1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:1-7)
In this passage we see that there was a census, and everyone went to their own cities to register. Joseph, a descendant of David, went from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, the city of David, to register with Mary, his betrothed wife. While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth, and she gave birth to the Lord Jesus in a manger, because the inn was full. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was not born in a palace, but in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals, a humble place.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)
This Old Testament passage prophesied about the Lord Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Here we see the Holy Spirit inspired those in authority to conduct a census to fulfill God’s purpose and bring about the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy of the Lord Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)
This passage is the parallel passage about the birth of Jesus. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him that his fiancée’s would bear a child from the Holy Spirit and that he should name him Jesus. The name “Jesus” means that he would save his people from their sins. Here we see that God can speak to people through dreams, but not all dreams are from God. Some come from God, some from demons, and some from oneself.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14).
The verse in the book of Isaiah of the Old Testament prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and that his name would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.(John 3:13)
The Son of Man here refers to the Lord Jesus. He came down from heaven and was already in heaven before His birth. He is the Word incarnated in the flesh.
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (John 6:38)
This verse once again says that the Lord Jesus came down from heaven and was sent to earth by the Father. He did not come to do His own will, but the will of the Father.
May God bless you and your family!
