So it is finally December, and it is around Christmas time. In my Bible study at school, we are going through the book of Luke, and we are talking about the birth of Jesus. But we are talking about the passage in more than just a story that we hear once a year. You won’t believe how much knowledge you can gain in just 7 verses. The passage I’m sharing with you today is Luke 2:1-7 which goes:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Now I’m going to break down the passage some, but I’m not going to do all the work for you. The passage starts off by talking about some historical facts about the times. During our Bible study, someone asked why was that important. Well these historical facts could be compared to public records, to prove that what was happening in the Bible, actually happened. It gives us a reference point, to what was going on during Jesus’s life.
But there is more to that. Caesar made the decree. At that time Caesar was the ruler of the known world. He was the most powerful human at the time, and his decisions affected the child of God. If the decree wasn’t made than Jesus could have been born in any place else but a manger.
But if you look out farther, it really shows that God is in control. It had been prophesied that Jesus will be born in the town of David, and if it wasn’t for the decree that was made by Caesar, then Jesus wouldn’t be born in the town of David. It goes to show you that God is in charge of everyone, no matter how powerful you are.
Now for the second part of these verses. I’m not going to break it all down for you, but give you some questions for you to ponder. There are no right or wrong answers though, and if you want to share what you think in the comments then go ahead.
Was it important that Mary was only pledged to Joseph and not married to him?
Why is it significant that Jesus was born into complete poverty, when he could be born into wealth and money because he is God?
Does the distant that Mary and Joseph traveled add anything to the birth of Jesus?
These are just three questions from a multitude of questions you could ask. Christmas is more than just a baby born in a manger. When you dig in deep in the actually passage, than you can discover so much more. I pray that you take time to dig deeper into the story of Jesus’s birth.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for you son that came to this Earth to save us from our sins. Thank you for your Word, so that we may grow closer to you, and we can truly find out how great and powerful you are. Be with us this Christmas season, as we share this time with our family and friends. Amen. 
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