O Little Town of Bethlehem - Micah 5:2-5

Title: O Little Town of BethlehemSpeaker: Rev. Jason Van BemmelSeries: Advent Devotionals 2025Date: December 3, 2025Bible: Micah 5:2-5Pastor Jason presents our fourth Advent devotional, covering "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Advent is a season of yearning for Christ's second coming while simultaneously looking back at His first. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem Ephrathah. Though the town was too little to be counted among the significant clans of Judah, it was the city of King David and the promised source of a Ruler whose origins are from ancient days. This Ruler stands and shepherds His flock in the strength of the Lord, serving as their ultimate peace.This truth is reflected in the carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem," written by Phillips Brooks, a Philadelphia pastor, following the American Civil War. Inspired by a Christmas Eve visit to the Holy Land in 1865, Brooks wrote of the "everlasting light" shining in the dark streets while mortals slept. The carol teaches that the "wondrous gift" is given silently; just as He came quietly to Bethlehem, Christ enters into "meek souls" who receive Him still. Ultimately, the message is a prayer for Emmanuel to descend, cast out sin, and be spiritually born in our hearts today.