, O God, the word and earth, around the incarnate word, and heaven itself, for the Lamb is all the glory in Emmanuel's land. Hear our cries, for we pray these, our prayers, in and through the Savior's precious name. Amen. Thank you. do do