It was a well-known fact that in Jewish tradition, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. The problem was that Mary and Joseph didn’t live in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth of Galilee. I’m sure that Mary, being a good student of scripture would have known this bit of information. She probably studied the events surrounding the birth of the Messiah, especially given her immediate circumstance. She may have wondered, how in the world is God going to pull this off? How will Jesus be born in Bethlehem when we live here in Nazareth? Then one day, Joseph comes and tells her of a new census mandated by the emperor that requires everyone to go to their city of origin to be counted and pay taxes. Then it hits her, God is at work!
This story can serve as a reminder to us that when God tells us that something is going to happen, we can have confidence in what He says. It will happen! No matter what the situation may look like, hold on to what He says.
Wendell Butler