Why did Mary have to go to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus?

Answer 1

AnswerAccording to Matthew's Gospel, the magi travelled to Bethlehem to worship Jesus and to bring him gifts.

However, many scholars believe that Matthew's magi did not really exist. John Shelby Spong (A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that among people he knows in New Testament circles, the universal assumption is that the magi, or wise men, were not actual people. Matthew was writing Christian midrash, with the purpose of telling his readers that even the priests from Persia would have wanted to honour Jesus.

Answer 2

Bishop Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that among people he knows in New Testament circles, the universal assumption is that the magiwere not actual people. So, not just Spong but those of his acquaintance believe that Matthew was writing Christian midrash. The magi did not really come to Bethlehem, from the east or otherwise.

Hwever, it is possible to say why Matthew portrayed them as coming from the east. The magi were priests of the Zoroastrian religion of Persia. Matthew was demonstrating that the priests of this great religion wished to worship the baby Jesus. He was also associating the virgin birth of Jesus with the virgin birth of the Zoroastrian religion's hoped-for Saoshyant who, in many ways resembles Jesus.

Answer 3

She was going to be his wife and there was what is called a census. In those times during a census one had to take themselves and their family to the place were they where born. That's why she went with him.

Answer 4

A:In Matthew's Gospel, yes, they did. However John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that among people he knows in New Testament circles, the universal assumption is that the magi were not actual people, and that Matthew was simply writing Christian midrash. So, historically this did not really happen.

Answer 5

Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to register with the Roman Government. Unbeknown to anyone God planned that Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem so that a prophecy about the Messiah could be fulfilled, and that prophecy was that the coming Messiah would come out of Bethlehem. Jesus the Christ fulfilled that prophecy when He was born to Mary in Bethlehem.

Answer 6

A:

In Luke's Gospel, the census of Quirinius, undertaken in 6 CE, required Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. They returned from Bethlehem to their home in Galilee soon after the birth of Jesus. The census was ordered by Emperor Augustus after Judea was made a direct province of Rome, so that Rome could calculate the taxes to be collected in Judea. Scholars say it is unclear why a resident of Galilee would need to participate in the census, as Galilee remained autonomous and therefore exempt from Roman taxes.

In Matthew's Gospel, Joseph and Mary did not need to travel to Bethlehem, as they already lived there. However, they were forced to flee to Egypt soon after the birth of Jesus, and remained there probably for several years until Herod, king of Judea, had died.

Answer 7

Mary and Joseph were required to go to Bethlehem for a census ordered by the Roman authorities. Bethlehem was Joseph's ancestral hometown, so they had to travel there together for the census, even though Mary was close to giving birth to Jesus.

Answer 8

According to the roman decree , they went to Bethlehem , as it was Josephs hometown.