Carson Village, Birmingham, Alabama
In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,to Bethlehem the town of David.~ Luke 2:1,3,4
It’s not only Christmas Eve, but it’s also the day we celebrated my younger brother, David’s birthday. I was 4 ½ years old when he was born two days before Christmas, and as we grew up, I often commented that he was the worst Christmas present I ever received. LOL. We didn’t get along well at all when we were kids (my poor mother!), and it’s only by the Grace of God Himself, that we love each other and enjoy one another’s company as adults (and I’m certain a ton of prayers lifted up by my Mom).
David came over this afternoon to hang out and enjoy dinner and a movie. When Blaine and I were raising our boys, it was tradition for the birthday person to choose whatever they wanted Mom to make for their birthday dinner, so we extended that to David. What did he order? Out of the abundance of foods he could ask for? Fried potatoes and onions. And he wouldn’t commit to requesting anything else, so I chose to try my hand once again at cube steaks (it just sounded better than hot dogs 😊), and Blaine chose corn. Rather than being tough (as usual), I found a recipe on Pinterest that proved it’s claim to tenderness!
When David sent the picture to Mom, she replied, “She always was a little backward.”
Thanks, Mom! LOL
Four cube steaks, one pack beef onion soup mix, 2 C. water and some flour. That’s it!
Coat the steaks with flour (salt/pepper/garlic powder if desired), brown on both sides in vegetable oil,
place in a 9 x 9 pan, mix the water and soup mix together and pour over top.
Bake for one hour at 350.
Yummy, cut-with-a-fork deliciousness!!
We thought the cartoon was hysterical!
After dinner, we watched the movie, “The Nativity Story”. I absolutely LOVE this movie! It really brings the times Jesus was born into, to life! And it mostly follows scripture, with some creative license, of course. I cry every single time Jesus is born, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Such a great and unimaginable Gift He is!!
David’s birthday cake? Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cake! We were all too full to add ice cream, though. I know I’ve shared that recipe before, but if you missed it, you can find it on the back of the Hershey Special Dark cocoa can. Make sure you have your magnifying glass handy, because the print’s really small!
Happy Birthday, dear David!! 
For today’s study, I’d like to look at the worldly reasons for the trip to Bethlehem for just a moment.
When exactly was, ‘In those days . . .”? When Caesar Augustus ruled. (From March 15, 44BC – August 19, 14AD). He died at the age of 75, either from natural causes or possibly poisoned by his wife, Livia. He was succeeded by his adopted son, Tiberius whose mother was Livia (hence the possible poisoning). Augustus was the great nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar.
Caesar Augustus was born Gaius Octavius on September 23, 63 B.C., in Velletri, Italy. Julius Caesar, his great-uncle, took an interest in Augustus. When Julius Caesar was murdered, Augustus discovered that he was Julius’s heir to the throne. He was 18 years old. Before Augustus could gain the throne, however, he was forced to battle the armies of both Cleopatra VII and Marc Antony (of the infamous Antony and Cleopatra fame. He’s also the guy who appointed Herod the Great (the Christmas story) to the throne). Cleopatra & Antony had their own plans for power following Julius Caesar’s death. Augustus ended up victorious, and during his rule as Egypt’s first Roman emperor, the country was peaceful and prosperous. Augustus died on August 19, 14 A.D., in Nola, which is near Naples, Italy.
Augustus was a master of propaganda. This statue is but one of many that were erected throughout the Empire during his reign. Augustus recognized that the vast majority of his subjects would never see him in life but could view him in the carefully controlled context of officially sanctioned, produced, and distributed statuary. (I picked up this paragraph on-line somewhere many years ago. I have no idea where it came from.)
Marble copy of bronze original – 6’8” tall
c. 20BC
Augustus may have been considered a great ruler, but his personal life was filled with disfunction. To share a small example, August married three times, although his first union to Mark Antony’s stepdaughter, Clodia Pulchra, was unconsummated. His second wife, Scribonia, bore his only child, Julia the Elder. He divorced in 39BC to marry Livia Drusilla, who had two sons – Tiberius and Drusus – by her first husband, Mark Antony’s ally Tiberius Claudius Nero (not the Emperor we know). The family tree became more complicated after August had his stepson Tiberius briefly marry his daughter, and then adopted Tiberius outright as son and successor in 4AD. FYI – Tiberius was the Roman Emperor when John the Baptist began his ministry in the desert. There is sooo much more to be learned on-line, if you want to check him out further.
What about Quirinius? Not as much is known about him. He was the governor of Syria. His full name was Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (c. 51 BC – AD 21) and he was a Roman aristocrat. After the banishment of Herod Archelaus (by Caesar Augustus) from the tetrarchy of Judea, Quirinius was appointed legate governor of Syria, to which the province of Judea had been added for the purpose of a census. Herod Archelaus was the son and successor of Herod the Great (who had the babies killed). Archelaus was the man Joseph was afraid of when he was told to leave Egypt. And this is why Joseph was directed to go to Galilee, because Archelaus didn’t rule that province, his brother Antipas did. Antipas was the guy who reluctantly had John the Baptist beheaded and was part of the crucifixion plot against Jesus.
Did both Joseph and Mary have to make the 90-mile trip to Bethlehem? Besides it being mandatory for the fulfillment of prophecy, they had to go to register so Caesar could get an account of the taxes due him. In Syria, the Roman province in which Palestine was located, women 12 years of age and older were required to pay a poll tax and therefore to register. A poll tax was a tax levied on every adult, without reference to income or resources. It was the poll tax they tried to trap Jesus with when He said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. In all, Jews paid about 25% of their income to the temple, 10-20% tax on crops, a 1% poll tax, plus taxes on income, customs duties, tolls on roads and bridges, taxes on animals and vehicles, a salt tax, a sales tax, and more. It’s a wonder they had anything left to live on! )
These are the two reasons Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem – to satisfy both God and King. Fulfillment of a prophecy made 700 years earlier (Micah 5:2), and fulfillment of Caesar’s decree. And not to dismantle your thoughts about this, but the Bible never says when they actually arrived. It also doesn’t tell us that they were rushing around trying to find a place to stay while Mary was in labor. Sorry.
Besides learning some history, what is the lesson here? God is in control of every single detail! For hundreds of years! His Plan is always perfect! And He does it all because He loves us!
Happy Christmas Eve!