Augustus and Quirinius

Luke 2:1-3
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.
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Augustus and Quirinius
St. Luke gives us two very specific names in his account of Jesus’ birth: Augustus and Quirinius. These are real people, living in specific times and places, used by God to fulfill His plan of salvation. God is not a distant God, uninvolved or unmoved by His creation. He is intimately involved with us. Luke shows this by recording these two names.
Unlike many false religions, who set their beliefs in myth and legend, surrounded by fanciful stories of imaginary gods and heroes, the history of Christianity is rooted in the here and now, on this earth, and is accounted for in the historical record. Why? Because our God is real! He works through real people to accomplish real things. Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Joseph, Mary, Augustus, Quirinius – all were real people. They lived and breathed and died as humans.
And just as they were real, our Savior, Jesus is real. He lived a life attested to in history, whose events were preserved in the historical record, so that we would have no reason to doubt the events in His life. No reason to doubt the virgin birth, the miracles, the healings, and blessings. No reason to doubt His suffering, His cross, His death. No reason to doubt His resurrection and ascension, His promises, and His Sacraments. So we would have no reason to doubt our salvation through Him.