Jesus . . . Our Spiritual Sustenance Leading to a Fruitful Life

Micah 5:2: "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."


In the nativity story shared in Matthew 2, there is a citation of the prophecy from the prophet Micah, who seven hundred years before declared that a Ruler would come forth whose "goings forth have been from everlasting" (see Micah 5:2). Of course, we today see the prophecy fulfilled through the LORD Jesus Christ. It is He who came, not simply to fulfill the prophecy of Micah, but to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is through Him and Him alone that we have the hope of salvation (Acts 4:10-12).


What is quite fascinating is the name of the town in which Jesus would be born. Whereas this town in Judea at the time of Christ's birth was of little size and significance, its name was perfect for the advent of the Messiah. We see that the name of the town was Bethlehem Ephrathah. The name "Bethlehem" means "House of Bread." This reference reminds one of the exchange that Jesus had three decades later with some of His followers near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had just taken 5 barley loaves of bread and multiplied them to feed five thousand people; then, later, Jesus would use this miraculous event to teach His hearers that He was the true Bread of Life from whom comes eternal nourishment (i.e. salvation). Jesus exclaimed that those who would "feast" upon Him by surrendering to Him as Lord would receive life everlasting.

Sadly, many of these people who followed Jesus because He was feeding them physically in truly miraculous ways (see John 6:26), now turned from the Messiah and no longer followed Him. Jesus' provocative call to repentance and surrender would require every person to decide who would be the ultimate ruler of his life . . . himself or Jesus. Jesus promised that for those who would choose Him as their Lord, He would produce within them an abundance of spiritual fruit which would glorify the Father and edify other believers. Specifically, Jesus used the illustration of Himself being a vine and His followers being branches grafted into the nourishment of the vine, and the Lord told His followers that if they remained in Him and He in them, then they would "bear much fruit (for) apart from (Him [i.e. Jesus] they) could do nothing" (see John 15). This is where the latter name of the town of Jesus' birth is so significant, for the name, "Ephrathah" means "fruitful."

It is no mere coincidence that the name of the town in which Jesus would be born was Bethlehem Ephrathah. Not only did the birthplace fulfill God's promise to David 1000 years earlier that from his seed would come One who would have an eternal reign (see 2 Samuel 7), but also the birthplace communicated to the world that Jesus is the Source of eternal life for the believer, leading him to a spiritually fruitful life for the glory of God and the furtherance of His eternal kingdom.