Pressured to pay tribute to a foreign occupying power, enduring the scandal of a child out of wedlock, making an 80-mile trek while expecting a baby, having to deliver that baby without any assistance, and being told there’s no room for them when they arrived – for Joseph and Mary, this was indeed the nightmare before Christmas.
We are back in Luke’s Gospel again after a brief detour into Matthew, for it is Luke the physician, and only Luke, who records for us the actual birth of our blessed Lord.
A Caesar’s Universal Decree
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city” (Luk 2:1-3).1
The Caesar of our story was Octavian, who ruled from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14. He was the great-nephew of Julius Caesar and solidified his claim to power by defeating Antony and Cleopatra during his invasion of Egypt, which then became a Roman province. With a little personal pressure, the Roman Senate gave him the title “Augustus” (meaning “holy” or “revered”) in the first year of his reign. He did bring stability to the empire and a period of relative peace after so much civil strife. He was considered a god, a son of the gods, by those within the empire and a bringer of good news to the world.2 “An inscription at Halicarnassus (birthplace of the famous Herodotus) even called him ‘savior of the whole world.’”3 And this “savior,” Caesar Augustus, did not provide his services without a price. Like nearly every ruler before his time (and even after), he demanded tribute from those within his kingdom. He made sure that all the gold flowed toward Rome. Thus, the decree went out “that all the world [i.e., the Roman world] should be taxed.”
But there was another decree given much earlier by a much higher authority. God had already decreed that He would send someone into the world as its real Savior. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, would be the true Bringer of good news. And God even declared the birthplace of His Son, speaking through the prophet Micah some seven centuries earlier than Caesar’s decree. Bethlehem Ephratah (Mic 5:2) would be the city of the Messiah’s birth. However, Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, some 80 miles to the north, and Mary was already far along in her pregnancy. How could they possibly end up in Bethlehem so quickly to fulfill Micah’s ancient prophecy? God chose to make an emperor His servant. Thus, Caesar Augustus gave the order for a census to be taken and that census required people within the empire to return to their place of origin for registration and subsequent taxation. And because Joseph’s roots were in Bethlehem, he was required to make the journey. Even mighty Caesars are merely pawns in the hand of the Almighty.
A Couple’s Harrowing Journey
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)” (Luk 2:4).
It was not a journey anyone would want to make, given that it related to paying taxes as well as any expenses involved with the trip itself. But for Joseph and Mary, it was even more taxing. Although Roman law did not require Joseph to bring his wife with him, he decided she was near enough to her due date that it would be prudent to be together. He did not wish to be apart when the delivery occurred. Traveling on foot for Mary would be challenging. Did someone graciously provide a beast of burden to carry her? Scripture is silent. I think we can safely assume that the poor couple made the harrowing journey by walking those many miles to Bethlehem, carrying whatever belongings they would need for their stay there, including supplies for a possible delivery. Mary might have to give birth far from home and her familiar surroundings.
We should not miss the mention of David in these verses. By the time we get to Luke 2:11, David’s name has already been referenced six times in this Gospel, and now we are told for the second time (see 1:27) that Joseph was from the house of David. Again, our minds go back to the promise and covenant the Lord made with David: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2Sa 7:16). And so, Caesar’s real usefulness centered on getting Joseph and Mary to the city of David, the place where their Son, the true Ruler, would be born; he was just background material for the main act. The real focus in the story was not on a Caesar in Rome but on a lowly carpenter from Nazareth.
Luke refers to “Mary his espoused wife” who was “great with child” (2:5). Did Joseph not already have the dream of Matthew 1:20-23? And did he not already complete his marriage to Mary? Possibly. If so, then why is she still referred to as his betrothed? Luke does not want us to miss the fact that the marriage was not yet consummated, preserving the teaching of the virgin birth of Christ which he emphasized in chapter 1. Some things are worth highlighting and this is certainly one of them!
