Bethlehem is not a sentimental backdrop or a symbolic setting. It is a real town with a deliberate purpose in God’s redemptive plan. Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says the town where Jesus was born reveals who Messiah is and why His birth continues to matter.
“Hidden behind all the nativity scenes, every Christmas play, behind the greeting cards, hidden inside the town of Bethlehem is a mystery, more than one,” Cahn said in a recent sermon. “Why Bethlehem? Why Bethlehem?”
The answer points directly to kingship, redemption and hope.
Bethlehem Is the City of a King
Bethlehem is inseparable from King David, and the Messiah must come from David’s royal line.
“The Messiah has to be linked to King David. Has to,” Cahn said. “He’s got to be born of the royal line of David.”
David, the first king of Israel, was born in Bethlehem, and Scripture declares that the Messiah would reign forever on David’s throne.
“The first king is David. The last king is Messiah,” Cahn said. “Messiah is going to reign on the throne of David.”
Bethlehem’s humility does not diminish its meaning. “It’s not about a nice little thing,” Cahn said. “The one who’s being born is the king of kings.”
A Real Jewish Town With a Real Purpose
Bethlehem was never meant to be filtered through fantasy or religious ornamentation.
“The Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago had no religious architecture, cathedrals, no religiousness,” Cahn said. “It was a Jewish town. Simple. Humble.”
That setting strips away spectacle and focuses attention on the meaning of the birth itself.
The House of Bread
Bethlehem’s Hebrew name, Beit Lechem, means “house of bread,” a detail Cahn says is central to the Christmas story.
“Messiah is called the bread of life,” he said. “Bethlehem is the house of bread. It’s the place where the bread of life comes down from heaven into the world.”
Jesus’ birth in a manger reinforces the message.
“Here’s the bread of life in a place of food,” Cahn said. “The world cannot satisfy your hunger. He’s the only thing that can truly satisfy your soul.”
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Shepherds and the Lamb
Bethlehem has always been a land of shepherds and sheep, which explains who God chose to witness Messiah’s birth.
“Not insurance agents, not politicians, not stockbrokers, but shepherds,” Cahn said. “Why? He was born to be the shepherd of our lives.”
Bethlehem was also known for lambs raised for sacrifice near Jerusalem.
“Messiah is not only the lamb. He’s the sacrificed lamb,” Cahn said. “How perfect that the Lamb of God is born in the city of lambs.”
Sorrow Turned to Victory
Bethlehem is tied to sorrow and restoration through Rachel, who was buried near the town.
“She called the name of her son Ben-Oni, ‘son of my sorrow,’” Cahn said. “But his father changed his name to Benjamin, ‘son of my right hand.’”
That pattern foreshadows Messiah. “Messiah comes as a man of sorrows,” Cahn said, “but then He becomes the son of the right hand, the victorious Messiah.”
The Place of Redemption
Bethlehem stands at the center of the biblical story of redemption through Ruth and Boaz.
“One day God Himself is going to become the goel,” Cahn said. “He’s going to redeem a barren world that cannot bear fruit.”
That redemption began in Bethlehem and was ultimately fulfilled in Messiah.
Why Bethlehem Still Matters
Bethlehem reveals the identity and mission of Jesus.
“It’s the place of David,” Cahn said. “He is gentle, but He is mighty. He is your king.”
“It 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,” he said. “Don’t fear. Trust Him. Walk with Him.”
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.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
