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Bethlehem is not a sentimental backdrop or a symbolic setting. It is a real town with a deliberate purpose in God\u2019s redemptive plan. Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn<\/a> says the town where Jesus was born reveals who Messiah is and why His birth continues to matter.<\/p>\n \u201cHidden behind all the nativity scenes, every Christmas play, behind the greeting cards, hidden inside the town of Bethlehem is a mystery, more than one,\u201d Cahn said in a recent sermon. \u201cWhy Bethlehem? Why Bethlehem?\u201d<\/p>\n The answer points directly to kingship, redemption and hope.<\/p>\n Bethlehem Is the City of a King<\/p>\n Bethlehem is inseparable from King David, and the Messiah must come from David\u2019s royal line.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Messiah has to be linked to King David. Has to,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cHe\u2019s got to be born of the royal line of David.\u201d<\/p>\n David, the first king of Israel, was born in Bethlehem, and Scripture declares that the Messiah would reign forever on David\u2019s throne.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first king is David. The last king is Messiah,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cMessiah is going to reign on the throne of David.\u201d<\/p>\n Bethlehem\u2019s humility does not diminish its meaning. \u201cIt\u2019s not about a nice little thing,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cThe one who\u2019s being born is the king of kings.\u201d<\/p>\n A Real Jewish Town With a Real Purpose<\/p>\n Bethlehem was never meant to be filtered through fantasy or religious ornamentation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago had no religious architecture, cathedrals, no religiousness,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cIt was a Jewish town. Simple. Humble.\u201d<\/p>\n That setting strips away spectacle and focuses attention on the meaning of the birth itself.<\/p>\n The House of Bread<\/p>\n Bethlehem\u2019s Hebrew name, Beit Lechem, means \u201chouse of bread,\u201d a detail Cahn says is central to the Christmas story.<\/p>\n \u201cMessiah is called the bread of life,\u201d he said. \u201cBethlehem is the house of bread. It\u2019s the place where the bread of life comes down from heaven into the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 birth in a manger reinforces the message.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s the bread of life in a place of food,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cThe world cannot satisfy your hunger. He\u2019s the only thing that can truly satisfy your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n Order Jonathan Cahn\u2019s Newest Book, \u201cThe Avatar\u201d on Amazon.com!<\/a><\/p>\n Shepherds and the Lamb<\/p>\n Bethlehem has always been a land of shepherds and sheep, which explains who God chose to witness Messiah\u2019s birth.<\/p>\n \u201cNot insurance agents, not politicians, not stockbrokers, but shepherds,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cWhy? He was born to be the shepherd of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Bethlehem was also known for lambs raised for sacrifice near Jerusalem.<\/p>\n \u201cMessiah is not only the lamb. He\u2019s the sacrificed lamb,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cHow perfect that the Lamb of God is born in the city of lambs.\u201d<\/p>\n Sorrow Turned to Victory<\/p>\n Bethlehem is tied to sorrow and restoration through Rachel, who was buried near the town.<\/p>\n \u201cShe called the name of her son Ben-Oni, \u2018son of my sorrow,\u2019\u201d Cahn said. \u201cBut his father changed his name to Benjamin, \u2018son of my right hand.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n That pattern foreshadows Messiah. \u201cMessiah comes as a man of sorrows,\u201d Cahn said, \u201cbut then He becomes the son of the right hand, the victorious Messiah.\u201d<\/p>\n The Place of Redemption<\/p>\n Bethlehem stands at the center of the biblical story of redemption through Ruth and Boaz.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day God Himself is going to become the goel,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to redeem a barren world that cannot bear fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n That redemption began in Bethlehem and was ultimately fulfilled in Messiah.<\/p>\n Why Bethlehem Still Matters<\/p>\n Bethlehem reveals the identity and mission of Jesus.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the place of David,\u201d Cahn said. \u201cHe is gentle, but He is mighty. He is your king.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a place of shepherds to tell you the one who was born there is born to lead you and guide you and take care of you,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t fear. Trust Him. Walk with Him.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Bethlehem points beyond a manger to a King who reigns, a Shepherd who leads, a Lamb who redeems and the Bread of Life who satisfies the soul. That is why the mystery of Bethlehem still matters, and why Christmas remains a message of lasting hope.<\/p>\n