Good news of a Saviour from Bethlehem

Angels are not an everyday experience. So on that night of nights it was not surprising that the little group of shepherds “were terrified” (Luke 2.9) when an angel of the Lord appeared to them in all his glory. Precisely what lay behind that remarkable experience, we do not know. This angelic vision defies rational explanation. However, the focus should not be on the supernatural phenomena, but on the message the angel delivered: “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2.10-11).

For most of us the place where we were born is more or less irrelevant. But with Jesus it was different, for Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was “the city of David”. It was there that David was born, there that David had kept his father’s sheep, and there too that Jews expected David’s greater son to be born. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus the land of Judah was facing disaster: the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and were taking away many of its people into exile. But Micah proclaimed that the Lord had not abandoned his people for ever. The day would come when he would rescue her from her enemies. He would do so by means of a ruler from Bethlehem, one who traced his family line back to David (Micah 5.2). It was therefore fitting that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Jesus in whom the hopes and dreams of Micah were more than fulfilled.

For many centuries the Jews had looked for a saviour. The return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon had not revived their fortunes. The result was that when Jesus was born, messianic fever was in the air. People said: “Is this the Messiah? Are you the one who is going to save our nation from oppression? Are you the one is going to free us from the Roman army of occupation?” The air was tense with expectation. The non-Jewish world too was looking for a saviour. People were sick of war and destruction; they longed for a golden age of peace and prosperity. Hopes were raised when Caesar Augustus came to the throne in 27 BC and put an end to the civil wars that had ravaged the empire after the assassination of Julius Caesar on 15^th March 44 BC. Many thought Augustus was the saviour, the one who would usher in the age of gold. “No”, said the angel. “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord”. The birthday worthy of divine honour, the true beginning of time, took place in Bethlehem, not in Rome.

Good news came – and still comes – from Bethlehem. This is not to say that others have nothing to offer: politicians have a role to fulfil and a job to do; computers have revolutionized life for millions; psychotherapy, aromatherapy and massage relieve the stress many suffer. But none of these alternative ‘saviours’ offer the ultimate panacea for this world’s life. None of them can deal with the root cause of all of our problems. None can deal with the infection which the Bible calls ‘sin’, which destroys our relationships not only with God but also with one another, and which eventually destroys us. But Jesus can, for Jesus can save us from our sins. Jesus is the only true Saviour. Good news of a Saviour comes from Bethlehem.