Kings are born in palaces right? Important people have homes and are cared for in hospitals. They have all the right things at all the right times. They don’t have to sleep on the streets. They generally aren’t considered part of the lower class economically. But this is really the story of Christmas. 

Near the end of the Old Testament is a promise that shows where Jesus would be born. It’s from Micah 5:2 – But you, O Bethlehem Ephratha, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Whoa talk an about unexpected plan! Micah says that the promise you’re waiting for is going to come from a tiny little town in a nearly no name place on the map? What in the world is that about anyway! 

There’s a lot in this unexpected plan that really makes the Christmas story so powerful. Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David, so it was fitting that Jesus would come from there. But the problem was Bethlehem wasn’t the place where the ruling party lived. This caused some heartache for the first century Jewish crowd. It’s why they didn’t recognize him. He was born in the right place historically, but in that moment it sure didn’t look right. 

If we dig a little more into the name of the town, we can find even more wonder during this Christmas season. Bethlehem comes from two different words. “Beth” meaning house, and “lehem” meaning bread. So the name of the town was house of bread. Did you get that? House of bread. 

Jesus would say later in his ministry that he is the Bread of Life. And then he gives bread and wine from the Passover meal with his disciples as he gives communion the first time. And that bread he calls his body. From this little house of bread town that didn’t mean much the rest of the world, God would bring the bread of life into the world. His entire life would redefine who we are and how we live. 

O little town of Bethlehem you truly are an unexpected place in God’s unexpected plan.