Anticipate Detail

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. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn..—Luke 2:1-7

It's worth reading this scripture a couple of times. It's the only recorded account of the birth of Jesus in all of the four Gospels. And while this is the case, the details are stunning. It appears that the most powerful man in the Roman Empire was exerting his influence through the demand of a worldwide census, but we all know another narrative is at work. The Caesar was not dictating this moment—God was. God is the ruler of even the smallest details. Note these Old Testament predictions about this moment. The prospect that any one person would satisfy eight prophecies was just 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Now, this is real influence and real detail.

• Bethlehem as the birthplace—Micah 5:2
• The virgin birth of a boy—Isaiah 7:14
• The seed of woman (therefore human and divine)—Genesis 3:15
• A ruler of Israel to be born—Micah 5:2
• Of the lineage of David who was also born in Bethlehem—Isaiah 9:6-7
• A King from the line of David—Isaiah 11:1
• A new kingdom that will never end—2 Samuel 7:16
• A new king David will come from David—Jeremiah 23:5

DO THIS: Praise God for His detail.

PRAY THIS: God, thank you for giving us your son and the remarkable detail that provides me with even more reason to believe.