Just How Far Is It From Bethlehem To Calvary?
December 13, 2006
How far is it from Bethlehem to Calvary – Jennifer Mears 12/12/2006
Read Luke 2:1-7
Christmas is coming but soon it will be here then gone. Soon it is going to be all over...’ll be over,
· the presents opened,
· the Christmas pageants over,
· the decorations will come down
· Christmas 2006 will be but a memory.
16 weeks until we celebrate Easter.
· In a week or so, we will celebrate the birth of Christ
· in four months we will remember his death
· and his celebrate his resurrection….
·
So what are you thinking...how far? “How far is it from Bethlehem to Calvary?” How far from the warm, cozy little cradle to the dark, cold cross?
Geographical Lesson:
Bethlehem is closer to Calvary (Jerusalem) than you think…
· 6 miles West of Jerusalem
· A little over a 2 hour walk
it is not very far form Bethlehem to Calvary.
In just a few years Jesus went from
· Swaddling cloths: wrapped in
Crown of thorns on head
· From cute little dimples and stubby little baby fingers TO blood-stained cheeks...body to his nail-pierced hands
33 years of a journey from the cradle to the cross…
Jesus knew...Without calvary…Bethlehem was in vain
"In the fullness of time the deliverer came forth – God sent His son, born of a virgin and laid him in a manger…"
The deliverer of Good stood against evil…but the battle was already raging long before that...
· Adam fell and lost the battle in the garden
Satan turned this world into a war between good and evil! IT WAS ON!!! and he has been busy!...
Many wars and defining moments through history happened along this same road that Joseph and Mary traveled all those years ago…
Lots of history on this road
· Rachel (died giving birth to Jacob’s son Benjamin) was buried on this road to Bethlehem
· Naomi and Ruth traveled this road
· Ruth married Boaz along this road
· Joseph and Mary traveled this road from Nazareth to Bethlehem---passed through Jerusalem on their way to pay their taxes
· Jesus and David were born in Bethlehem (AKA: City of David)
· David ---KING DAVID was anointed king in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 (NIV)
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"
· David traveled this road on his way to The Valley of Elah (taking food to his 3 older brothers fighting in the Israelite army against the Philistines…then
· David walked this road up to fight Goliath – into head-to-head, hand-to-hand combat
I Samuel 17
· They encamped and fought in the Valley of Elah
o Hill country of Judah
o Toward lowlands
o Steep ravines
· About 15 miles West of Bethlehem
· About 6 miles South of Jerusalem
Summary of Story
· David was taking food to his older 3 brothers that were in the Israelite army
· Saul was pleased with David and was soothed by his harp playing (we learn in I Samuel 16.
· David asks to fight the giant and convinces Saul to let him go up against him.
· Saul suits up David in armor but he takes it off and drops his sword and says he will go in the NAME OF THE LORD
· David takes his slingshot (used against wolves while keeping his father’s sheep)
· David picks up 5 small stones by the brook on his way to meet Goliath
Let’s talk now about the enemy David was facing…
Goliath
· 9’9” tall
· From town in Philistia called Gath
The Bible describes a race of giants named the Nephilim who were the offspring of mating between fallen angels (the Sons of God) and human women (the daughters of man). A possible explanation to the giant size of Goliath is that he was a direct descendant of these events and that he was one of the Nephilim offspring.
Let’s get a mental picture of the battle scene:
· Wearing a bronze helmet on his head
o Protection worn during battle
o Also – bronze helmet symbolizes salvation
THE LORD WAS ALREADY CRUSHING THE ENEMY’S HEAD
§ Armed with a coat of mail
o overlapping plates of bronze sewn on leather
o weighed about 125 lbs.
o Bronze armor on legs
§ The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam (very thick)
o Iron spearhead weighed approx 20 lbs.
o This spear was that of a long sword
o GOLIATH WAS A WAR MACHINE!
o BUT SO WAS DAVID>>HE HAD THE VICTORIOUS WARRIOR BACKING HIM…GOD ALMIGHTY!
DAVID APPROACHED GOLIATH
o CAME TO HIM IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
o THREW A STONE AND HIT HIM/KNOCKED HIM DOWN IN HIS FIRST SHOT
o David went over to the giant and drew Goliath’s sword and killed him and then cut off his head
o When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran from the field, and the Israelite army pursued them and ran them out of Judah! Put the enemy on the run...
o The Lord’s Army VICTORIOUS!
We read in I Samuel 17:54 - "David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent."
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SKULL?
1 Samuel 17:57
As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.
