"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger." (Luke 2:4-7 ESV)
If your church has an Advent wreath, or if you have one in your home, perhaps this was the week you lit the Bethlehem candle. Bethlehem figures prominently in our celebrations of Christmas as the birthplace of the Christ Child. We read the prophecies. We sing about the "little town of Bethlehem." We picture a sleepy little village in the Judean Hills, which it likely was in those days. Modern day Bethlehem is something altogether different, with traffic and crowds and tall buildings. Not exactly what we picture when we sing our carols.
It was seven years ago this month that I first traveled to Bethlehem. That I first visited the Church of the Nativity. That I first saw this very special place:
Inside the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in Christendom (built about 326 AD), this silver star marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus. It is inscribed, in Latin, "Here of the Virgin Mary, Christ was born."
That may or may not be the exact spot where Christ was born. But Christ was born. In Bethlehem. Just as it had been foretold by the prophets long before.
Bethlehem seems very far away to most of us. If you've traveled there, as I have, you realize that it is quite a long distance to travel. Our journey to Bethlehem does not involve travel by donkey, as it did for Mary and Joseph. But even with modern jet planes, it's a long trip, flying from the U.S. into Tel Aviv, and then traveling by car or bus on to Bethlehem.
It's a long trip. Or is it?
Several years ago, the singing group
Point of Grace recorded a song titled
We're Not That Far From Bethlehem. One of my favorite lines in that song says
When our hearts still cherish Him, we're not that far from Bethlehem. As I have been thinking about that song, and about that particular line, I've been remembering the times I traveled to Bethlehem. The times I knelt at this place of Jesus' birth. The times I worshipped there. The times we sang the songs of the Savior's birth. The times I sat in awe and wonder, reflecting on what happened in Bethlehem so long ago.
There are times when that seems very long ago. And times when Bethlehem seems very far away.
But it isn't. Not really.
That song, We're Not That Far From Bethlehem, offers us a profound truth. When we cherish the Savior in our hearts, when we remember His birth, when we remember why He was born when and where He was......when we remember. And when we cherish.
Then we're never very far from Bethlehem.
Underneath the stars
Just a simple man and wife.
Somewhere in the dark
His words cut the silent night.
Take my hand, for the child
That you carry is God's own.
And though it seems the road is long,
We're not that far from Bethlehem,
Where all our hope and joy began.
For in our arms, we'll cherish Him.
We're not that far, from Bethlehem.
Let us celebrate
As the Christmases go by;
Learn to live our days
With our hearts near to the child.
Ever drawn, ever close
To the only love that lasts,
And though 2000 years have passed
We're not that far from Bethlehem
Where all our hope and joy began.
For when our hearts still cherish Him
We're not that far,
We're not that far from Bethlehem
Where all our hope and joy began.
For when our hearts still cherish Him,
We're not that far
We're not that far from Bethlehem.
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(Songwriters: Lowell Talmadge Alexander Jr., Gayla Hester Borders, Jeff A. Borders)
You can listen to
We're Not That Far From Bethlehem here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfI2x2krjGA
