God Moves The Nations

Think of what a small event it seemed to be! There was a man, and there was a woman. The woman was but a teenager, pregnant, and ready any day to give birth. This man and woman found themselves far from home, down in the province of Judea, in the town of Bethlehem.

While they were there, they couldn’t get a room at the local inn, so they had to settle for less than four star accommodation. Whether it was actually a barn, or a stable, or a cave is anyone’s guess. But as they settled into the humble place given them for their lodging, the time came for the baby to be delivered. And the baby was born.

Again, think of what a small event it seemed to be. To be sure, the arrival of a new child is an incredible experience—few things compare. Certainly Joseph and Mary were very excited at the birth of their first-born, a son. But so what? Nowadays, they say a baby’s born into this world every few seconds. The birth-rate was slower in that time, but even so, in the grand scheme of things, what was the birth of a child? Hardly a momentous occasion.

For after the birth of this child, the world just keeps on turning. Everyone else carries on with their lives as before. Yes, by every appearance, it was a small, even a tiny event: a baby is born—what has a baby ever accomplished? Born in some quiet corner of Palestine—hardly a centre of world power! To anyone, the birth of a Jewish boy in Bethlehem would’ve seemed miles away from relevance or importance. That’s how it might’ve seemed then, and that’s how it could seem still today.

Bethlehem was, after all, just a tiny town within a little province; a little province within an insignificant region; an insignificant region within a vast world empire. If it was only an Israelite moment, this birth truly was a trivial event: He was only a small Jewish Saviour, for a small Jewish people.

But what happened in Bethlehem was a moment of great consequence and meaning. The world didn’t stop turning that day, but the world would never be the same. And we can see this, even on that day when the child is born. For to bring about this moment, God moves the nations, even moving the greatest empire the world has ever seen. I preach to you from Luke 2:1-5 on this theme,

Caesar Augustus sends the parents of Jesus to Bethlehem:

1) a decree issued in the power of the emperor

2) a decree issued in the power of the LORD

1) it is a decree issued in the power of the emperor: In the ears of many people today, “empire” is a bad word. Typically, the “empires” and “emperors” of world history aren’t viewed very favourably. For emperors rule without accountability, and wage war without mercy. Empires extend their tentacles to every corner, reaching for more power and more wealth.

At the time of the birth of Jesus, there was an empire, and a great one at that. Roman imperialism was just now reaching the height of its power and control. In recent times, the empire had expanded dramatically. No longer restricted to the “boot” of Italy, the empire had marched all the way around the Mediterranean Sea: Greece, Turkey and into Mesopotamia; down into Palestine, Egypt; across North Africa; up into Spain and France; and north into the hinterlands of Europe, even as far as Britain.

Everywhere they went, the legions of the Roman army did battle with the assorted nations and barbarian tribes who dared to oppose them. And the Romans vanquished many with their strict discipline, their superior weapons, and their fine-tuned warfare strategy.

When Jesus was born, this great empire hadn’t even been in existence very long—at least, not as an empire. Rome and her territories had previously been a republic, ruled by a body of senators and officials. But as the Roman state had grown larger and larger, it’d become very difficult for a group of rulers to maintain control. As a result, Rome was divided for years by civil wars and in-fighting among the generals.

This situation couldn’t last—and so gradually the republic of Rome became the empire of Rome. No longer ruled by the top class of citizens or a combination of generals, but ruled by one man who came to have supreme power: an emperor.

And the very first emperor of Rome was none other than the one we encounter in our text: Caesar Augustus. He convinced the Roman people to give up their right to govern themselves; they granted him all power to make decisions on their behalf. In return, he’d end the civil wars, and he’d provide stability and wealth. So it was that in a few short years, Augustus had gathered to himself an absolute authority.