Fulfilled: Location of Jesus' Birth

Welcome to the radio ministry at Clearview church in Henderson. Marco is to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people. For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson or visit us online@clearviewbc.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor items their challenges in our United States with some really funny names really odd name some sure you come across some of them.

For example, there is accident Maryland. There is chicken Alaska.

There is cut and shoot Texas you can expect anything else from Texas and Barros at Minnesota experiment Georgia hope it worked out for them Frankenstein, Missouri. Here's a sad one is called Malone Wisconsin this morning. We got a look at another small town which was very insignificant when you look at the history of the world and even the history of the Bible. It was very insignificant compared to the Jerusalem or Athens a role this little town had no claim to fame except David, the king was from this town. The town is Bethlehem is a reminder that God uses even those insignificant places to bring a very significant gift into this world. If you have your Bibles with you, turn to Matthew chapter 2 starting in verse one. In a saucepan for the reading of God's work. Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judeo 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.

We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together. He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Where is the Messiah going to be born so this said to him in Bethlehem of Judeo for this. Thus it is written by the prophet. It was not random. It was not accidental that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. This was prophesied was the prophecy, verse six but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

The passage we just read has so many things that we can focus on their so many messages in just this one chapter 2 of the gospel of Matthew for our time sake. I would like to focus just on the significance of this little town of Bethlehem. It was the location that was prophesied. 800 years before the coming of Jesus 800 years before the coming of the Messiah and it fulfilled.

Listen to verse one again. Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judeo now there's a reason why Matthew specifies Bethlehem of Judeo because there is another Bethlehem to the north was the point.

The point is this. The Bible is not a fictitious book meadow by the church to control the masses.

The Lotta young people here this morning you been to colleges you heard professors get up and say things like the Bible is just a propaganda tool. The Bible has been used by the church to control the ignorant peoples. Those who need some kind of a support system in life is good for them but is filled with errors. It is filled with historical mistakes not true. I want you to understand very carefully that when you hear someone say that it is you're looking at a person who hasn't done their homework. You see, Matthew, and not just Matthew but riders throughout the Bible. They put these historical details to remind us that the Bible is the word of God. It is true you can trust it is not some myth and mint mythology. So what happens next. I just want to make that point and move on, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and the question was where is he who has been born king of the Jews. We have seen his star in the East and we have come to worship him. Now king of the Jews, meaning the son of David, the wise men did not even know what they were asking for if they were Persians didn't understand all those things. But this said something very significant.

They were saying, where is this person that has been promised and prophesied to the Jewish people know what was the reaction in Jerusalem.

If you look at verse three it says when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people he asked them where is Christ to be born so this said to him, where in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet for you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. So when Herod got his religious teachers together. He asked him the question.

Where is this one and this said no secret.

It is in Bethlehem of Judeo is in Bethlehem that's only 56 miles from here, by the way, this was not a secret we find that as well. In John chapter 7 verse 40 it says there from many from the crowd said. Truly this is the prophet. Other said this is the Christ, but some said will the Christ come out of Galilee. Galilee was to the north. Judeo was to the south. Jesus came down from Galilee, preaching and teaching the gospel and the question was is in the Messiah supposed to come from the South.

But Jesus is a Galilean see the people knew the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem of Judea in the South to listen to what is says has not.

The Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was the reason these people were saying that is because 800 years earlier. The prophet Micah had already prophesied that Jesus was going to come from Bethlehem of Judeo now who was Michael let me talk about Michael for a second and then I will move along Micah was a younger contemporary of Isaiah the prophet Micah preached to the southern kingdom of Judah. He was a prophet to them and just like Isaiah if you remember last weekend. He warned the people that it was foolish what they had done they had asked Assyria to the north of some of you may remember that last weekend how King Ahaz had called for help from Assyria to fight against the northern kingdom and Isaiah told him that's a dumb decision because once Assyria is done destroying the north Dirk on come after you. Micah is saying the same thing to them.

You have made a foolish decision. You have called Assyria. Once Assyria comes down destroys Syria and then Israel there coming after Judah and was going to happen.

They will destroy Jerusalem there will destroy your entire country and just the way Isaiah and Micah had prophesied. It happened, the Assyrians came down destroys Syria first, then the destroyed Israel the northern kingdom and kept on coming. In fact, I want you to hear what Micah says in chapter 3 verse nine. Listen to this.

He says here this you heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel who abhors justice and pervert all equity who build up Zion with bloodshed in Jerusalem with iniquity. Listen to what he says them.

Therefore, because of you. Zion shall be plowed like a field in Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins and the mountain of the temple, like the bear Hills of the forest. You know, any time you turn to someone or something other than God for help. Just know this.

They always have an ulterior purpose is only God who says I will help you and I would take advantage of you. When Ahaz called the Assyrians to come and help him. He didn't realize the Assyrians. Once they were done dealing with Ahaz's enemies there coming after Ahaz and there will destroy everything and just the way God promised and prophesied and worn through Micah did not. Isn't it amazing that in the midst of God's wrath.

