The Birth Of Jesus

It would have been a painful time for Mary and Joseph after she returns from her 3 month visit with Elizabeth. Joseph is confused and believes he should end the engagement quietly until an angel intercedes and explains that the Holy Spirit had planted the seed in her womb and that she will bear a son named Immanuel (God with us). As descendants of David, Joseph and Mary were required to return to Bethlehem. Since Mary was also of the House of David, she too, was probably required to enroll. In Syria, the Roman Province in which the Holy Land was located, girls 12 years and over were required to pay a poll tax. When viewed from a human perspective, the couple came to Bethlehem because it was required by the law. From the divine perspective, however, God was acting providentially to bring them to the place where Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be born. (From:When The Good News Gets Even Better)