Wow. After a wild ride into the warfare aspects of Christmas beginning here, for a few days let’s enjoy aspects of the Matthew and Luke accounts of Jesus’ birth.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration 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 in the inn. (Luke 2.1 – 7, ESV)

I love verse 1. Whom does Caesar Augustus serve? He would have said, “I’m Caesar! I serve no one!” But he would have been wrong. Micah had already prophesied hundreds of years before that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

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. (Micah 5.2, ESV)

Even the Jewish religious establishment who were later hostile to Jesus knew that. (See Matthew 2.3 – 6)

So if God needs to get Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, what better way than have the Roman emperor order it? Next time we fret about decisions coming our of our governments at various levels, maybe we should remember Who is really in charge.

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21.1, ESV)