At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.
He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
Luke 2:1-7 (NLT)
Jesus was born in a very rocky political climate. His people were ruled by foreigners. Herod, the Jewish king, was a figurehead and an illegitimate one at that. The Emperor Augustus made policy decisions that were bad for the economy but good for his chances to stay in power.
One such policy was the census. This was unlike the census taken in America every 10 years. This Roman census decreed that everyone must to go to their ancestral town for to be counted. Back then, traveling wasn’t just a one or two day inconvenience. For many people It meant packing up their lives and traveling for weeks on foot, horse, camel or donkey. If you were a craftsman like Joseph it meant uprooting your business. It meant the risk of losing your regular customers and having to start again. This was bad for the economy and it was grossly inconvenient to the masses.
Yet, God used it! Jesus was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy. Jesus was born in the city of David as a descendant of David. These facts were fulfilled prophecies that helped prove Jesus was the messiah.
When your political party or candidate is in power, do you rest easier? When the other guys are in power are you less restful? Why? The God of Christmas used bad leaders and bad policies to bring about His plan. That same God is alive and well today.
Christmas proves that God is indeed in control. Don’t worry. His plan will never be stopped. People will one day be able to look back at the things frustrating you in politics today and see how God used it for His plan and for our good.