Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem in order to fulfill this ancient prophecy. This was the plan God had established before the foundation of the world. Therefore, in accordance with God’s plan, the ruling power of Caeser was used to call for a taxation that would require Joseph and Mary to comply with a deadline which would place them in the city of Bethlehem at the time of birth. God orders the steps of men, women, boys, and girls and governs the world according to his divine providence. The birth of Jesus puts God’s providence on display.

“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34).

When you think of Babe Ruth as a baseball player, you typically associate him with New York. The overwhelming majority of his career was spent as a member of the New York Yankees major league baseball team. Although he played for three teams throughout his career, after debuting with the Boston Red Sox organization in 1914, he was traded to the Yankees in 1920. He would play baseball for the Yankees from 1920-1934. During his time as a Yankee he broke the all-time home run barrier and became the iconic face of the sport. Although he played one final season in 1935 with the Boston Braves, Babe Ruth will forever be remembered as a Yankee.

As you read through the New Testament, you find sixteen different references to Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth.” While Jesus was a common name during this era, it was likewise common to associate a person with their hometown. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he grew up in Nazareth as the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus spent much time in Joseph’s carpenter shop as a boy learning the trade of his earthly father. While not much is provided for us in the pages of Scripture regarding Jesus’ relationship with Joseph, Jesus became known as Jesus of Nazareth as a fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23).

The title itself is a clear reference to Jesus’ humanity. As you see the scene unfolding in the fourth chapter of Luke, Jesus enters the city of Capernaum in Galilee. The city of Capernaum is approximately 31 miles away from Nazareth. When Jesus enters the city, he spends time teaching them on the Sabbath. According to Luke 4:32, Jesus was preaching with authority and the people were astonished. It was during this Sabbath sermon that a man with a demon began to disrupt the teaching of Jesus by screaming out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”1

According to Luke 4:34, we have a reference to Jesus’ humanity and his deity in one demonic sentence. However, the statement by the demon to Jesus of Nazareth is important because it points to Jesus’ human nature. Jesus was a real man—not a deity dressed up in a costume. Any serious study of Jesus must unpack the truth that Jesus was born as a real man and walked this earth in human flesh. While specific heretical groups have denied Jesus’ humanity, Louis Berkhof has rightly stated, “It can only be denied, however, by setting aside the explicit testimony of the Word of God.”2

 This grand truth must not be minimized. Apart from the humanity of Jesus, the gospel will be incomplete.

Bethlehem: The Birth of Jesus

We must always remember that history is controlled by God. Said another way, history is His story. What better way to see this truth than through the unfolding birth of Jesus. Consider the way God providentially arranged every detail to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem when she was great with child.

The man occupied the throne during this time period was Caesar Augustus. He was referenced as Caesar the magnificent or Caesar the transcendent one.  He was a brutal ruler who demanded full submission to his throne. At one point Caesar executed 300 members of the senate of Rome.  Needless to say, his rule was unmatched and people listened to him or they suffered brutal consequences for opposing his throne.

Caesar Augustus’ given name was Gaius Octavius. He was known as Octavian.  He would later be awarded the name of Augustus by the Roman senate.  Augustus means revered one. The August One.  The title Caesar is a term that means king. Caesar Augustus was known as “The revered King.”

The people of Rome worshipped Caesar Augustus. They highly respected and honored him because of his fierce authority and leadership success from the throne. He ruled for 45 years and over that span, he created the Pax Romana which was a Roman peace that benefited the entire Roman empire. The people respected him so much that they literally called him the savior of the world. That statement was found etched in stone in the city of Rome.

In order for the king to get the people to cooperate with the taxation policy and for it to be as accurate as possible, they would need to travel back to their birthplace and go through a proper registration. Keep in mind, this was long before the modern information age and during such primitive settings it would be necessary to fill out proper paperwork for a registration process. This would include providing information such as name, occupation, property ownership, and family members.  This would allow Rome to assess their military position and tax everyone in an accurate manner. 

God used a King and global politics in order to fulfill His master plan. This is what we call the providence of God. We must never forget the words of Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” God used a wicked ruler to accomplish his divine plan which involved moving Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born.

Why was it necessary for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem? The name Bethlehem means “The House of Bread.”  Therefore, some have suggested that Jesus is “The Bread of Life” who came down from Heaven, so He should be born in Bethlehem.  Others have suggested that King David had been born in the city of Bethlehem and Jesus was the King who would fulfill the rule of David’s throne which necessitates Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. While these are great points, there is a clear prophecy made in Micah 5:2 that reads:

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.

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