God used Caesar Augustus and the innkeeper – whether or not they knew it – to get Mary and Joseph to where they needed to be in Bethlehem so that the Baby could fulfill prophecy. This devotion looks at how He did that.
Nuggets
- Jewish custom, rather than Roman custom, conducted censuses by having them go to their family hometown.
- Caesar Augustus probably got Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem without knowing he was being used by God.
- Poor people like Mary and Joseph probably wondered where they were going to come up with the tax money when they were just trying to make ends meet.
- Was the innkeeper sad that he had to turn them away from a regular room; or was he actually doing Mary a good service?
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Taxes are due? Another bill due like right now? How are we going to have enough money after gifts and food and babysitters?
What? You mean we’re going to have to travel at Christmas time? Go home? And see the family? I once heard a pastor talk about having a crazy relative exchange. He said, if there was such a thing, we could — we all had some, so there would be enough to go around.
Look at this traffic going into the city. We must be around the mall. It is bumper to bumper.
What? We aren’t talking about today. We’re talking about first century Bethlehem???? Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem?
Let's Put It into Context
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town” (Lk. 2: 1-3 CSB)
Caesar Augustus wanted a census done. And look at what it says — “… the whole empire should be registered” (Lk. 2: 1 CSB).
Sometimes, we may think it is just Israel that is having to travel. It was the whole Roman Empire at that time!
But it was more than just a count. There was a tax levied, also (Lk. 2: 1 KJV).
Farrar wrote that, ordinarily, the Romans would conduct censuses by going to the residences. Jewish custom, however, did it differently. The way they did it was by going to their family hometown.
That is why a Mary and Joseph — and bunches of people — were in Bethlehem. Did they realize God was using Caesar Augustus to fulfill prophecy?
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf” (Mic. 5: 2 NLT).
Caesar Augustus got Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem without knowing he was being used by God.
All Those People
So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
Did you ever stop to think about all the stress people were feeling that first Christmas? Some of it wasn’t that different from what we experience today.
Poor people like Mary and Joseph probably wondered where they were going to come up with the tax money when they were just trying to make ends meet.
We’ve got it lucky now traveling in planes, trains, and automobiles when we go any amount of distance. We don’t know how Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem. Christmas cards like to picture her sitting on a donkey, but she may have had to walk.
We do know the city was crowded if all the rooms were taken in the inn. I’m sure Mary and Joseph, as well as everyone else, were feeling the anxiety then.
Was the Innkeeper a Good Guy or Bad Guy?
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 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” (Lk. 2: 6-7 CSB)
It sounds like wall to wall people. I bet the innkeeper was loving it. The no vacancy sign was out because all of his rooms had already been rented.
Oh, yes. The innkeeper and his wife were probably feeling the anxiety — scrambling around with the restaurant and housekeeping chores that were part of their customer service. But they were probably raking in the profits.
Then this pregnant lady shows up.
Was the innkeeper sad that he had to turn them away from a regular room?
Or was he actually doing Mary a good service?
If the inn was wall to wall people, would Mary have been comfortable having her baby in the midst of all these strangers? Did Joseph ask for a more secluded spot?
Let’s think about it a minute. They didn’t have hospitals where women went to have their babies. Babies were born at home.
So, yes. People were probably more used to babies being born around them.
But family babies. Not stranger babies.
Going to the stable may have been one less thing for Mary to worry about. She got the privacy she needed to have her Child.
Then again, it may be like we have heard so much. No room at the inn. Rejection of the Christ a Child from the beginning. Most will reject Him.
God used the innkeeper to make sure Mary had a place to have the Baby.
Maybe it was the whole borrowed birthplace, borrowed tomb thing. Jesus wasn’t here for worldly success. He didn’t want the biggest house, fastest car, fanciest birthplace.
The wise men may have been invited into the inn. But would the shepherds? There was no fancy throne around. There was no admission price. Everyone has access to Jesus.
In Genesis 3: 17-19, God passes judgment on Adam after the original sin. It includes a curse of the earth. Is this a way to show that Jesus came to address that — Jesus not only came to save mankind, but He also came for the earth?
Maybe God worked it this way. Jesus’ birth, while He had visitors, was more of a private thing. His death was extremely public.
Jesus just being born didn’t save us. He had to die to really become our Savior and Redeemer. Maybe that is why the birth was quiet. The plan wasn’t near being complete.
Making the Connections
Into that anxious setting came the Christ Child. The Prince of Peace came into the stress, the worry, the exhaustion, and the short tempers. He came to give us His peace.
We like to think stress levels have increased as the years go by. But the God of yesterday is still the God of today. If He could give His peace to first-century Bethlehem, He can give it to us.
Why would He want to? If we are concentrating on the bills, travel, and relationships with others, are we concentrating on His Gift? I don’t think so.
It is so easy for us to say we just want Christmas to be over. But then we loose the chance to worship God for His Gift. So ask God for His peace so you can give Him your praise.
How Do We Apply This?
We don’t know if Mary and Jospeh knew/remembered that the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. They may have realized that God was working in their lives to get them to Bethlehem. They may not.
God used two people who probably had no idea they were being used to accomplish His plan. We know God uses even bad situations to work things out so that His Will can be accomplished.
We don’t always know when God is working. My sister has just seen how God has been working in the past year to get her to what constitutes her Bethlehem. Sometimes, we don’t see Him working until we look back.
Sometimes, we aren’t overly fond of how God works things out. We just have to put our faith and trust in Him that everything happens for a reason. He will use that reason to expand His kingdom.
Sometimes, God uses people who are no believers to accomplish His plan. He works situations out to get us where we need to be to do what He wants us to do. We need to meditate on circumstances to see how He is working.
Nothing happens that God does not allow. He can use everything and everyone regardless of our allegiance to Him.
Gracious Heavenly Father. You are the God of yesterday and today. As much as times have changed, some things remain the same — the stress, the exhaustion, the feeling that life is out of our control. But our lives are in Your control. Fill us with Your peace. Slow us down and focus on the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of Your Son, our Savior. Use who You must to accomplish Your plan. Accept our praises and our thanks for being our Father. Amen.
What do you think?
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I am a bible student, so I appreciate a new twist to help make the word fresh. That’s what you did. Thank you!
Calvonia, thanks for the word of encouragement. I can see God being the God of symbolism, so I see the no room at the inn rejection. But I also see a practical God. How is all of these moving pieces going to accomplish what I want it to? We serve a complex God.
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