A King’s Humble Throne Room
Finally, the trip to Bethlehem was over. Exhausted, Joseph and Mary arrived, looking for a place to stay. It is possible that Joseph had friends or family in his hometown, but we are not told. Luke does tell us “there was no room for them in the inn” (2:7). The Greek word for “inn” is katalyma and needs some explaining. It is also used in 22:11 for the “guestchamber” where the Lord would eat the Passover with His disciples. If Luke wanted his readers to think of an “inn,” he could have used the word in his story of the Good Samaritan who brought the injured traveler “to an inn [pandocheion]” (10:34). Archaeology has helped to shed light on what this guest chamber may have looked like. “A typical first-century Palestine dwelling was a rectangle divided into three spaces: a large central room, with a stable for animals on one end and a guest room (katalyma) on the other. All three rooms normally had separate entrances. The katalyma was an attached guest room separated from the central room by a solid wall. The stable was separated from the central room by a half-wall, thus allowing the family to feed animals without going outdoors.”4 Apparently, all the guest chambers were occupied when Joseph and Mary showed up, and no one was willing to offer them theirs. So they stayed in a stable, which obviously included a feeding trough. Quite the place for a King to be born!
We are not told how long they were there before Mary went into labor. Luke writes, “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered” (2:6). If they thought they might make it back home for the birth, they were wrong. The carpenter would have to become a nurse and help with the delivery of their Child. There would be sweat, blood and probably tears. There would be gasps, sighs and cries. And there is no suggestion of a painless delivery. To make matters worse, Mary had no mother with her, no relative close by to help in her time of deep need. But she did have an attentive and loving husband. At last, her labor was over and so was their nightmare before Christmas. “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger” (v7).
Modern nativity scenes often get it wrong. We are not told about oxen and donkeys and cattle lowing. There were no doves flying above them and certainly no halos. And the wise men did not come to the manger so there was no gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was likely a very crude and uncomfortable setting. The Messiah’s first throne room was a stable!5 What a stoop for the Son of God.
There have been some sensational descriptions of the swaddling clothes, but they were simply strips of cloth wrapped around a newborn child to provide warmth and the feeling of security. Christ had exchanged His robes in glory for swaddling clothes. He wore garments to secure Him so that He might secure for us garments of salvation. And so the Christmas story in Luke begins with a man who made himself a god but ends with God who made Himself a man. At long last, He had come All the Way to Bethlehem to save His people from their sins. Praise God!
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.6
Final Reflections
We close this article by appreciating again God’s jurisdiction; it encompasses all of this world, including your world. God can use anyone anywhere, knowingly or unknowingly, to fulfill His plan, whether it’s a Caesar, a governor in Syria, a couple from Nazareth, or a homeowner in Bethlehem. All are under His glorious sovereignty, and He alone is the august One – “holy and reverend is his name” (Psa 111:9).
We must not skip over Joseph and Mary’s submission. They were willing to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. It is possible that people as insignificant as they may never have been discovered had they decided to ignore the census. But they recognized that “the powers that be are ordained of God” and willingly subjected themselves “unto the higher powers” (Rom 13:1). Their quiet obedience to Roman authority still serves as an example to us.
Finally, we are struck again by Christ’s humiliation. Swaddling clothes, a stable, a feeding trough – this is not the stuff of kings. But it was the stuff of this humble King, and we bow reverently at His feet.
Sadly, when our Savior was born, there was no room for Him. Some still have no room for Christ spiritually. Do you? Have you opened the door of your life to Him? Have you received Him by faith? Are you saved? To all who make room in their lives for Him, Christ Jesus will make room in that glorious guest chamber above. There will the true Son of God, the real Bringer of good news, the actual Savior of the World, receive tribute and be fully praised for ever and ever.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
2 James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2015), 68.
3 R. Kent Hughes, Luke Volume One: That You May Know the Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 81.
4 Edwards, 73.
5 Darrell L. Bock, Luke: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1996), 1:209.
6 Phillips Brooks (1835–1893)
