Where are you from? I’m from southeastern Michigan. You might be from Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Plum, Oakmont, or Verona. You might say your parents or your ancestors came from places like Germany, Sweden, Mexico, South Africa, Africa or any other number of places. You might be able to list all sorts of places your ancestors came from.

Where is Jesus from? That’s the question the Jews were trying to answer in today’s reading. They knew He had to be from somewhere, but they weren’t quite sure where. All they knew was they didn’t like what He was saying.

They did know He grew up in Galilee. They forgot Isaiah foretold Messiah’s connection to that area in his 9th chapter. They didn’t realize He hadn’t been born there. He was born in Bethlehem, the city of His father David. He only got to Nazareth after spending time in Egypt when Herod the Great wanted to kill Him.

So Jesus was born of Mary in Bethlehem, the City of his father David, just as Micah foretold in chapter 5. But He said more. He said The Child born there is He Whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times, in other words, eternity. The Child Mary bore is God’s Son, begotten, as The Church says, of The Father from all eternity, of one substance with The Father, by Whom all things were made.

Jesus is both God and Man. He died for you. He rose to life again. He is The Death of sin, sadness, and death. He gives eternal life to all who trust in Him because of The Blood He shed on The Cross. Come to Him, and He will give you rest and relief and comfort.