Advent Devotional Series: Week I

GOD’S WORD
Luke 2:4-6; Micha 5:2-5

Advent Devotional Series
The Journey of Mary and Joseph

LUKE 2:4-6

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Mary was well into her third trimester, and the birth of her son was at hand. As far as we know, Mary’s pregnancy had progressed normally with no major complications, at least as much as it could have in those ancient days of limited prenatal care. There were no concerns as to the safety of the pending delivery, that is, until Caesar decided to conduct a census of Judaea. The authorities wanted to gather information regarding individual property holdings for tax purposes. The empire saw an opportunity for a new stream of revenue and, as always, the most efficient way to gather that income was through taxes. Some things never change! It seems to me that taxation is the one constant throughout history, but that’s not really relevant in this story. 

The census would require travel. In Joseph and Mary’s case, the journey would take them roughly 80 miles from their home in Nazareth to Joseph’s boyhood home in Bethlehem. The trip would be arduous to say the least. But what was it like? Do we really have any idea? Probably not. Deacon Frederick Bartels provides us with the following details...”It was difficult, strenuous and highly dangerous. The gospels fail to convey just how challenging it was.  James Strange, a New Testament and biblical archeology professor, had this to say: Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke “are so laconic about the Nativity event because they assume the reader would know what it was like. We have no idea how difficult it was.”

How long would it have taken to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem? People could perhaps travel about twenty miles a day. However, given Mary’s late stage of pregnancy, that number would have been much less, perhaps around ten miles a day. This means their journey likely took place over a ten-day period.

The hazards were many. Wild animals, bandits, desert robbers—all these and more factored into the nature of the trip. The valley of the Jordan river was a forested refuge for lions, bears and wild boar. Archeologists have uncovered signs warning travelers of these kinds of dangers.

Assuming the Holy Family traveled in winter and Jesus was born in December (there’s no hard evidence indicating he was not), it’s possible the Holy Family may have encountered cold temperatures.  The record low for Bethlehem is 25° (since these records have been maintained, which is only recently). However, severe weather in the area of Nazareth and Bethlehem is rare. Normally in December and January, lows are around 41° with highs into the upper 40s and above (temperatures can reach into the 70s). Nevertheless, their travel experience was far different than it is today, lacking, as it did, modern-day conveniences made possible by a broad network of paved roads and automobiles. Consequently, warm clothing would be required for nighttime temperatures and a fire would need to be lit for warmth and to help stave off hungry predators. Additionally, rain is possible in the wet season, which runs from October through April.

For provisions, Mary and Joseph would have relied on bread, herbs and oil, with perhaps some dried fish as an extra protein-boosting treat. Water would need to be carried, perhaps in wineskins.

After such a long, dangerous and grueling trip, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, a name which means “house of bread.” It is fitting that the Christ-Child born there is the bread of life who gives himself—his flesh and blood—as food for eternal life. But, due to the census, Bethlehem is overcrowded. There is no room in the inn. There is no room for Mary and Joseph anywhere, except in a cave—likely on the lower level of the inn—used as a stable to house animals, probably the very animals travelers had relied upon to get to Bethlehem, travelers who perhaps had arrived earlier and were staying at the inn.

And while these details of the journey are interesting and bring new insight into the picture created for us in Luke’s account, the true worth of the journey can be summed up nicely by Deacon Bartels, “The omnipotent Creator of the universe assumes human flesh and is born of a poor, young Jewish virgin named Mary, birthed in a stable and laid in a manger of poverty. Heaven comes down to earth. The light of humanity enters the world through the womb of Mary, the Mother of God, where men shun and reject him. God becomes man and takes the form of a slave in service to all. And, all the while, the cross stands erect on the horizon of his earthly life as Jesus of Nazareth.”

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
    until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
    will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
    for he will be highly honored around the world.
5     And he will be the source of peace. (Micah 5:2-5)

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OUR CORPORATE PRAYER

Our Father who art in Heaven, hollowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come, and indeed, Father, it has come when Your Son entered the world. Father, we know that if we are going to be with You in Paradise or Heaven, we must repent of our sins. This is what You showed us and told us repeatedly while You journeyed the dusty roads on earth, going from town to town, telling all who would listen, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near." Oh, Father, thank You for coming to earth and redeeming mankind. Thank You for calling Mary and Joseph to bring Jesus into our world, and through their obedience, He—You—grew up and became the Christ of Calvary, the Savior of the world. To You, we give all the glory! We love You and praise You in the matchless and holy name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master, Amen.