Luke 2:1-7 1And it happened in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabitants. 2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And everyone was on his way to register, each to his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5in order to register with Mary, who was engaged to him and was with child. 6While they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke next turns to telling the story of the birth of Jesus. The passage is so well known that we often do not pause to consider the significance of what took place. Luke gives the time by listing the rulers. Time was often kept in the ancient world by the years of a particular ruler. When Jesus was born, the King of kings, the whole calendar shifted and is still followed by much of the world today. The next events took place in those days, just a few months after John was born. May had gone back to Nazareth. Little is stated about what her experience was when she got back. There must have been a social crisis, even a bit of scandal, especially for Joseph, as a now visibly pregnant Mary returned to the small village. It would be difficult for her to stay isolated.
In God’s mercy, some of the social disgrace was removed by the census that went out from the Emperor Caesar Augustus. The census intended to find out the population of everyone who lived under the “household” (oikoumenēn) of Rome. According to secular history of the time, August took three census, which has created some historical questions and discrepancies. The mention of Quirinius as governor of Syria is also difficult to reconcile with various dates. Luke seems to be giving more of the general time period. The average person did not look at a calendar like modern people do today.
The census required everyone to go to their ancestral hometown, which was quite a task in some cases. For Joseph and Mary, this meant walking around 90 miles, a daunting task for a very pregnant woman. The exact time frame of their travel is not clear, but it was within the last three months of Mary’s pregnancy. The note in verse 6 about the completion of the days of Mary’s pregnancy implies that the journey was towards the end of these three months. Why did Joseph take Mary with him to Bethlehem? Could he have gone alone? Luke notes that they were still betrothed and apparently the marriage had not been formalized yet. The details about any formal marriage are missing from the Gospel record. For sure, taking her away from Nazareth saved Mary from additional shame or questions from relatives and village people. Luke notes Bethlehem was the ancient city of David. This reference in verse 4 adds further support and connection to Jesus as being from the favored messianic lineage. Luke will expand this idea later in chapter 3.
The actual birth of Jesus is described in simple terms in verse 7. The reference to firstborn son implies that she gave birth to other children naturally with Joseph, as the mention of Jesus having brothers and sisters in 8:19-20 and Matthew 13:56 indicates. Jesus was the firstborn of Mary and even more so, the only child begotten through God’s special agency. Saying that Jesus is God’s Son means more than just saying he was begotten through Mary but that he was God the Word who became incarnate. Mary’s response was like any caring mother. She wrapped the baby in soft clothes and laid him in the only available place.
The note that there was no room in the inn has been elaborated and interpreted vastly in Christmas pageants. The fact that the incarnate Son of God was born in barn (what my mother often said about me) shows the humility that surrounded the situation. Mary and Joseph were lowly people who had humbled themselves before God to follow God’s will for them, even at great social and physical cost to themselves. God’s grace is evident throughout this story as God guides each step and Mary and Joseph obediently follow. What seemed like a necessary task of registering for a census turned out to be a powerful statement about God’s providential care.
For older posts, click here.