Let us go to Bethlehem

(Photo:

Birthplace of Jesus)

One thousand years before the birth of Jesus, Samuel (with fear and trembling because of King Saul who was rejected by God) visited Bethlehem to anoint David, son of Jesse, to be a king, from whose descendants Jesus would be born. Samuel in reply to the elders of Bethlehem said “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourself and come to the sacrifice with me”. There he anointed David to be King of Israel and paved the way for the birth of Jesus. (1 Samuel 16: 1 – 13)

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” said the shepherds to one another. So they hurried off and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby who was lying in a manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen - which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2: 15 – 20)

According to William Barclay it is most likely that these shepherds were in charge of the flocks from which the Temple offerings were chosen. If that is true, it is no wonder that the shepherds who were watching the sheep that could cleanse the sins of men for only a while, left their flocks to worship the Lamb of God who would cleanse the sins of the world permanently and returned rejoicing and praising God. (The Daily Study Bible).

The grotto, marked as the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem, is visited by thousands of Christian pilgrims and tourists every year. Bethlehem (The House of Bread) where Jesus (The Bread of Life) was born is still giving the bread of life to those who are spiritually hungry. The young John Lennon may have once irreverently boasted that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus but the Beatles have long since broken up and now in 2008, Sir Paul McCartney one of the two remaining and perhaps the most famous and successful of the Beatles, visited the birth place of Jesus on 24 September and bent, like all other visitors, to enter the gate of the Church of The Nativity.
(You have to bent to enter the gate of Church of the Nativity - "Enter through the narrow gate..Matt 7:13)

Let us go to Bethlehem (the House of Bread) this Christmas to see Jesus (the Bread of Life) and return glorifying and praising God for the gift of Salvation and to proclaim peace to the world.