Friday the 13th. Luke 2:1-5

Tonight we read about Mary & Joseph's trek to Bethlehem. We all remember the church pageants with our kids playing the roles of Mary & Joseph. We all remember the Charlie Brown Christmas Special when Linus tells us what the real meaning of Christmas is.

Part of our reading focuses on Joseph's familial lineage. We also get a clue into when all this happened. Augustus Caesar was ruler of all of Rome. Caesar decided that he would hold the first census. But instead of mailing questionnaires or people going door-to-door, the people who were originally from Bethlehem and other places would have to come to Bethlehem to be counted. We don't see specifically why these censuses were started. 

      It was about that same time that Augustus Caesar sent out an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that everyone’s name must be put on a list. This was the first counting of all the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  Everyone traveled to their own hometowns to have their name put on the list. 
   So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.)
  
This is the best explanation of this I have found. I will add the link as well. This seems to be a pretty good site.

Contents: Birth of Jesus.

Characters: Jesus, Caesar, Augustus,  Joseph, Mary.

Conclusion: Jesus Christ, in the fullness of time was brought into the world according to divine counsels. Although born amid the meanest circumstances, His humiliation was attended by discoveries of His glory and His coming was announced as glad tidings to all people. From His childhood days He showed forth some of the rays of His glory in the divine wisdom which He manifested.   Luke 2:1-5