There is mercy even in the midst of his judgment. There is whole someone to see what it says in Micah chapter 5 in verse two, God says, but you, Bethlehem is the Assyrian army is sitting outside of Jerusalem.

When Micah is saying these words, the Assyrian army is a ready to go in and destroy Jerusalem when Micah is saying these words be said but you, Bethlehem. If fraud or front a means another name for Bethlehem and ancient name for Bethlehem but you, Bethlehem.

If Rada 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 is like this. God is saying you call down the Assyrians there.

Here you already saw the damage they've done that they're about to destroy you as well.

But I tell you what, there's little hope in the town of Bethlehem, there is little hope in this little insignificant town of Bethlehem because through this town is coming. Someone and who is this someone listen to how Micah describes it out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel.

Who's going forwards are from old of everlasting Esso horrible translation a better translation would be, whose origins are from of old, which means he has no beginning.

He has no end that amazing 800 years before the coming of Christ. He has already been prophesied.

He is coming he is coming through the house of David through the town of Bethlehem which means he will be a human being. He is not a ghost. He is not an angel.

He is not a spirit he will be flesh and blood human being from the town of David, but he has no genealogy whose origins are from old, which means he has no beginning. He has no end. He is eternal. Listen to verse three. Therefore, he shall give them up until the time that she who is in labor has given birth. I can imagine the first listeners to Micah's prophecy going you don't get it.

What how is this going to help us.

The Assyrians are at the gates and you're talking about some guys coming out of Bethlehem was I gonna do with us. The Assyrians are waiting to destroy us. We seen what they've done to Samaria. We've seen what the number Israel. Israel was a northern kingdom. You've seen what the did to Syria you're talking about somebody's coming out of Bethlehem who has no beginning and that Solomon is going to give birth.

Listen to what he says therefore he shall give them up until the time that she who is in labor has given birth, then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel. What did God do for them. If you read second Kings chapter 19, King Hezekiah was the king.

He has a son he went and he literally laid down on his face in the temple will read the passage he he laid down. Sometimes it is good for you when you're going to a rough time when you're going through difficult situation financial relational physical get on your face before God is a God I'm a nobody.

I'm nothing help. Would God do is okay, I'll help you.

You know that night the angel of the Lord went through the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 people. The next morning when people walk up there were corpses everywhere.

The Assyrian army was defeated miraculously by God in Jerusalem was spared and that amazing that even in God's judgment. God's wrath. There is mercy on me, don't you do that with your children. You get upset with them to get onto them and you tell them me tell you what's going to happen and you do this and this is a consummate but then he stops her but don't forget I love you I love you what God is doing to them and say yes earrings are here.

The rate destroy you but I love you.

I'm gonna spare you. It's a beautiful thing to remember that even when we mess up God is still merciful to us and by the way mercy has a name and that is Jesus Christ but everything that mercy is all God has given me my job back. God has helped me with my health and God help me with me with relation, no mercy has a name and that is Jesus Christ. So we all the more confusing you were five minutes ago.

Is that what is this have to do with the Messiah, the Assyrians and King Ahaz and Hezekiah. How does this all fit in because when God gave this prophecy through Micah the down payment was that he saved them from the Assyrians, but the fall fulfillment was still to come. The down payment was of the Assyrian army was defeated by the true fulfillment are still waiting. What is a true fulfillment. 800 years later a young girl in a town called Nazareth had a visit from the angel that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit evokes to know if you're listening or not, but there's a little problem here.

Where is the Messiah supposed to be born in Bethlehem. Where is Bethlehem in the South in Judeo where is Mary living at this time in the north in Nazareth. Where is Joseph living at this time in the north in Nazareth wrong people. Something is not right with this picture can yell at Lee's agree on that. If somebody says the Messiah has go to be born in Charleston, South Carolina through so-and-so, Mary and Joseph there living up in Washington DC going don't think that's the one.

Everything else lines up the family. Mary and Joseph are of the lineage of David. The timing, the manner she's a virgin. She is never been with a man, but the location they're up north. Have you wondered why Mary and Joseph were so confused on this doesn't work, we should be in Bethlehem were the ones have you wondered why Joseph wanted to secretly divorce her because he is going your ride Messiah but we live in Nazareth. This is supposed to be in Bethlehem.

It's common knowledge. Micah talks about Rebecca for a second Nazareth of Galilee, which is in the north up until about 1800 people didn't believe that this town even existed in the found some inscriptions and they realize there is a town called Nazareth. It was populated but maybe 250 to 300 people.

That's it and who were these people well. Archaeology helps is again these people were descendents of David. Some of them were even from the priestly lineage. They were from the town of Bethlehem, but some reason they moved up north.

People say what is the reason they moved up north.

Maybe it's because of jobs and a lot of building was going on up to the north. The Romans were building away and what did Joseph do.

It was a carpenter. Maybe because of employment.

