Throughout the Gospels, we are told Jesus was born in Bethlehem. What's the importance of this city?
Bethlehem translated from the Hebrew means "house of bread". What better place for the "bread of life" to be born than in the very place with the same name! ("Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst'" John 6:35.)
Bethlehem also had to be the place of the birth of Messiah to fulfill prophecy set forth in Micah 5:2: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. He goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."
After Jesus, one of the most mentioned men in all the Bible also claimed Bethlehem as his hometown--King David! ("Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil ad go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons'" 1 Samuel 16:1.)
David, Israel's second king, was a man after God's own heart. Although he was not a perfect man, he sought the LORD constantly. For David's faithfulness, he was promised that one of his offspring would rule forever. ("When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" 2 Samuel 7:12-13.) For this reason, the title "Son of David" was coined a Messianic title.
On a number of occasions in the Gospels, Jesus is called the "Son of David". Matthew calls Jesus the "Son of David" in the very first sentence of his Gospel. "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). Six times in the Gospel of Matthew, it records people calling Jesus the "Son of David" (Matthew 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, and 21:15). Jesus never denied that he was the "Son of David". Therefore, one can see how David's hometown of Bethlehem and Jesus' birthplace are intertwined to emphasis that Jesus is Messiah--Jesus is the Son of David.
Lastly, Bethlehem was the setting for the incredible love story written about in the Book of Ruth. Ruth, a young girl from Moab, marries an Israelite. The man dies. His mother, Naomi, decides to leave Moab and return to her native land, Bethlehem. Ruth accompanies Naomi. Upon gleaning in the fields to obtain sustenance, Ruth meets one of Naomi's husband's kinsmen, a man named Boaz. Boaz and Ruth fall in love. Ruth gives birth to a child called Obed. Obed fathers Jesse. Jesse fathers king David (Ruth 4:22).
Again, we have the city of Bethlehem tied to King David and to the messianic line. But, more importantly, we have a story about a Gentile woman who through her faith is accepted into the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ruth leaves her Gentile ways behind and worships the one true God, the God of Israel. One of the most beautiful professions of faith can be found in Ruth 1:16-17: "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."
Shepherds in the Field
Shortly after Jesus' birth, an angel appears to shepherds in a field near Bethlehem. "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the LORD suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:8-11).
The shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem were important players in the temple sacrifice system. Bethlehem was the place in which the lambs were raised for the temple. Migal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was the place where the lambs destined for the temple were born and raised. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy and set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem.
By God sending an angel to these shepherds, it was as if He was saying, "Come My shepherds who raise the lambs for God and come see THE Lamb of God." This would be quite fitting considering Jesus is called the "lamb of God". ("The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world'" John 1:29.)
Additionally, Jesus also speaks of Himself as a shepherd. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).
The Magi/Wise Men/Kings
Whenever the subject of the magi comes up in conversation, I am amazed at how many times people will insist that there are "three" magi. I am amused as Scripture never proclaims the number of magi. Rather, it simply states that there were three GIFTS given--myrrh, frankincense and gold.
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him...After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was--the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh" (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11).
The magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word "magi" is the plural of the Latin "magus", borrowed from the Greek "magos" which is used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew. The Greek "magos" is derived from Old Persian "magus" from the Avestan "magauno". "Magauno" is the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born. The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars. They gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at the time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practice and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term "magi" to be applied to the occult and led to the English term "magic" (although Zoroastrianism was in fact strongly opposed to sorcery).
Although the magi are commonly referred to as "kings", there is noting in the account from the Gospel of Matthew which implies they were rulers of any kind. The identification of the magi as kings is linked to the prophecies which describe the Messiah being worship by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 68:29 and Psalm 72:10 ("Yea, all the kings shall fall down before Him: all nations serve Him").
The term "from the east" is more correctly translated as "from the rising of the sun". This is the only information Matthew provides about the region from which the magi came. The Parthian Empire, centered in Persia (or modern-day Iran), occupied virtually all the land east of Judea and Syria. Though the empire was tolerant of other religions, its dominant religion was Zoroastrianism with its priestly magos class.
Although Matthew's account does not explicitly cite the motivation for their journey (other than seeing the star in the east), the Syriac Infancy Gospel provides some clarity by stating in the third chapter that they were pursuing a prophecy from their prophet, Zoroaster.
The three gifts given by the magi carry various meanings. They are prophetic about Jesus' life, death and burial. All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts given to a king. Myrrh was commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume and gold as a valuable. The three gifts are often associated with a spiritual meaning--gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. The interpretations are alluded to in the verse of the popular carol "We Three Kings" in which the magi describe their gifts. The last verse includes a summary of the interpretation: "Glorious now behold Him arise King and God and sacrifice." Another interpretation of the gifts is gold symbolizes virtue, frankincense prayer and myrrh suffering.
The Syrian King Seleucus II Callinicus is recorded to have offered gold, frankincense and myrrh (among other items) to Apollo in his temple at Miletus in 243 B.C. This might have been the precedent for the mention of these three gifts in Matthew's Gospel.
Gold
Gold has been associated with wealth since nearly the beginning of time. God first mentions gold in Genesis 2:12: "And the gold of the land is good: bdellium and onyx stones are there." The word gold appears in the King James Version of the Bible 417 times. It is associated with both holiness and evil. In the Book of Exodus, the children of Israel make a golden calf to serve as an intermediary between the people and God (Exodus 32). Also in Exodus, Moses is instructed to cover the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant with gold (Exodus 25:13).
Gold is often associated with kingship as many countries boast about their wealth via the amount of gold they possess. "Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them" (2 Kings 20:13). "For Tyre built herself a fortress and piled up silver like dust, and gold like the mire of the streets" (Zechariah 9:3).
Gold also is mentioned in Scripture as something that is strong; it is a substance which can withstand high heat and can be purified. "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold. But the LORD tests the hearts" (Proverbs 17:3). "But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).
Frankincense
Frankincense was one of the consecrated incenses described in the Torah used in ketoret ceremonies--an important component of the services in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was offered on a specialized incense altar in the First and Second Temple. It was one of the ingredients used in the incense of the sanctuary (Exodus 30:34). It was also used as an accompaniment of the meal offering (Leviticus 2:1, 2:16, 6:15 and 24:7)
Frankincense was also mentioned as a commodity in trade from Sheba (Isaiah 60:6 and Jeremiah 6:20). When burned, frankincense emits a fragrant odor; the incense was a symbol of the Divine name (Malachi 1:11; Song of Solomon 1:3). It is also an emblem of prayer (Psalm 141:2). Moreover, frankincense is often associated with myrrh (Song of Solomon 3:6, 4:6).
Myrrh
Myrrh is mentioned several places in Scripture. In Genesis 37:25, the Ismaelite traders to whom Jacob's sons sold their brother Joseph had "camels...loaded with spices, balm and myrrh." In Exodus 30:23-25, the text specifies that Moses is to use 500 shekels of liquid myrrh as a main ingredient in the sacred anointing oil.
Additionally, myrrh is an ingredient in Ketoret, the consecrated incense used in the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. An offering was made of the Ketoret on a special incense altar and was an important component of the temple service. Myrrh is also listed as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and kings.
Oil of myrrh is used in Esther 2:12 in the purification ritual for the new queen to King Ahasuerus:
"Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odors and with other things for the purifying of the women)."
Myrrh is mentioned in the Gospels as being present at Jesus' death and burial. Jesus was offered wine and myrrh before His crucifixion (Mark 15:23). According to John's Gospel, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea bought a one hundred pound mixture of myrrh and aloes to wrap Jesus' body (John 19:39).
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