Bethlehem

I had another interesting and fun day as I took a taxi to Bethlehem which is in the west bank and is today a Palestinian town. There were a couple of army checkpoints and I had to take my passport with. I wanted to see the birthplace of Jesus as this is one of the best authenticated sites in all of Israel. It got very interesting when I wanted to leave the west bank to go back to Jerusalem. When we stopped at the checkpoint, I showed the Israeli soldier my passport and after examining my passport for several seconds he wanted to know where my visa was? "Visa, what visa?" I asked...he was adamant that I needed a visa...I protested and finally the matter went to his supervisor who told him that I didn't need a visa...and all was well with the world. For a moment I thought here I am stuck in Palestine!
Background...




There is a church built on the supposed site of Jesus's birth, called the Church of the Nativity.
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2)
Bethlehem is about 9 kilometres south of Jerusalem just off the main road to Hebron and Egypt. The town of Bethlehem is mentioned frequently in the Bible. Its location became sacred when Jacob buried his beloved wife Rachel by the road side near the entrance to Bethlehem. (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). It is possible that Salma, the son of Caleb, built the first Jewish settlement there (1 Chronicles 2:51). The town and surrounding fields also feature prominently in the romantic love story of Ruth and Boaz who became the great-grandparents of David (Ruth 1; 2:4; 4:11). The town grew in prominence when Samuel anointed the shepherd boy David, to be king of Israel there (1 Samuel 16:4-13). By New Testament times Bethlehem had come to be known as 'The town of David' (Luke 2:4,11).
Around 700 B.C. the prophet Micah predicted that someone greater than David would be born in Bethlehem whose origins, incredibly, would be earlier than his human birth (Micah 5:2). When the Magi came from the East searching for the one to be born king of the Jews, Herod consulted with the chief priests and biblical scholars, who it seems knew full well the significance of Micah's prophecy (Luke 2:1-8; John 7:42).
Bethlehem is therefore unique. It is the place where Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, entered our world and became a human being. It is hard to comprehend the wonder and enormity of this fact. Words cannot improve on the declaration of the angels to the shepherds, "Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11).
Faith Lesson...




To enter the church one must first stoop low below the lintel. Now I know what you are thinking...it cant be that low, only really tall people must stoop, but no...even I had to stoop! (this current entrance was designed in the 16th century to protect the worshippers from attack by hostile Muslim neighbors.) But isn't that what Jesus did when He came to earth? Humbled Himself for our sake...




The tallest must stoop the furthest, only children can enter without bending down.
What a lesson in humility.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. (Matthew 18:1-4 GNT)

Incidentally, in Hebrew, Bethlehem means 'The house of bread'. How appropriate that the One who said "I am the Bread of Life" should be born in the house of bread. On another occasion Jesus said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." (John 6:54-55). Let us indeed feed on Him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
- Posted from my iPad

Location:ג'ורג' וושינגטון,Jerusalem,Israel