Prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Fulfillment that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
Matthew 2:1-6
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “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.”
John 7:42 also confirms the fulfillment of the prophecy of the location of Jesus birth:
“…. Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
Matthew 2 and Luke 2 tell the Christmas story. Each offers valuable information that helps us piece the story together.
When I read the part of the grief the wise men caused by coming, my first thought is, "Really, God? You brought wise men to Herod so he would try to kill your Messiah?" But as quickly as that thought formulates, another emerges. All that happened was to fulfill prophecy. One of the other quirks of Jesus' prophetic fulfillment of every detail of ancient prophecy was that in addition to being from obscure Nazareth and being born in Bethlehem from the line of David, the root of Jesse, the tribe of Judah; he also had to be called out of Egypt.
After Jesus' birth, Mary and Joseph didn't head straight home. When the wise men found them, they were in a house. They stayed in Bethlehem until an angel told them to leave, following the wise men's visit. Mary and Joseph were poor. They would have had no resources to flee to Egypt once Jesus' identity was discovered by Herod - so God made a way for that to be possible. While the gifts had great spiritual significance, they had practical significance: they were valuable, and paid the way for Mary and Joseph to provide necessities for survival during their detour. Then, after Herod died an angel appeared once more and sent them home, and finally, when Jesus was past his toddler years, they finally made it back to Nazareth.
It makes me pause in awe at the sovereignty of God. Their circumstances had to terrify them in the natural. They had to pack up in the middle of the night and flee the nest they had made...but they didn't balk at doing what they were commanded to do. God chose the right earthly parents....
God has chosen us as well. He has a purpose for our lives. Everything that happens is within His knowing. He sees the big picture - where we are heading and how we are going to get there. Sometimes our path seems tortuous, even confusing. Egypt certainly was not on the route to get back to Nazareth. In fact, it was the opposite direction! But God had a plan. His plan was foretold by the prophets, and every jot and tittle of the plan had to be fulfilled. It was only by exact fulfillment that Jesus' identity as the Messiah could be proven through the ages. He was and is the great I AM. He is God incarnate. He came the first time as a little babe, to make us right with God; but the next time He comes it will be as the conquering hero the Jews anticipate, and His coming could be very, very soon! Again, the stage is being set. Prophecies from Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the Revelations to John are falling into place.
At this season, we look back to His first coming as the babe of Bethlehem 'Messiah' (when He set up His kingdom in human's hearts) and forward to the promised second coming when He will finally be acknowledged as the Messiah by everyone: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ) is Lord.
Isaiah 45:22-23
"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'...."
Philippians 2:10-11
...so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
(All scripture references are from the ESV.)
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