Branford Campus Pastor Jake Rosekopf – Vox Church
My Notes-
Bethlehem
- Bethlehem is located six miles south of Jerusalem.
- The name Bethlehem means House of Bread.
John 6:35 – “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
- Jesus and Mary were brought to Bethlehem, Joseph’s place of birth, for taxes/census.
Micah 5:2 (NLT) – “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”
Luke 2:11 (NLT) – “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Matthew 2:6 (NLT) – “‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
Ruth 1:22 (NLT) – “So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.”
Significance of Bethlehem
- The Church of the Nativity is traditionally held to be built above the cave where Jesus was born.
- David was not only from Bethlehem; he was anointed as King of Israel there (1 Samuel 17:12).
- In fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, Jesus was born there.
- Bethlehem was often referred to as the “Town of David” (Luke 2:4).
Boaz and the Kinsman Redeemer
- Boaz becomes the kinsman redeemer (a male who had the responsibility to rescue or protect a family member in need).
- Ruth marries Boaz, and they become the grandparents of Obed, the ancestor of Jesus.
- Jesus became our Kinsman Redeemer.
Rachel and Bethlehem
Genesis 35:16–18, 20 (NLT) – “Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, ‘Don’t be afraid—you have another son!’ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath, she named the baby Ben-oni (which means ‘son of my sorrow’). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means ‘son of my right hand’). Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.”
Genesis 48:7 (NLT) – “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”
Matthew 2:18 (NLT) – “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
Messianic Connection
- The next son given to Israel would be the Messiah, Jesus—born in the same location as Benjamin.
- Jesus was a Ben-jamin (Son of My Right Hand) to His Heavenly Father.
- Jesus became a Ben-oni (Son of My Sorrow) on our behalf.
Isaiah 53:3–10 (NLT) –
“He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.”
O Little Town of Bethlehem
🎶 O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim thy holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And peace to men on earth
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
VoxNotas 
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