1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 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:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 KJV)
The Birth of Jesus Christ
The fullness of time had now come, when God would send forth His Son, born of a woman and born under the law; and it was foretold that He would be born at Bethlehem. Here we have an account of the time, place, and manner of it.
The time when our Lord Jesus was born can be gathered from several details in these verses. He was born when the fourth monarchy—the Roman Empire—was at its height, more extensive than any of the three previous ones. He was born in the days of Augustus Caesar, when the Roman Empire stretched from Parthia in the east to Britain in the west, so that it was then called “the empire of the whole earth,” and here it is referred to as “all the world” (Luke 2:1), since nearly every part of the civilized world depended on it. This was the time foretold in Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 2:44): “In the days of these kings,” the kings of the fourth monarchy, “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.”
He was also born when Judea had become a province of the empire and was subject to its authority, as shown by the fact that the Jews were taxed along with the rest of the empire. Jerusalem had been taken by Pompey the Roman general about sixty years before, and though Hyrcanus was allowed to govern religious affairs, political control remained with Rome.
Over time, Roman influence increased until Judea was fully subdued and ruled by Cyrenius, the Roman governor of Syria (Luke 2:2), whom Roman historians call Sulpitius Quirinus. At this point, the prophecy of dying Jacob was fulfilled: that Shiloh would come when the scepter had departed from Judah and the lawgiver from between his feet (Genesis 49:10). This was the first taxation in Judea, a sign of their subjugation, and so Shiloh must come to establish His kingdom.
Another important detail regarding the timing is that this registration took place during a time of universal peace in the empire. The temple of Janus was closed, which was never done if wars were ongoing. This made it a fitting time for the Prince of Peace to be born, during whose reign swords would be beaten into plowshares.
The place where our Lord Jesus was born is also very significant. He was born at Bethlehem, as foretold (Micah 5:2), as the scribes understood (Matthew 2:5–6), and as the common people knew (John 7:42). The name Bethlehem means “house of bread”—a fitting place for the birth of Him who is the Bread of Life, who came down from heaven. Bethlehem was also the city of David, where he was born, and so it was proper that He who was the Son of David should be born there too.
Zion was also called the city of David (2 Samuel 5:7), but Christ was not born there; Bethlehem was the city where David began in humility as a shepherd, and Christ, in humbling Himself, chose to be born there as well. When Mary was near her time, Providence arranged that, by imperial decree, all Roman subjects were to be registered. This meant giving their names to appointed officials to be recorded according to their families. Their being taxed was secondary; the main purpose was enrollment. They were likely required to affirm their allegiance to the Roman Empire, perhaps by reciting a set formula or paying a small tribute, a token of subjection—thus, they were officially listed as vassals.
The Jews, being careful to preserve their tribal and family records, ensured these details were noted during enrollment. They foolishly tried to keep the shadow after having lost the substance. Augustus’s motive may have been pride in counting his people or a political strategy to solidify his power; but Providence had a higher purpose. The entire empire was put through this registration process so that Joseph and Mary would be brought from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, because they were of David’s lineage (Luke 2:4-5).
Perhaps, being poor and obscure, they saw their royal ancestry more as a burden than a source of pride. Since Jews no longer kept to strict tribal boundaries, it seems unlikely that all were required to return to their ancestral cities; it may be that special instructions were given concerning the house of David because of its royal significance, so its numbers and influence could be closely monitored. God accomplished several purposes through this.
The virgin Mary was brought to Bethlehem while heavily pregnant, fulfilling the prophecy, even though she had planned to give birth in Nazareth. This shows how human plans are overruled by divine providence to fulfill Scripture. The event also confirmed that Jesus Christ was of David’s seed, since His mother’s journey to Bethlehem was due to her being of David’s house. This needed clear and documented proof. Early Christian writers like Justin Martyr and Tertullian appealed to these Roman records to verify that Christ was born of David’s house.
It also showed that He was born under the law, as a subject of the Roman Empire from birth—a servant of rulers (Isaiah 49:7). Many believe He was registered along with Mary and Joseph to demonstrate how He made Himself of no reputation and took the form of a servant. Instead of kings paying tribute to Him at His birth, He Himself became a tributary.
The circumstances of His birth were humble and marked by contempt. He was indeed a firstborn son, but born to a poor woman like Mary, who had no inheritance to offer Him as her firstborn, except in name.
He experienced some of the same humble beginnings common to all newborns—He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, as if He needed to be kept still and straight. The One who created the sea and wrapped it in darkness was Himself wrapped in cloths (Job 38:9). The Everlasting Father became a child of time, and people said of Him whose goings forth were from everlasting, “We know where this man is from” (John 7:27). The Ancient of Days became an infant.
He was also humbled in ways unique to Himself. He was born at an inn. The Son of David, the glory of His father’s house, had no place to call His own, even in David’s city—no friend to offer His mother a room in her time of need. He was born in an inn to show that He came into the world only to stay a little while, as in an inn, and to teach us to do the same. An inn welcomes all, and so does Christ. His sign is love, and whoever comes to Him, He will never cast out. Unlike other inns, He welcomes those without money or price; everything is free.
He was born in a stable—likely what we translate as a manger, a feeding place for animals. There was no room in the inn, and for lack of both convenience and necessity, He was laid in a manger instead of a cradle. Some say the term for swaddling clothes is related to tearing, suggesting they were worn or torn rags. His birth in a stable and lying in a manger was a sign of:
1. His parents’ poverty. If they had been wealthy, space would have been made for them, but being poor, they had to make do.
2. The corrupt and heartless character of that time, that a woman known for virtue and honor would be treated so harshly. Common decency should have prevented them from sending a woman in labor to a stable.
3. An expression of Christ’s own humility. We, through sin, had become like abandoned infants—helpless and forsaken; and Christ made Himself the same. Like Moses, the great prophet and lawgiver, who was abandoned in a basket, Christ was laid in a manger. In this way, He despised worldly glory and taught us to do the same. Since His own did not receive Him, we should not be surprised when the world does not receive us either.