Government and militaristic power are turned upside-down (Luke 2:1-14)
One of the most powerful and wealthy governments in the ancient world was that of the Romans, and the Christmas story in Luke’s account begins with reference to Rome’s mighty government. Luke’s account of Jesus life says:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Luke 2:1
The future emperor Caesar Augustus was born ‘Gaius Octavius’, and often simply known as Octavian. His mother was the daughter of Julia, sister of Julius Caesar. Octavian won several decisive battles, and he became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire in 36 BC. Augustus achieved final victory over his enemies in 30 BC, in a battle near Alexandria, when famously, both Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide. In this way Octavian ended nearly a century of civil war that had ravaged the Roman world. Later, the Roman Senate gave him a new title “Augustus the illustrious”
and from then on Octavian styled himself as Emperor Caesar Augustus. A decree of the province of Asia in 9 BC declared that “providence has sent Augustus as a saviour for us and our descendants." The same decree changed the calendar so that the New Year would begin on September 23rd, Augustus’ birthday, designating him also as a god and his birth as “the beginning of the gospel (good news) for the world.” So, what Luke records about the birth of Jesus is a surprise, and dangerously subversive. Luke takes the word “gospel” used for Augustus and applies it to baby Jesus, born to an unmarried peasant woman in backwater Bethlehem. Surprise, Caesar and your wealthy, militaristic government in Rome! At the time of Jesus’ birth Augustus had the power to decide what the whole Roman world should do. But the hubris of Augustus and the counting of his kingdom, is merely the setting for the birth of Jesus and the impetus for God’s promise being fulfilled, that the Messiah would be born in the out of the way town, Bethlehem.
The “gospel” message of Jesus and Augustus cannot both be true. One is modelled on serving in weakness and vulnerability, a king who died on a cross and rose again. The other is of political and military power that crushes all who stand in the way. One kingdom advanced through forgiveness, grace, the other by the sword and taking as much as you can for yourself (and then enjoying counting it).
What are some of the ways we are drawn to give allegiance to the good news that “Rome” offers? How is the good news of Jesus ultimately better than Caesars?
Simon Hill - Simon enjoys thinking and writing about theology, particularly seeing it become practical. His academic and professional experience has been in engineering, theology and ministry.
Photo by Brett Sayles: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-holding-shield-statue-2022650/
Other Surprised by Jesus articles
1. Overturned religion, power and importance
2. A disturbed ruler
3. The wise worship a baby
