Today is the second Sunday of Advent. If your family is doing an Advent wreath this is the day we light the second candle on the Advent wreath—the Bethlehem Candle. The Bethlehem Candle recalls the preparations Mary and Joseph made for Jesus’ birth. As most of you know, I, am a father. I have done the preparations for birth with Liela many times (four times to be exact). A quick trip to the website What To Expect will give you some great tips to prepare for the time of the birth of your child This list includes some simple things like:
- Call ahead to the Hospital/Birthing Center as you near your due date.
- Map out your route to the Hospital/Birthing Center (and importantly, an alternate route in case of traffic)
- Check your bag
- Plan for care takers (for those with other children)
- Keep the house running. Make arrangements for any children, pets, plants and mail or newspaper deliveries.
And even: - Buy (and install) the infant car seat. Who’d a thought they won’t let you take a baby home without one of these.
I remember this list. I am not thinking there is one thing on this list that was even on Mary and Joseph’s radar. What do you think was on their mind as the prepared for the birth of our Savior? I can bet is wasn’t a Roman Census either. And yet, it was on God’s mind.
Luke 2 “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.” (vs 1-5)
When one of our children was born we lived a ways away from our hospital of choice. And we had a car. On the morning of our sons birth when leaving the house to head to the hospital I realized that we needed gas if we were going to make it to the Hospital (probably should add that to the list above). I was so excited I drove away from the gas pump without putting the 
pump handle back on the pump. Good thing gas pumps have safety releases and check valves.
Even with a car and a now full tank of gas it wasn’t the trip of 90 miles between Nazareth and Bethlehem that Mary and Joseph would have to take. And they had to make that trip on foot.
I am here to tell you, if I lived in Nazareth and my wife was approaching the chronos time of the baby’s birth, there is no way I would embark on such a journey with her. Round trip this was 180 miles to get her back home. What if God’s Kairos time came while we were traveling? No way I would take the risk. And besides, who would ever know that you skipped out? It’s not like today and our census participation. There were no social security numbers, IRS forms and census tracking or the like. Just people.
Obedience.
Obedience, its not some soft syrupy word. It’s a gritty hard word. It challenges us to do what we do not want to do.
In Micah God spoke through His prophet:
“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.”
It’s one of those 300+ prophecies we discussed last week. And it came true because Joseph and Mary were obedient. Over and over in just a few chapters about the season leading up to Jesus birth we see examples of obedience.
Mary willingly agreed to God’s plan for her to mother the Christ child. Imagine if she had said no. How would that have played out with Elizabeth already with child (John the Baptist)?
Joseph agreed to trust God and not put Mary away by divorce, publicly or privately.
Mary had agreed to keep herself pure, as a virgin. Another prophecy fulfilled. (Isaiah 7:14)
And here we have the obedience to the decree of Rome, despite the difficulties it seemed to create. Sometimes the Lord will use the most nonspiritual thing as the vehicle to fulfilling His purposes. Like a decree from Rome. Even in your life. If God can use a Roman decree to move Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem so His plan and purpose could be fulfilled He just might be using that situation your facing to fulfill His purpose in you.
Obedience. Simple, yet so difficult. I wonder how much we struggle with obeying God. Imagine if your obedience is the key to someone else’s victory. The fulfillment of someone else’s prophecy hangs in the balance of your obedience? Perhaps it is the key to your very own victory or the fulfillment of your prophetic destiny. This week I am thankful for the obedience of Mary and Joseph. Today I am challenged to live a life of obedience.