Bethlehem means “house of bread”—kind of like saying “the place where bread comes from.” It was a small farming town, so small that the prophet Micah called it “little among the thousands” (Micah 5:2). But even though Bethlehem was tiny, HUGE things happened there!

Here’s the story: A long time ago, a man named Boaz lived in Bethlehem. He was a farmer who was really kind. He married a woman named Ruth, and they had a son named Obed. Obed grew up and had a son named Jesse. And Jesse grew up and had a son named… DAVID! Yes, THAT David—the shepherd boy who became king!

And the story gets even better! Many years later, when it was time for Jesus to be born, Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem because Joseph was from King David’s family. And that’s where Jesus—our Savior and “the bread of life”—was born!

See how God was working His plan all along? He used a small town called “house of bread” to give the world the “Bread of Life”! Every single person and event was part of God’s big plan to bring Jesus to the world.

Take Action: God’s plan connected Boaz to Ruth to Obed to Jesse to David to Jesus! Draw a family tree (it looks like a tree with branches) showing these names and how they connect. Put a star next to Jesus’ name at the top or bottom. As you draw it, remember that God has a special plan for YOUR life too! Even when things seem small or unimportant (like a little town called Bethlehem), God can use them to do BIG things!