“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.” -Luke 2:3-6
Jesus was born away from home. The census that went out from Caesar Augustus required Joseph to return to Bethlehem, the city of David, where his family had come from. The tax census at that time would not have required that Mary go with him, but Joseph and Mary chose to go to Bethlehem together. And this was how Jesus ended up being born away from his home of Nazareth.
The journey to Bethlehem from Nazareth would have been a costly and difficult one, especially considering Mary’s condition. The scriptures don’t tell us exactly how far into her pregnancy Mary was when they made the trip to Bethlehem, just that it was while they were there that the time came for Jesus to be born. The eighty-mile trip took them away from family and friends to a place where Mary would ultimately deliver the Son of God. Did Mary and Joseph know that she would give birth away from home? Maybe.
We do know that God knew.
God gave prophecies that Jesus would be born in this way, in this exact place. While Mary and Joseph may have felt anxious or upset to have this inconvenient trip at such a crucial time, God was not caught off guard at all.
Nothing in our life is a surprise to God.
God sees the end from the beginning! He knew there would be a census and that Joseph and Mary would choose to make the trip to Bethlehem together. He knew that the timing would be just right for her to begin labor and ultimately give birth away from home, whether they had planned this or not. God is never surprised by our circumstances.
Whatever unexpected situations may present themselves to us, may we always turn to God for wisdom and strength. He is not surprised by our choices or the circumstances we encounter. He is all-knowing and works all these things out for the good of those who love Him and for His glory. How wonderful that God knew Jesus would be born in Bethlehem! He was able to tell His people ahead of time just so they would see and know that He was, in fact, the Son of God. Be encouraged today, believing that God has a plan. What may seem to be an inconvenience or interruption may actually work to bring greater glory and good than what we could have ever planned on our own.
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