The Journey with Jesus
As we are approaching Christmas Day, I couldn’t help but think about what was happening “Christmas Eve” in the Bible. Of course during the time leading up to Jesus’ birth, there wasn’t a “Christmas Eve” or “Christmas Day”. However there were things happening just prior to Jesus birth. I started to think about Mary and Joseph and the journey they had to take. This journey was recorded in Luke 2:1-6 and is provided below.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Let’s briefly consider the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem was not easy in that day. The distance was about 80-90 miles and there were two primary routes they would have taken.
The Jordan River Valley Route: This was the more likely path for Jewish travelers of the time. It avoided the hills of Samaria by traveling east through the Jezreel Valley, following the Jordan River south to Jericho, and then making a steep ascent toward Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This route was flatter and had better access to water, though it was slightly longer at approximately 90 miles.
The Central Hill Country Route: A more direct but physically demanding route that went straight south through the rugged hills of Samaria. While shorter (roughly 80 miles), it involved significantly more elevation changes and passed through regions that many Jews avoided due to cultural tensions with Samaritans.
Possible routes taken by Mary and Joseph as they traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem; adapted from the ESV Bible Atlas Map.
Either route Mary and Joseph took, it would have required physical stamina, time, and resources to complete the journey successfully. What’s interesting to consider is Joseph didn’t have to take Mary with him since only he was required to go back to Bethlehem for the census. However, there could have been two practical reasons Mary went with Joseph and at least one supernatural reason.
First, there may have been difficult social situations brewing in the town of Nazareth with Mary’s pregnancy. Even though they were betrothed to each other and were considered married, sexual relations were prohibited at this point in the relationship. Therefore Mary should not have been pregnant by normal means. The fact that she was could have created tensions between friends and family and unecessary stress for both Mary and Joseph. Taking a trip away from the town could have been a good thing for them.
Second, it is assumed Joseph knew how long the journey would take and perhaps he didn’t want to leave Mary alone while she was pregnant to deal with things by herself (especially considering some of the social stresses that could have been taking place). Mary also may have been toward the end of her pregnancy and knowing how long the journey would take, perhaps Joseph wanted to make sure he was there to support her during child birth.
Third, from a supernatural perspective, it was prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Roughly 700 years before Jesus birth, Micah 5:2 states, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Therefore, whether Joseph thought to bring Mary because of the practical reasons highlighted above or not, it was determined by God that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. God determined that Mary and Joseph would take part in ushering Jesus into this world.
Considering these things brought to my mind that life is a journey. There are many situations we will be faced with. There will be many roads we will travel. There will be good times and there will be challenging times. We will be faced with a myriad of decisions, some significant, and some seemingly miniscule. At the end of the journey though, our life on this earth will end. We will continue on to a place called Heaven or to a place called Hell.
The only way to escape Hell and make it to Heaven, is with Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Relating to Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it was not an easy journey. It had it’s ups and downs and it required dedication. It actually required obedience. In the end, their journey was successful because waiting at the end of it was Jesus, the Savior of the World, the Lord of lords and King of kings!
We have a choice today as well. We can take the easy road that leads to destruction or we can take the road that will be harder, but it leads to life everlasting. Not all roads lead to Heaven. There is only one and His name is Jesus! Our life’s journey may be long or it may be short, either way, the journey is better with Jesus!