\nthe famous peace and prosperity brought by the Roman Empire at its height in the first and second centuries AD. Yet the Romans were conquerors, imperialists who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. Ruthless, Romans won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPax Romana<\/span><\/span><\/em> examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examining why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nAs noted in the book summary above, Rome was quick to put down any rebellions, and so would the Roman Empire\u2019s regional rulers. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that news of Jesus\u2019 birth filled many inhabitants of the land with anxiety. For example, the report from the wise men to Herod that the King of the Jews had been born troubled Herod\u2013Rome\u2019s puppet king in Judea\u2013and all Jerusalem. Here\u2019s the Gospel of Matthew\u2019s account of their response:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\nNow after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,<\/span><\/span> saying, \u201cWhere is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.\u201d When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:1-3; ESV). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatthew\u2019s account goes on to reveal that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and that Herod had all male children two years and younger in Bethlehem and the vicinity killed as a result (Matthew 2:16-18). The Gospel account also makes known that Jesus escaped death because an angel appeared and told Joseph to take his wife and child and flee to Egypt to avoid Herod\u2019s wrath (Matthew 2:13-15).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn view of the preceding account of Herod and the wise men (which no doubt took place a while after Jesus\u2019 birth), as well as the Pax Romana, it might come across as a bit surprising and ironic that God\u2019s angels would proclaim peace to the shepherds tending their flocks the night of Jesus\u2019 birth: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\nAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, \u201cGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!\u201d (Luke 2:13-14; ESV)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nEven the occasion for Jesus\u2019 birth was anything but peaceful. Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, had ordered a census of the known world so as to impose taxes on his subjects throughout the empire to enrich Rome and strengthen his military\u2019s grip on the nations. So, Joseph and Mary had to return to their ancestral town of King David to be accounted for, even though Mary was ready to give birth to Jesus (Luke 2:1-7). I doubt Joseph and Mary experienced much peace along the way, as they sojourned in the midst of fellow travelers hurriedly on their own way to their ancestral homes to be registered. Joseph and Mary even had to take shelter among farm animals, and place their newborn son in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPeaceful circumstances? Hardly! But Joseph and Mary did experience God\u2019s peace in the midst of their overwhelming ordeal. After all, they knew God was leading them and that there is no better place than to be in the center of God\u2019s will. So, the angelic host\u2019s declaration to the shepherds about peace being among those on whom God\u2019s favor rests no doubt would have resonated with Jesus\u2019 parents (Luke 2:14).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nLet\u2019s take a closer look at the declaration. It does not simply account for God\u2019s peace for his favored subjects, but also God\u2019s exalted status: \u201cGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!\u201d (Luke 2:14; ESV) God reigns over all empires and nations. While it was taken as a given in Rome that Caesar was a god, the Bible begs to differ. While no ruler reigns apart from God\u2019s will, that does not mean everything an emperor or king does meets with God\u2019s favor. Certainly, God orchestrated plans and events so the census would lead Joseph and Mary to the predestined place of the Messiah\u2019s birth\u2013Bethlehem, the city of David (Matthew 2:3-6; cf. Micah 5:2-3). Caesar had no idea. Herod only found out as a result of the wise men\u2019s appearance and inquiry, and because of the scholarly report that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Try as he might to kill the Christ, he could not outwit God, who reigns in the highest!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCircumstances cannot and will not get the better of God, or his Messiah. As the Hallelujah Chorus proclaims, \u201cHe shall reign forever!\u201d Seemingly invincible and immortal Caesars come and go, as do their puppet kings like the Herods, but God and Messiah Jesus will rule forevermore.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nToday marks the fourth Sunday of Advent. The fourth candle on the Advent wreath is often called the Angel\u2019s Candle, and is taken to signify peace in keeping with the angelic host\u2019s declaration: \u201c\u2018Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'\u201d (Luke 2:14; ESV) So, as we celebrate this gospel account today, what bearing does it have on us here and now?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAs you go about taking care of last minute Christmas shopping and preparing for Christmas festivities, or as you sit alone viewing anxious news reports across the globe, know that God\u2019s peace does not come about through normal means. Nor does God\u2019s favor rest on supra-ordinary<\/span><\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>types. Rather, God\u2019s peace comes to us through this baby lying in a manger in the midst of imperial oppression old and new. This same peace falls on shepherds tending their flocks by night. Empires will come and go, and with them their turbulent rule. But Jesus\u2019 peaceful kingdom will reign in human hearts and across the known and unknown world someday. He will reign forever! Take heart. Experience peace in view of him and his kingdom rule this day.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There was not much peace at the time of Jesus\u2019 birth. After all, the \u201cPax Romana\u201d or Peace of Rome blanketed the known world in war and bloodshed. How else could Rome impose its rule on various lands whose people longed for independence and freedom?\u00a0 Here\u2019s a telling account of the Roman \u201cPeace\u201d in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1284,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Giotto](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/307\/2017\/12\/Giotto_di_Bondone_-_No._17_Scenes_from_the_Life_of_Christ_-_1._Nativity_-_Birth_of_Jesus_-_WGA09193_adj-1.jpg\")
<\/a>