ARRIVAL | A Specific Place
Micah 5:2 | December 21 - 2025
Dr. Mark S. Hartman, Lead Pastor – SCBC
Micah 5:2, 4 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 4 He will stand and Shepherd His flock in the strength of theLORD, in the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God.
1. WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM?
A. Isaiah 9:7 The Messiah will reign on DAVID'S THRONE and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever...
B. Luke 2:1-4 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because He was of the house and lineage of David.
C. Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.
D. Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son…
2. THE MESSIAH WILL BE FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN AT THE SAME TIME.
A. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
B. Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus was in very nature God, He did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
C. Micah 5:2 …whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
D. John 1:1, 3, 14 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His Glory as of the Glory of the Father full of Grace and Truth.
3. JESUS CAME TO BE OUR SHEPHERD.
A. Micah 5:2, 4 …out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel. 4 He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God.
B. Jesus, as our Shepherd, knows us.
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
C. Jesus as our Shepherd cares for us.
1. John 10:12-13 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
2. Matthew 9:36 When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them,because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (NIV)
D. Jesus as our Shepherd gave His life for us.