Bethlehem Principle: What You Never Learned From The Christmas Story
December 20, 2016
Question:
Dear Roger, I’ve celebrated Christmas more than 70 times in my lifetime. Tell me something I probably haven’t heard about the Christmas story. Sincerely, Randy
Answer:
Dear Randy, One of the challenges facing pastors is how to be creative and do something special every year when Christmas rolls around. This problem reminds me of Solomon’s statement in Ecclesiastes: “There is nothing new under the sun. It has all happened before.” One of my favorite Christmas lessons that you may not have heard is what I call the “Bethlehem Principle.” I recently preached on the “Bethlehem Principle” for the first time in my life. Maybe this will be something new for you. According to the “Bethlehem Principle,” God can use the weakest things in our lives to be actually the strongest. The “Bethlehem Principle” is my high school mentor, whose ravaging brain cancer gave him just three months to live, motioning me to draw near to his hospital bed and lean down close to his lips. “Roger,” he said, “ watch me, I want you to see how a Christian dies.” By God’s grace, he was manifesting strength during weakness and glory for God. RELATED: 10 quotes about Christ for ChristmasThe Bethlehem Principle Applies Two Ways
First, God gives me grace to handle any weakness. Second, God gets glory when I handle my weaknesses in a positive way. The “Bethlehem Principle.” is found in Micah chapter five and Matthew chapter two. It’s 600 BC and the Babylonians are decimating the southern provinces of Israel. Micah, a minor prophet describes the scene.Micah 5:1: “Marshal your troops for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.”Israel was weak and defenseless. No hope. All was lost. King Jehoikim lost his head. Unless God sent a Savior, the Babylonians would murder, steal, burn structures, kill babies, rape women, knock down the temple and enslave those who were still alive. In the midst of this horror, Micah makes a startling, almost incomprehensible, promise. He declared that a Savior was coming out of one of the smallest cities in Israel: Bethlehem. But of course, no Savior arrived to defeat the Babylonians.
Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”Israel was destroyed because no Messiah arrived. However, like many Old Testament prophecies, Micah’s promise of the coming Messiah was an overarching prophecy spanning 600 BC to the birth of Christ. Matthew picked up on the “Bethlehem Principle.”
Matthew 2:1-6: “When Herod heard about the newly born baby King, he was disturbed. He asked the Temple priests where the Messiah was to be born. They replied, ‘In Bethlehem just like Micah said.’”RELATED: An advent prayer to love like Jesus credit: ©Thinkstock/ginosphotos
First, the “Bethlehem Principle” provides strength to power us through the weakest of our weaknesses.
Of all the places for the Savior to come from, why in the world would God pick Jerusalem? Nobody who is anybody came from Bethlehem. The “Bethlehem Principle” is the hope of Christmas. If the Messiah can come as a little baby from one of the weakest villages on earth, then he certainly can be down on my level to care for me. The contemporary relevance for this aspect of the “Bethlehem Principle” for the Christmas season is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:“But God said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ power can rest on me. That is why for Christ sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak then I am strong.”In 2 Corinthians chapters 11-12, Paul details his sufferings for Jesus: imprisonments, beatings, near-by stoning, whippings by the Jews, beatings with metal rods by the Romans, shipwrecks, danger during frequent journeys, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, malaria, epilepsy, and to top it all off, God gave him a tormenting thorn from Satan to keep him humble.
To one degree or another, we are all like Paul in our weaknesses.
RELATED: 12 Bible verses to help you find strength I know people who’ve had expectations for normal, well-adjusted, happy lives; but, like beasts from ambush, an accident or sickness leapt out from nowhere and now they must work with crippled machinery. Others dream of love and marriage and missed it. Many are heartbroken dream about a marriage that might’ve been a thing of beauty, but was a tragedy instead. Some children who were created as a blessing, became an inward agony. In some households, the tie that binds has been ripped asunder. Then comes the “aha” moment when we understand that God promises to give us the same grace for our weaknesses that he poured into Paul during his weaknesses. Grace is not some sweet, petite, graceful ballerina. The working hypothesis behind grace is awesome, unleashed power. Grace is experienced as a deep-inner strength and peace that carries us through the most difficult of circumstances.Second, God’s grace is put on display as we power through our weaknesses. God receives great glory by how we handle those weaknesses.
Paul sums up the second aspect of the “Bethlehem Principle” in 2 Corinthians 4:7-11:“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.”Well Randy, perhaps you’ve heard of the “Bethlehem Principle” before. Maybe not. But if you have, hopefully it was good to hear it again from my perspective. Love, Roger
About The Author
credit: Crosswalk Dr. Roger Barrier retired as senior teaching pastor from Casas Churchin Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being an author and sought-after conference speaker, Roger has mentored or taught thousands of pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders worldwide. Casas Church, where Roger served throughout his thirty-five-year career, is a megachurch known for a well-integrated, multi-generational ministry. The value of including new generations is deeply ingrained throughout Casas to help the church move strongly right through the twenty-first century and beyond. Dr. Barrier holds degrees from Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Golden Gate Seminary in Greek, religion, theology, and pastoral care. His popular book, Listening to the Voice of God, published by Bethany House, is in its second printing and is available in Thai and Portuguese. His latest work is, Got Guts? Get Godly! Pray the Prayer God Guarantees to Answer, from Xulon Press. Roger can be found blogging at Preach It, Teach It, the pastoral teaching site founded with his wife, Dr. Julie Barrier. Credit: CrosswalkHere's the moment you never noticed in A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Riley Clemmons Riley Clemmons - All Is Well
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.