Do We Have To Go?

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Again, it seems a strange thing to do just for a census -- after all, in most modern societies you're not required to move back to the place you were born, government just takes down your information right where you are -- but the Romans were under no illusions about how the Jews, or at least those not in leadership positions courtesy of their largesse, felt about them. Besides being Gentiles (and that term for non-Jews goes back BEFORE the descendants of Israel -- the person Jacob, not the country -- were called Jews; Gentiles first appears in Genesis 10:5, while Jews doesn't appear until 2 Kings 16:6, set thousands of years later) they're also the ones seen as the desecrators of the Temple, setting up their eagle standards all over the place, and the occupiers of the land that God gave to His chosen people, through Abraham Jacob's grandfather back in Genesis 15:5. Never mind the good that the Roman state has done with construction and protection and maintaining order, they're occupiers.

We don't know for sure where Joseph was born, whether he was born in Bethlehem and that's why he and his family had to go there or Nazareth where he was living at the time we read of in Luke 2:4. The former makes more sense to me, for certainly the Romans could have taken a census in Nazareth (and likely did) as well, but I digress. But I'm making a judgment call here by saying that as a newly married couple, Joseph and Mary -- from Matthew 1:24, after God's angel had visited Joseph and told him to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife despite her being pregnant with Jesus, God's Son -- were setting themselves up in Nazareth, Joseph in a thriving carpentry business (Jesus is called the carpenter's son in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3) and Mary as setting up their household. Then comes news of this census/registration/taxation and the migrating requirement. But only temporary. Joseph fit and Mary likely fit to burst had no grievances; they were up and on their way soon enough!

Ancestry was and is very important to Jewish life and culture. Being a descendant of Israel's greatest king David -- I'm told that name means both "faithful" and "beloved"; I long to live up to that since David is also MY name -- Joseph was often reminded of that. And you thought the family lists in the Bible, particularly the "begats" which introduce Matthew's gospel and Luke 3's genealogy were tough to read through; try memorizing them. But we have them because we need to see that Jesus did not just pop into history, He's part of a plan that God had been incubating for thousands of years, and that had been prophesied nearly as long. [For the earliest prophecy, look to Genesis 3:15 with Jesus the Christ playing the role of "her (Eve's) seed; (that) shall bruise (the serpent, as Satan's) head,".] God's plan of salvation, saving the human race, restoring us to fellowship with Him, has to work through human beings to ultimately have meaning. And such is Joseph and Mary, and you and me.