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LUKE: GOSPEL OF CERTIFYING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
Part VI: Christianity's Validity Via Its Founder's Divine Royalty Regardless Of Rome's Rulership
(Luke 2:1-20)
  1. Introduction
    1. The forces that oversee God's people in governmental or ecclesiastical realms are often as ungracious as they are godless. Yet, believers find that they have no choice but to heed such forces lest they be lawless.
    2. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the forces that put his mother, Mary and earthly father, Joseph there were ungodly, autocratic and oppressive. Yet, in the midst of this, the great sovereignty of Almighty God was seen to con trol even these oppressive forces for His glory in revealing Jesus to be the true World Emperor to come. The birth of Jesus thus offers hope of God's sovereign control of those who seem to be not only illicit, but oppressive overseers, and that for God's u ltimate glory.
  2. Christianity's Validity Via Its Founder's Divine Royalty Regardless Of Rome's Rulership, Lk. 2:1-38:
    1. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, the Emperor in control of that part of the world was both oppressive and totally ungodly in the clearest sense of the word.
      1. The Emperor who ruled Palestine was Caesar Augustus, Luke 2:1.
      2. This Caesar was the first Roman Emperor who had successfully come to dominate the nation of Rome by replacing the rule of the nation by the people, or by its representatives, as absolute dictator, G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According To Luke, p. 34.
      3. This man was very ungodly as he was oppressive because of the title he sought to gain:
        1. Caesar had turned down the title of Dictator, as that would be seen as a temporary title, Ibid.
        2. He had turned down the title of King as that did not signify enough rule.
        3. He rather had the name Augustus, derived from Augur given to him in consultation with the Roman Senate at that name indicated a "religious sanction" in preparation to becoming deity! (Ibid.) As Imperator, a supreme military figure, Caesar Augustus forced the move to be accepted as a god!
    2. This ungodly, oppressive dictator administratively gave a command for Mary and Joseph to return to Joseph's patristic origins in Bethlehem for registration and taxation, Luke 2:1-5a.
    3. However, this seemingly invincible, oppressive, ungodly dictator was merely used by the sovereign Creator to set things in order for the birth of the glorious King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 2:5b-20:
      1. Mary happened to be late in her pregnancy with Jesus when she and Joseph were obliged to obey Caesar Augustus' order to return to Bethlehem for the census, Luke 2:5b. However, this order by Caesar was divinely permitted as Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem anyway, cf. Micah 5:2.
      2. Mary happened to find no room in the inn due to the throngs of people waiting to be taxed, so she had to give birth to her son in a cattle stall, wrap him in swaddling clothes herself without a midwife, and lay him in a manger for him and her to rest, Luke 2:6-7. However, this unusual state for her son and for Mary as the mother was used of God to direct Shepherds to her son, the Messiah, Luke 2:11-12.
      3. Though Caesar Augustus sought the claim to deity, in his realm was born Christ who was God incarnate to rule him and all men in the world, Luke 2:11.
      4. Though Caesar Augustus had put Mary and Joseph under bondage to travel to Bethlehem, God's heavenly angels took the occasion to make it a joyous, royal celebration with angels, Luke 2:8-14.
      5. Though Caesar Augustus' command had left Mary and Joseph to an abandoned cattle stall for her delivery, God used the angels and the shepherds to bypass Caesar's demeaning effects to bring glory to the Incarnate Son of God at His birth, Luke 2:16-18.
      6. Where Mary had been oppressed by Caesar's regulation to deliver and wrap her child herself instead of enjoying the usual assistance of a midwife so she could rest from labor, God turned her forced activities into one of great blessing as the way she had wrapped and laid her son was used of God as a sign for the shepherds to use to identify the Messia h, and thus glorify God, Luke 2:7, 12, 15-19. Mary was left treasuring and pondering the historical significance of Christ's birth in spite of Caesar's rule!
Lesson: Regardless of the efforts of Satan through the oppressive, ungodly Caesar falsely to claim incarnate deity and glory for himself, God USED Caesar to further the true King of Kings' entry!

Application: We must never lose heart at being overwhelmed by oppressive ungodly despotism, wherever we face it, for ALL despots are UNDER the rule of our sovereign heavenly Father!