The First Noel – Onward to Bethlehem.
Stephen March discusses the significance of the trip to Bethlehem, drawing on Old Testament prophecies to support his findings.
Confirmation From God
Mary and Joseph have both received confirmation from God that the child Mary was carrying was the Christ. Both of them are in full agreement to fill the role God has for them in the birth of His Son, and now it is time for what I believe is a little divine orchestration, to ensure that Jesus is born in the manner he needs to be.
Luke puts the residence of Mary and Joseph as being the town of Nazareth, in Galilee. Matthew doesn’t provide the home town of the couple, but does clearly identify the birthplace of Jesus as Bethlehem, in Judea. Luke also confirms Bethlehem as the place where Jesus was born, and thankfully, he gives us the account of how they ended up there in chapter 2 verse 1 through 7.
Heading to Bethlehem
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration conducted when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them at the inn.”
The Route to Bethlehem
Modern dramatic portrayals of the nativity story tend to get a little creative with this part of the story, but that’s all the Bible says of the journey, no donkeys, or long lonely days with just Mary and Joseph. We just know that they went from point A to point B. If we take a common sense approach, we can guess that the trip itself took anywhere from four to eight days, with the latter being more likely because the shorter route to Bethlehem would have taken them through Samaria, which would have been a less appealing road for Jewish people to travel.
The Path Through The Jordan
Instead, they would have taken the path through the Jordan Valley, which was longer but friendlier, and with easier terrain to cross. Also, with the census being called, it is very likely that there were all sorts of people travelling to the place of their births, so the most probable idea is that Joseph and Mary would have attached themselves to a larger caravan of travelers, which would have provided a much higher degree of security for the trip. I can imagine Mary and Joseph interacting with their travel companions and perhaps even getting extra help, like perhaps a wagon for Mary, as she was by now visibly pregnant.
Time to Give Birth
We know little of the census itself, how long it took to complete, or how much time people had between when it was ordered and when they had to be counted or taxed. One thing that the Bible does imply is that not much time had passed between Mary’s arrival in Bethlehem and the time for her to give birth. There was no room at the inn, which would imply that they hadn’t been in town long enough to find suitable lodgings for an extended stay. This means that when they left Nazareth, Mary was probably within 2 weeks of what would be her due date, if they paid attention to that sort of thing back then.
Now perhaps the registration had been called months earlier, and gave ample time for people to travel, but Mary and Joseph were hoping to have the baby before they travelled, or, maybe the when the census was ordered it basically meant get up and go, now. What does seem pretty clear though, is that having the baby in Bethlehem was not part of Mary or Joseph’s plan, as if it had been they would have left much earlier when it was easier for Mary to travel, and they would have time to find a home in the city. And that’s where the orchestration of God comes in.
Born in Bethlehem
The Messiah, Jesus, had to be born in Bethlehem. The city itself, carried so much historical and scriptural significance. It was regarded as the burial place of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, the judge Ibzan was from Bethlehem, most of the story of Ruth takes place in Bethlehem, and then of course, the man after God’s own heart, King David, was born in Bethlehem. As new kings came and went through the history of Judah, the city itself became less significant, possibly due to a combination of the new kings being born in Jerusalem, and the fact that many of them did not walk in the ways of their father David. By the days of Kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, the city of Bethlehem was of such little importance, that the prophet Micah called it the least, or too little, of the clans of Judah. However, it was because of what God said through Micah that makes this part of the nativity so important.
The full text of that verse in Micah says
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
A Messianic Prophesy
This was a clear messianic prophesy, that even the Jews believed to be true of the savior they were waiting for. This is confirmed in Matthew’s gospel when King Herod asked the chief priests where the Christ was to be born and they quoted Micah 5:2 to him. So because it was a prophecy from God, it really became a condition of validation. Because God said the messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Jesus had to be born there or he would not have been the messiah. So, even though Joseph and Mary seemed to have other plans, God wouldn’t allow it, and made sure that either the timing of Mary’s pregnancy, or the timing of the census, would put Mary in Bethlehem at the right time for Jesus to come into the world.
Throughout the course of his life, Jesus would fulfil all the prophecies concerning him, proving that he was the true Son of God, the Christ, who came to save his people from their sin.
What is your favourite prophecy about Jesus? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Stephen March
Stephen March is the President of FBH International and HopeStreamRadio. He graduated from the Broadcasting Program at Niagara College in 2001, and has previously worked in television production and post-production. Stephen lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, with his wife Corinne and their four children. He serves as an elder at Scottlea Gospel Chapel.
Read and hear more from Stephen Marchon his contributor’s page.
Stephen currently has 3 Programs on HopeStreamRadio:
More Podcasts Below:
More Blogs
Peace Through The Christ of Christmas
Can We Be Holy? The Process of Sanctification
Images courtesy of:
Nativity Scene – Erika Wittleib
Jordan Valley – Navot Miller
Gospel – blenderfan
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