Why Bethlehem?

Matthew 2:1a

It has become an important part of the Christmas story: That Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, in the southern part of Israel which was called Judea. We learn about it in Christmas church plays and quite often during one of the Advent sermons during the season. We are told about how Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary had to travel from their home in Galilee because Caesar Augustus ordered a census of all the world, forcing everyone to go to the city of their family lineage. (Luke 2:1-5) But why Bethlehem, a city of little significance? What made this area so special that it was chosen by God to be the scene for the birth of His only begotten Son?

We know that God chose Bethlehem based on the words of the prophet Micah spoken around 700 years before Jesus’ birth:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.”

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

As a prophet, Micah was delivering a message that came directly from God, with the early chapters of the Book of Micah speaking of God’s judgment on Israel and Judah. By chapter 5, Micah describes the coming restoration of the people which includes the birth of, “The One to be Ruler in Israel,...”: One ordained to be the savior of us all. As a representative of God, Micah is letting us know that God chose Bethlehem long before Jesus’ birth, shining a spotlight of importance on the City of David.

Before moving on, let me acknowledge that in the Old Testament the City of David was Jerusalem, whereas in the New Testament it is Bethlehem. Jerusalem became the City of David after King David conquered it, taking it from the Jebusites as described in 2 Samuel 5:6-9. According to verse 5 of the same chapter, King David ruled over Israel and Judah with Jerusalem as his capital city for 33 of his 40 years as king. Bethlehem, located just south of Jerusalem (according to Britannica.com), was near the area where David was born and grew up. It was also near where David was anointed king (1 Samuel 16). As the city of his birth it is easy to see why Bethlehem might be called the City of David just like its cousin to the north.

According to a number of sources the word Bethlehem comes from Bet Lehem in the Hebrew language, which means “House of Bread.” The writers at Biblestudytools.com believe this is due to the climate of the area which helped it constantly have bountiful harvests. For Christians the name is an instant reminder of Jesus describing Himself as the bread of life in John 6:35. The “House of Bread” was also an area where the sacrificial lambs were raised for use in the temple in Jerusalem according to a number of sources. And here we are reminded that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), set apart to be sacrificed for all of our sins. So there was quite a bit of significance to Bethlehem being the city of Jesus’ birth.

Why Bethlehem? By God’s divine authority and perfect will, the insignificant farming community became one of the most significant towns on earth. Its name and history would foreshadow the One who  came to save us all from our sins. Bethlehem: the City of David, the House of Bread and most important, the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that is why we talk about Bethlehem every year at Christmas.