"O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?” (Deut. 3:24)
Let’s begin by defining sovereignty: possessing power to such an extent that the one with the power controls the outcome. What is the desired outcome according to Ephesians 1:4? “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Eph. 1:4)
Before the creation of the world, from that instance in timeless eternity when God decided to create man (Genesis 1:26), the sovereignty of God was at work to make us like Him, holy and blameless. Knowing all things, He knew that creating and choosing us would require the cross; and the cross would require the stable.
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4)
In the “fullness of time” everything that had ever occurred from eternity past to that very moment came together for this heart and world changing event in a crude stable in the insignificant town of Bethlehem. The who, the what, the when, and the where are all perfectly orchestrated parts of God’s perfect plan to make our redemption and our perfection possible.
Evidence of God’s sovereignty is demonstrated in a very significant, but most often overlooked figure involved in the birth of Christ. He is not represented in the nativity scenes that adorn our homes, which is fitting as there is no record of him having ever set foot in Judea. Yet, he is the very one God used to make sure His Son’s birth occurred according to Old Testament prophesy. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. " (Micah 5:2)
This significant figure is Caesar Augustus. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” (Luke 2:1) God made him the most powerful leader in the world to accomplish a much greater divine purpose than he ever knew.
Before becoming Caesar Augustus in 27B.C., Octavian, the grandnephew and heir apparent of Julius Caesar, was an active member of the Roman Senate and military during a time when continuous war expanded the empire. The borders of the Roman Republic had been continually stretched, but the power of Rome had not brought any continuity or peace. Up until Augustus came into power in 27BC, conflict characterized the vast area. However, under Augustus, the Roman Empire experienced the relief and benefits of peace – Pax Romana. He made peace the priority of his reign as emperor.
In the longest reign of any Roman Caesar (44 years), Augustus achieved great things that affected the entire civilized world, especially Israel. Before he was even emperor, Augustus was instrumental in getting Herod appointed ‘client king’ of Israel. Because of their close friendship, Israel enjoyed unprecedented religious and political freedom with only limited interference from Rome. Both Mary and Joseph were born and grew up under the political power and benefits brought about by Caesar Augustus.
· He had fleets built and suppressed piracy so that the Mediterranean Sea was safe for trading. This vastly improved the economy of all areas of the empire.
· He limited foreign wars by deciding not to expand Roman any further. He established natural boundaries for the Empire that were easily identifiable and defendable: Atlantic Ocean to the west; Rhine and Danube to the north; Euphrates to the east and the Deserts of Arabia and Africa to the south.
· He restored the rule of law and constitutional government with established police forces, a workable court system and definable justice. (This becomes significant 53 years later in the way Jesus died thus fulfilling prophecy, as well as Paul’s legal protection from the Jewish extremists.) This centralized judicial system established the common legal languages of Latin and Greek throughout the civilized world, which enabled the vast spreading of the Gospel.
· He established a tax system so that salaries rather than spoils paid for the army and public services. Paid soldiers built roads and bridges that connected the empire. These roads made possible the timely arrival of the magi, the escape to Egypt by the Holy Family, and the missionary journeys of Acts. These taxes were also used for building projects such as water and sewage systems that employed and benefited the people directly.
Augustus initiated a census to create a reasonable and fair tax system. By doing so he gathered accurate information on the resources of his empire and attempted to equalize the burden of taxation. It was the census degreed halfway through his reign as Emperor that brought Joseph and Mary from their home village of Nazareth to the little town of his ancestry, Bethlehem. This world-wide event set the stage of an event that would change the world. The decree that went out from the throne room of Rome first went out from the throne room of heaven.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isa. 55:10,11)
Interestingly, Roman literature credits the reign of Caesar Augustus as the turning point of history:
Now is come the last age –
the great line of the centuries begins anew.
How the Virgin returns, the reign of Saturn returns;
now a new generation descends from heaven on high.
Only do thou … smile on the birth of the child under whom
the iron brood shall cease,
and a golden race spring up
throughout the world.
(Virgil Eclogues IV:4-10)
In 330AD, Emperor Constantine officially declared that this was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the true Prince of Peace.
For such a time as this, God sovereignly placed and worked through this godless man. Getting the right person to the right place, doing the right thing are all the mighty work of an awesome, in control, God.
During the early years of His earthly life, Jesus lived under the political peace of Augustus’ reign. However, in 14AD, Tiberius Caesar came to power and everything began to go downhill. The decline of Rome under Tiberius (Luke 3:1) once again set the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. The Jewish leadership had taken advantage of its freedom and Rome had had enough. Under Tiberius, Rome stepped in with iron boots. Jesus’ teen years quickly became characterized by political unrest and religious struggle between the Roman government and Jewish Sanhedrin. This led to the travesty of justice that characterized Jesus’ trials and crucifixion.
Then and is now, God was and is constantly working in godless men to accomplish His perfect plan and purpose. God works in unknown people and in unknown ways to accomplish His divine purpose and plan for each one of us.
As we look at the nativity scene that represents the true meaning of Christmas, we need to remember that the sovereign working of God made everything possible. That working has never ceased. “Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17)
God is still in control. There is no limit to who, what or how He can work to accomlish His purpose in and for us. This Christmas, find hope, peace and strength in His sovereignty. Let the stable remind you that God is in control.
