BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH OF ERIE
SERMON OUTLINE
By James M. Duncan, Pastor
SERIES: CHRISTMAS B.C.
“Born In Bethlehem”
Micah 5:1-5
I am starting today a new Christmas series called, “Christmas B.C.” Did
you know that if you listen closely, you can hear the sounds of Christmas in
the Old Testament? Written over a 1,000-year period, the first part of the
Bible contains about 300 prophecies that were fulfilled with precision in
Jesus Christ.
Our Messages this month will be:
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Born in Bethlehem – today
One Baby Many Names – Dec. 11
The Lamb – Dec. 18
The Cradle, The Cross and The Crown – on Christmas Day
The prophet Micah recorded an astonishing predictive prophecy 700 years
before the birth of Jesus. Micah’s name means, “Who is like Yahweh?”
Let’s work our way through the opening verses of Micah 5.
With things looking extremely bleak, the promise remained of a coming
shepherd king who was to be born in Bethlehem. It was to this humble
prophet that God sent a prophecy of the birthplace of a Ruler whose kingdom would never disappear. Look now at verse 2. I see three truths in this
passage:
I. A Predetermined Place
There are at least five parallels between this little town and the baby who
was born in Bethlehem.
1. Rachel gave birth to Benjamin in Bethlehem Gen. 35:18.
2. Boaz redeemed Ruth from her poverty in Bethlehem -Ruth 2:4.
3. King David was born in Bethlehem and also anointed king there 1
Sam. 16:1-13; 17:58.
4. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and Ephrathah means
“fruitfulness.”
5. The Messiah had to come through the tribe of Judah.
Now not only do we see A Predetermined Place, but also . .
II. A Promised Plan
The phrase, “forth to Me,” includes the idea “of Me” which indicates that
the coming ruler would come from God himself.
So we see A Predetermined Place, A Promised Plan and lastly . .
III. A Profound Person
We see this in the last part of verse 2: “whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.” (ESV) This phrase literally means, “From the days of
eternity.” The word translated “from of old” is used elsewhere to describe
the eternality of God.
Micah was expecting a profound person, a supernatural Savior who would
be physically born in Bethlehem, but who in actuality, has existed for all
eternity as the second person of the Trinity. Before we “fast forward” 700
years to the miraculous events in Bethlehem, we’re given more details
about this birth announcement in Micah 5 vs.3-5
A Census Fulfills Prophecy- Luke 2:1-5. After Jesus was bor n in Bethlehem Matthew 2:1-5 tells us that a gr oup of astr ologer s fr om the east
came to Jerusalem because they wanted to find the one who was born king
of the Jews.
Herod had only one question for his religious leader and that one specific
question for them was: “Where is the Christ supposed to be born?” (V-4) I
want you to notice how quickly they answered his question in verses 5-6.
The predetermined place, the promised plan and the profound person
are given. Neither King Herod nor the religious professionals doubted for a
moment that Micah 5:2 was a reference to the birthplace of the king. Micah
states that the Messiah had to be birthed in a predetermined place called
Bethlehem, 700 years before the event.
God explodes into human history with his promised plan by sending a profound person, from the line of King David to be carried in the womb of a
virgin named Mary. God then moves in the heart of a pagan Roman emperor, who lived 1500 miles from Israel, to declare that a census had to be taken of the entire world. In his sovereignty, God made sure that they were in
the right place at just the right time.
Check out these words from, “O Little Town of Bethlehem:” “No ear may
hear his coming but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him
still, the dear Christ enters in. Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us
today…O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.”