They moved to the north. Somebody else said no is not really employment.

They were afraid of the Herodian's King Herod wanting to kill everybody all the time so this… Get outta here, so they moved to the north and this started a community in the name of the community. Nazareth after the warden nets so you know what the word Netzer means it means branch. It means a shoot.

You know what a shootist we see a plant looks like everything else around it is drying up, but there's a green shoot that begins to come and go, there is life, then name themselves the nets sir from which the word Nazareth comes because Isaiah 11 verse one said there shall come forth a shoot a green sprout from the stem of Jesse, who was Jesse David, the king's dad. So they went up north and the start of the settlement very small settlement and called themselves the sprout of Jesse, and the right time God sent his angel and said Mary is time for you to conceive of the Holy Spirit. There's a problem that's up north. You gotta go south. I can just imagine this is kind of a imagination to look for in the Bible. I can imagine Gabriel going to God the father and saying you know the prophecy is the gotta be in Bethlehem to the south but didn't know if you knew that since you know everything. Maybe I got so much on your mind, that couple is to the north. You keep sending us to the north, you're still with me. You keep sending us to the north, but you know it's Bethlehem just just want to remind you couple days later, but Gabriel comes again says I want to be in a pushy or anything you want us to, airdrop them into Bethlehem on a weekend we can make it happen. It will be so fast don't even know it is having the prophecy just just your God in everything.

The just war. Make sure you knew Micah 5 in a you said Bethlehem I can imagine a junior angel coming up and say we can send a heavy wind from the East and the West move the entire town of Nazareth to the south right smack into Bethlehem on we can solve the problem. I can imagine God saying in a voice as a reason why I'm God I've already initiated my plan about 100 years ago and there's a king, the Emperor of Rome, who called himself Cesar Augustine's you know what Augustus means it means God as great as God is and there is this Emperor who thinks he is God that he is controlling the world and he is building things and pleasing people and and raising his army was 20 at Legion soldiers. Each Legion has 5000 is gotta feed them so he is about to do something really interesting.

He needs money. So what you do when you need money. What the government do raise the taxes. But how can you raise the taxes if you don't know who the people are and where they live. We got have a senses so this is what this Emperor is going to do. He is going to declare a senses in the entire world. Now, Matthew doesn't tell us what Luke tells us in chapter 2 verse one and it came to pass both.

Nothing came to pass. God supernaturally providentially sovereignly put it into the mind of a pagan emperor to do this I'm going somewhere with this many of us are so frustrated and stressed out at times what's happening in the world and was going to happen and how this is going. Don't worry about it. God is still God. He is still in charge.

If he can work out a plan to move a couple up in the north, down to the south to the Emperor of Rome. He can take care of what else is happening in this world so Cesar Augustine is and what happens then a decree went out from him that all the world should be registered so all went to be registered every one to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judeo to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Why because he was of the house and lineage of David, and to love the way God solves problems, but you love the way God has solved problems in your life. Don't you love the way what you thought was a problem what you thought was a complicated situation. There is no way out.

God turned it together for good here. That's what he does, was Bible say in Romans 828 for all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose uniforms. There is no room for regret in the Christian life. There is no need for bitterness.

I can imagine when it first happened, Joseph and Mary must've said this is not the time that I need to travel on.

The ladies would love to get on top of a donkey and go two days three days four days while you are and are about to give birth. But God in his sovereignty, God in his providence made it happen goes to tell us that man's interruption is God's providence human disruption is still divine arrangement. There is no room for frustration. There is no room for bitterness in the Christian life.

The rest is history. If you would become down. The Bible says Luke talks about. There was no room now. Sometimes people say there was no room in the end, as if they're going and knocking on hotel rooms. There's motel seven.

The lights on but there's no room go by the Howard Johnson's note no room. The reason Joseph is down in the South in Bethlehem is because he owns land more than likely that was Joseph's house but back in those days the houses were not like we haven't today specially for middle class and lower middle class people, which means this more than likely there were two rooms at the most in that house at about 20 people.

How many ladies would love to have a baby in front of 20 people watching you, there was no room in the house.

Not that there was no room in the hotel and then the found a manger and Jesus was born.

Are you struggling with some situations, some decision someone has made have you been handed a bad deal. Do you feel insignificant.

Don't lose heart.

God is still in control is an application there there something more, which is far more important.

Jesus is God's promised one. He is the only one. The family of his birth. The timing of his birth.

The manner of his birth, and even the location of his birth was prophesied. Hundreds and hundreds of years before the coming of Jesus Christ.

When I hear someone say you know it is Jesus is not the only where there are many ways to God. There are many ways because her every religion has its own way and every religion has its own book.

I know at that point I'm talking to somebody who hasn't done their home when I'm talking to somebody who hasn't taken the time to put the Bible next to these religions and say let's see how this measures are because when you do you realize very quickly the truth of the Bible, the truth about Jesus Christ. There is no comparison