Advent: December 12th
Luke 2 begins, “In those days. A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. That was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered, each to his own town.” (Luke 2:1-3)
This is the second Caesar Augustus of Rome. In a twist of irony, the very census that is being used as a means for the Roman Empire to grow and advance its kingdom becomes the very thing that God uses to fulfill the prophecy that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. This further validates God's Word and the godly kingdom that was to come through Jesus.
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, to the town of Nazareth, to Judah, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house in lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.” Luke 2:4-5
Again, we have many prophecies being fulfilled here in Luke 2. Not only were Mary and Joseph of the line and lineage of David, but the child was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
Did you know that there were two Bethlehems in Jesus’s day? Just as there is a Nashville, TN and a Nashville, IL in the US, Israel had a Bethlehem in Galilee and one in Judah. The Word of God is sufficient for all things and very precise, it states specifically which Bethlehem the Christ child would be born in. Micah 5:2 uses the phrase “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” Ephrathah is a more ancient name for the Bethlehem located in Judah.
You may also know that Bethlehem means ‘house of bread.’ Jesus often used the imagery of bread in his teachings. He even referred to himself as the bread of life (John 6:35). “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51-59
He specifically talked about his body as being bread that was to be broken while serving the Last Supper. (1 Corinthians 10:17) Jesus is the bread of life from the house of bread. He is the New Testament manna, the bread that has come from heaven to nourish our soul, sustain us, and give eternal life. He is the only thing we really need in life.
“And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7
For those of you who may be wondering, the verses from Luke 2:5 states, “To be registered with Mary his BETROTHED who was with child….”. Why does it say that Mary and Joseph are betrothed, engaged, or (some translations) espoused?
Wasn’t Joseph told to go ahead and marry his espoused? Did he not do it?
They were married. Here is where a bit of study and particularly a good lexicon can do you some good.
What is translated as 'betrothed' or 'espoused' is actually a past participle. Meaning, when Luke says that Joseph was with Mary his betrothed who was with child… It would be like saying Mary, that woman he was previously engaged to(implying that they are now married), and who is pregnant.
Though it is possible that Joseph and Mary traveled with other family members who may be headed to Bethlehem to register, the fact that they are now legally married allows them to travel on their own.
How long was the track from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Estimates land somewhere between 65 to 90 miles, depending on which route they chose to take. It is likely that in Mary ‘s condition they only traveled around 10 miles per day meaning that their trip to Bethlehem could have taken them a week to complete.
Isn’t it amazing how detailed and congruent the details are from the Christmas story? How neat it is that seemingly unimportant details are of great consequence. I hope you will enjoy, as I have, the length and depth of the signs and symbols presented in scripture this holiday season.