Media Illustrations
A very small ceramic sherd unearthed by Bar-Ilan University
archaeologists digging at Tell es-Safi, the biblical city "Gath of the
Philistines", may hold a very large clue into the history of the well-known
biblical figure Goliath. The sherd, which contains the earliest known
Philistine inscription ever to be discovered, mentions two names that are
remarkably similar to the name "Goliath". Tell es-Safi/Gath is located in
the southern coastal plain of Israel, approximately halfway between Ashkelon
and Jerusalem.
ARTICLE:
Goliath’s Skull Found Near Jerusalem?
’The ’Kingdom Times,’ Belfast, May 1994, carried the story of how a leading archaeologist had found Goliath’s skull in a valley west of Jerusalem with the stone from David’s slingshot still embedded in his forehead! Dr. Richard Martin says the discovery proves that David’s battle with the almost 10-foot giant happened just like the Bible said it did, 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus. We found this skull in the valley of Elah, in the foothills of the Judean mountains, near where David’s battle with Goliath was said to have taken place. Even more intriguing, the skull is HUGE and clearly belonged to a man of ENORMOUS STATUE. ’And if you believe the Bible, you know that Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall. ’But the most telling piece of evidence is the small round rock we found embedded in the forehead. When they had performed tests which showed the skull to be between 2,900 and 3,000 years old that they began to think they had found the remains of Goliath. ’The Bible places the battle between David and Goliath around 990 B.C., or 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus Dr. Martin said. When Goliath hit the ground, David chopped off his head with Goliath’s own sword. ’As I said before, the skull that we found had a rock stuck in the forehead. There was also evidence to suggest that the head had been SEVERED from the body by a sharp object, most likely a sword. There can be little doubt that this is Goliath’s skull. To be perfectly frank, I’m staking my career on it,’ said Dr. Martin.’ -- Michael A. Clark, Wake Up! July/August 1994.
Goliath (heb spelling ge li eth)
From Gath (pron. Goth)
Calvary [Lat.,=a skull] or Golgotha [Heb.,=a skull], - Place of the skull
Where Jesus was crucified on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
the place where Jesus was crucified
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a heap of skulls; something skull-shaped
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NET Glossary: the place in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified (John 19:17-18); the Aramaic name was transliterated into Greek as Golgotha, which in turn is translated as "Place of the Skull" (Matt 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17); the site was outside one of the city gates, but not far away (Heb 13:12)
o Archaeologists think they have found a large skull with imbedded stone in forehead here- Goliath...near the foothills of where Jesus’ Cross stood...making an open show of the enemy...just as David did when he claimed victory in The Lord against Goliath
Could there be a connection to the skull being found there and what that mountain is named? Goliath from Gath
Golgotha>>>>>> another mystery of God...but a revelation!
Think of it----Jesus TRULY was crushing the head of the enemy –putting the enemy under HIS feet…He is telling us today WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE POWER TO DO THE SAME….invision it
o in the cross, we see all the powers of evil defeated by God
o because of Jesus’ perfect and complete sacrifice, people can be reconciled both to God AND to each other
What a trip…from the cradle to the cross
o remember as a child you focused more on Jesus’ birth
o as an adult the reality of His Work on the cross became a reality
o what a walk from Bethlehem to Calvary (Jerusalem – Valley of Elah) David took that led him to victory over the enemy
o what a walk from Bethlehem to Calvary (the cradle to the cross) that Jesus took…that led him to TOTAL AND COMPLETE victory over the enemy…all the work done on the cross…
o what a walk we made in realizing what was once in a cradle as a baby THE WORD MADE FLESH…
o Jesus grew into the MAN God called Him to be…doing the work of The Lord…Doing the Will of The Father
o WHAT VICTORY!!!! OVER THE ENEMY---HE IS UNDER HIS FEET AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS AND IS STILL THERE TODAY!!!!
o We are promised this same victory!
When we are First saved –The joy,The peace,The excitement,The willingness,The newness of life,A new outlook,A trust and great faith
…then over time it diminishes …Let’s take a fresh walk from the cradle to the cross! Let’s take a fresh walk up Calvary’s Hill….
Stone – knock out the devil---------Sword-the word of GOD
Deliverance, healing, peace, comfort, anointing…It is only when we are completely sold out to Jesus that we will be able to make the trip from Bethlehem to Calvary…This Christmas let’s bring to Christ the one gift that he is truly looking for! Mary said it best in Luke 1:38I am the lord’s servant and I am willing to accept whatever he wants!
