O Bethlehem … you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past! … And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and his people shall remain there undisturbed, for he will be greatly honored all around the world. He will be our Peace. [Micah 5:2,4-5 (TLB)]

From the time of the exodus around 1440 BC, the Hebrews had been waiting for their promised savior. Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah all prophesized the coming of a messiah. John the Baptist was making the same prophesy during the time Jesus lived. Yet, what happened? Why didn’t they recognize Jesus when he came? Perhaps it was because they weren’t thinking big enough. Although most of the Jews believed a messiah would arrive and that he would bring a new kingdom, they thought this would simply be a new government for Israel that was not under the rule of Rome. God had much bigger plans for his people. Thank you God, for thinking big and beyond the here and now. The promised Messiah freed us from more than bondage to Rome; He freed us from our bondage to sin. The promised Messiah did, indeed, bring us a new kingdom: the kingdom of God!

“Comfort, yes, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and tell her that her sad days are gone. Her sins are pardoned, and I have punished her in full for all her sins.” Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a road for the Lord through the wilderness; make him a straight, smooth road through the desert. Fill the valleys; level the hills; straighten out the crooked paths, and smooth off the rough spots in the road. The glory of the Lord will be seen by all mankind together.” The Lord has spoken—it shall be. [Isaiah 40:1-5 (TLB)]