Luke 2:1-7
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
We already know this is to be one very special baby but what about the birthplace? Why would God choose to bring His Son into the world as a human in this specific location? Other than being prophesied to be born there this was to show He was from the tribe of Judah as promised. This is one reason it was important that God chose this time to bring forth His promise. The census was not a random event that God didn’t know about. He knew and was using human decisions to bring about His plan.
God, in true bigger picture thinking, chose the people oppressing His people to make His plan happen as prophesied. Mary and Joseph were not living in the place where the promised child must be born but God knew how to get them there despite the fact that she was expecting. Ladies who were expecting didn’t go out in public let alone travel from the northern part of the country to a lower portion of it, unless she had to.
As any woman who has been a mother could tell you, traveling when pregnant is more than just inconvenient. She wouldn’t have been comfortable and she would have had many questions about what it would mean to be so far away from home. The normal birth plans would not be in place but this wasn’t an ordinary birth. Mary and Joseph were on the ride of a lifetime. They had already received out of the ordinary pregnancy announcements so it was only fitting that their adventure continue with an unplanned move.
We talked the other day about the fulfillment of Jesus having to go to Egypt and isn’t it just perfect that the little town that God chose for the birth was closer to Egypt that the parent’s hometown of Nazareth. Once again God proves Himself to be a God of details. He had planned not just for the time of the birth but for the events that would be coming a couple of years down the road. This appointment in time was too important to leave it to happenstance and furthermore God needed to prove that He was the one sending this Child. This Child is His Son, His promised Redeemer.
Making It Personal
When has God directed your life in a way that you didn’t expect but that turned out better than what you expected? How willing are you to follow God into unknown circumstances? How can you show that today?
Making It Personal Kids
What are some ways that you can obey Jesus even though it may not make sense at the time? Do you know that Jesus created you for this time in history? How do you think Jesus could use you?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for working out every detail in our lives. Please help us understand the importance of obedience even when it doesn’t make sense to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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