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The Little Town of Bethlehem

Pastor Luke Higgs Sunday Morning Service, December 21, 2025 Text: Luke 2:1-7 Series: Christmas Messages 2025 Missionary Bible Church Halifax, Nova Scotia http://www.mbchalifax.com/    • O Little Town of Bethlehem   Sermon Notes: This sermon focuses on the significance of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus Christ and draws parallels to how Christmas is often celebrated today. The Place of Bethlehem (7:30): Pastor Luke describes Bethlehem as a place of prestige due to its historical importance as the city of David (7:55) and the birthplace of Benjamin (8:41). It is also a place of promise, as God pre-ordained that the Messiah would be born there (11:28). Despite being a small town (10:39), Bethlehem was bustling with paperwork due to the census (15:00) and a place of pleasure with people gathering and celebrating (15:56), as its name means "house of bread" and Ephrata means "fertile" (16:56). The Problem in Bethlehem (17:25): The core problem highlighted is that there was no room for Jesus in the inn (18:02). The town was too full, too busy, and too oblivious to recognize the significance of what was happening right before their eyes (18:25). Pastor Luke emphasizes that while it was "understandable" given the circumstances (19:33), it was "unforgivable" because the one they excluded was God's own son (20:39). He quotes Amos Wells' poem from the innkeeper's perspective to illustrate this point (21:16). The Point for Today (23:31): The sermon then applies the story of Bethlehem to modern Christmas (23:36). Christmas today is a time of prestige (24:27) as it marks the birthday of the King, Jesus Christ (25:05). It's also a time of promise, reflecting on God's peace and the promise of Jesus's return (25:08). However, it has largely become a time of paperwork focusing on money, spending, and retail (25:43), and a time of pleasure with parties and revelry (27:37). Pastor Luke's main message is that, tragically, just like in Bethlehem, there is often no room for Jesus in modern Christmas celebrations (28:01). He urges listeners to ensure that Christ is not neglected or forgotten amidst the festivities (30:57).