Unyime Akpan - December 22nd 2024 - Jesus Is Born in Bethlehem Why?
Luke 2:11,15-20 - Angel Gabriel Introduces Jesus
Greatness (Greatest Person, Greatest Work)
Title to the Throne of David (Messiah)
Who Were the Moabites and What Was Their Relationship to Jews (Israelite)? -Deuteronomy 23:3-4
Why Jesus Was Born In Bethlehem - God was pointing to His plan through lives of some Bethlehem citizens
What Does the Name Bethlehem Mean? - House of Bread
Bread Is an Essential Food in many cultures
Jesus Solved Physical Hunger Problem by Multiplying Bread
Multiplied 5 Loaves of Bread and Fed Jews -Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Multiplied 7 Loaves of Bread and Fed Gentiles - Matthew, Mark
What happened after Jesus fed the people bread?
John 6:25-34, 47-48
God Sent Manna to Sustain Israel in the Wilderness
God Sent Jesus to Give Eternal Life to the Whole World (Jews and Gentiles)
It Cost God Nothing to Give Manna to Israel
But Costs Jesus His Life on the Cross to Give the Bread of Life to a World of Sinners
Jesus Earthly Life as the Son of God began at Bethlehem, the House of Bread
Eternal Life Begins When a Person Believes in Jesus, the Bread of God
Jesus, the True Bread of God from Heaven, was born in the House of Bread to give Eternal Life
Why Jesus Was Born In Bethlehem - Jesus, the True Bread of God from Heaven, Came to Give Eternal life
Where is the first encounter of Bethlehem in the Bible?
Genesis 35:19
What happened at the first encounter?
Rachael, Jacob’s favorite wife gave birth to a son as she was dying
Ben-Oni means Son of my Sorrow
Benjamin means Son of My Right Hand
Hebrews 1:1-3
Jesus Christ is Ben-Oni ‘a Man of Sorrows’ Isaiah 53:3
Jesus Christ is Benjamin ‘the Son of God’s Right hand’ Hebrews 1:3
Mark 14:61-65
Hebrews 4:14-16
Why Jesus Was Born In Bethlehem?
Bethlehem, House of Bread, foreshadows (points to) Jesus’ Mission
Jesus, the Bread of God Came from Heaven to Give Eternal Life
OT -First Encounter of Bethlehem in the Bible Foreshadowed (pointed to) Jesus’ Ministry
Jesus is Ben-Oni, Son of Sorrows, and Benjamin, Son of God’s right hand
What book(s) of the Bible have most of its events occur in Bethlehem? -Ruth
Chapter 1- Naomi(A Jew) and Ruth(A Moabite) Return to BETHLEHEM
Chapter 2 - In BETHLEHEM, Ruth (Moabite/Gentile) Meets Boaz (Wealthy Jew)
Chapter 3- In BETHLEHEM, Ruth ask Boaz to Redeem Her
Chapter 4 - In BETHLEHEM, Boaz Marries Ruth, Redeems Ruth(A Moabite) and Naomi (A Jew)
This, to me, is the greatest love story in the Old Testament
Redemption means to set free by paying a price
Jesus loves us and paid the price to redeem us from our spiritual poverty
“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5:23
Christ redeemed both Jews and Gentiles by dying on the cross for our sins
Salvation is a love relationship between the believer and the Savior
Galatians 4:4-7 - Redemption means to set free by paying a price
Why Jesus Was Born In Bethlehem?
Bethlehem, House of Bread, foreshadows (points to) Jesus’ Mission
Jesus the Bread of God Came from Heaven to Give Eternal life
OT -First encounter of Bethlehem in the Bible foreshadowed (pointed to) Jesus’ Ministry
Jesus is Ben-Oni, Son of Sorrows, and Benjamin, Son of God’s right hand
OT –In Bethlehem, the greatest Love story, Ruth & Boaz, foreshadowed (pointed to) Jesus’ Love
Jesus, God’s greatest Love, came to Bethlehem to set us free from our sins.
Ephesians 2:11-22
Luke 2:4; Luke 2:11. John 7:42
What happened to David in Bethlehem?
Born and raised in Bethlehem
Jesse’s youngest son
Shepherd -Looked after His father’s sheep
Anointed Israel’s king by Samuel
God’s Spirit was upon him from that day forward
Despised by his brothers
Went from Bethlehem and
Conquered Goliath, his most famous victory
Reigned and ruled as Israel’s greatest king
