The Journey of the King

"And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:31-33

Day three of the journey to Bethlehem...

God uses the most unlikely of circumstances, to accomplish His will...

For thousands of years, the Jewish people had been awaiting the fulfillment of God's promises to them as a people.  Israel as a nation had been all but wiped from the map...almost...on several different occasions. The Romans that now occupied their land were just another people group in a long list of nations that conquered and would conquer the land where the Saviour was to be born.

Now the Romans were in charge, and like the many nations that rose before them, they never dreamed that their empire would be so short lived, and yet so important in the eternal plan that God was unfolding for humanity's salvation.

As Joseph and Mary approached Tiberias, the city that was built around the time of Christ as a celebration of the Roman occupation in Israel, and gazed upon the foundations* of the impressive palace that was constructed there, I cannot help but wonder if Mary rehearsed the words of the angel in her heart:

"And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:31-33

All of the "might" of Rome could not overcome the plan that God had set in motion from the very beginning of Creation.  From the foundations of the world, God had already been orchestrating all of human history, to the day when Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Ancient walls of Tiberias, from carta-jerusalem.com

The Romans ruled over a limited territory, but God rules over all Creation.  It's so easy to lose sight of this, when the world around us seems so real, and governments literally rule over every aspect of our lives, to remember who is really in control.  The taxation required by Caesar Augustus was that "all the world should be taxed." (Luke 2:1)  For the Romans, their territory WAS the whole world, because it "belonged" to them.  The Roman rule however was limited in size, in strength and in time.  Only God rules over all Creation, all of the time.

May we be reminded that the rulers that are over us exercise their power in a limited frame.  One day every ruler, just like each one of us, will stand before God and give an account of the time and resources entrusted by God.  May we also be reminded to pray for those in leadership roles, whether or not we always agree with their policies.  Every man and woman in a position of authority has an eternal soul.

The Romans ruled over an enslaved people, but God's rule would set all men free.  The baby growing inside Mary's womb would not just be a Jewish king.  Yes, Jesus fulfilled all the promises for the just king that was promised to the house and lineage of David, but Jesus also by His death and ressurrection procured eternal life and liberty for all mankind.  His rule would know no boundaries--all nations would be made free, if they believed on Him.

May God help me this Christmas season to enlarge my vision to see the nations around me that so desperately need Christ.  May I invest my time this year in sharing the marvellous message of the freedom that Christ bought at so great a price to Himself.

The Romans ruled for a time, but God's rule is for all times.  At this time in human history, the Roman Empire was at its apex.  It was just a matter of "time" before the Roman rule would decline and eventually fade in its influence.  Such is the nature of human politics:  the decline of one empire, gives birth to another. (This is a cautionary tale to those of us who live in "influential" nations:  our time is numbered, as well.)

Mary received the promise:  "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:33) Mary knew even before she held her baby, that His coming would literally influence the entire world.  His reign would last forever, as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  May this thought be in the forefront of my mind as well, this Christmas season.  Kings will come and kings will go, but Jesus's reign will never end. May this be the motivation I need in this busy season to tell others about Christ.  This world will end, but Jesus's kingdom will not.

As Joseph and Mary passed by the palace of the temporal rulers and kings, I cannot help but wonder if Mary put her hand across her belly a little tighter, and stepped a little faster.  Such a hostile world for a baby King to be born into, and yet, His reign was coming.

May God help me to be mindful of His reign, as I live and work today.

*The city of Tiberias is listed as being constructed around 20 AD, so there were at least the beginnings of the city when Joseph and Mary passed by, even if the city and fortress were not entirely completed.  This was the palace of Herod Antipas, who ruled after Herod the Great as ruler over the Jews.