Luke 2
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 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,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 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.
A lot of times we feel we can't give the Hope of Jesus because we can't prove our knowledge. Knowledge can be debunked. Your heart to the Lord can't be debunked. Your experiences of grace, of comfort, of love, of surety where you long to give your heart for Jesus to others.
This is not a Post to memorize - instead this is a discussion of reason and basics for your upbuilding. Not a lesson.
In our Culture today - people mostly love Christmas. Good. God wants us to have joy celebrating His Son. Joy is to be encouraged as Jesus told us He loved being alive with us on earth in John 14, 15, 16. Jesus is a Joy provider.
Luke 2 is a fairly well known Biblical Chapter. Pretty basic.
We are sometimes told mankind used to be ignorant, unread, unwise. Here we see Joseph is returning to Bethlehem. He is the House of David. 1,000 years ago. King David lived 1,000 years ago and the tax records know this. This culture is dealing with wise people with learning. Is this historically accurate? Caesar Augustus was a Census taker for the Entire Roman Empire, twice, as a prequel to holding the Office of Emperor. Augustus was known as the Tax 'Establisher' Emperor. Augustus (nephew of Caesar) had been a very sickly child and was known to be an extremely analytical man. His goal of the Empire - view the Empire as an accounting lush orange to now be properly squeezed. Augustus was so sickly he wore high heels, unheard of, to establish his authority.
Augustus made the Census job the Emperor's job. It's why he recreated the marriage laws - taxation. Proper taxation.
The Sadducean Council records are available today for Historical review. The Knowledge and the History hold accuracy. This isn't even an inch apart or away from the History of the Jews. This fits perfectly neatly together. Augustus saw gathering money as power.
Would this have demonstrated as part of 'no room at the Inn'? Yes. Very Probable. When the Second Temple formed after Babylonian Captivity - if you couldn't provide your ancestral records - you could not be part of the Temple.
The Disciples were never Neanderthals of illiteracy. Peter and Andrew were the principal employers in Capernaum and very properly placed in location, location, location to reflect this.
When Pompeii, General of Rome, arrived to enter the Holy of Holies - he planned to do this. He wanted to know why the Jews thought so highly of themselves. He was Julius Caesar's son in law - Pompeii - KNEW he could force his way into the Temple and the Holy of Holies. When Pompeii arrived to meet the Priests - highly touted - he realized he had encountered something of the Living God and he did not find the heart to want to force his way (Roman General, as he was, and Emperor's Son in Law) because he recognized the Holiness and the recognition of righteousness. Julius Caesar laughed at his son in law's return to Rome, not to have fulfilled his vow to enter the Temple of the Living God. And then Julius Caesar was said to say his son in law had more sense then he credited to him.
When we callously say the Disciples of Jesus were ignorant and ill-informed - we have ignored the culture and the History.
The Bible is entirely righteous.
Being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
To know how the story is eternally true - is to see the riches of GOD Himself.
Abba,
Open us to the Scriptures. Open us to God's Love. Increase the Holy Spirit.
For our own souls. For the ones we love. For our communities. Our Churches and Jobs. Our Nation. The people who know Your Love today and the beloved who will come to know the Love You have for us. In Jesus. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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