King Herod
What would my reaction be if I heard Jesus returned and was dwelling among us?
Herod was King of Judea, as granted by the Roman Empire at that time. He was a tyrant that executed many people, including several members of his own family. He also was a man who achieved great wealth and power, and was responsible for building up much of the region of Judea. He considered himself King of the Jews, so when the Magi came asking about Jesus, he felt threatened. When Herod heard of Jesus’ birth, it says he was disturbed. Another translation of the Greek could be that he was terrified.
I was thinking about Herod’s reaction to the news of the birth of the Messiah, and it hit me that my reaction might not have been so different in the past. This is such a disappointing realization, and it signaled that change was needed. From time to time, a thought has crossed my mind - how would it feel if people told me that Jesus had returned and was dwelling among us right now? Fear is one of the emotions that came to mind. I think this was partially due to the fact that I didn’t feel ready - I needed to be a better person and live a better life. Underneath that though was a thought that I hadn’t accomplished enough yet. I hadn’t done all that I wanted to do. As if my pathetic to-do list had any meaning in it.
The world we live in is a place where many of us strive to be like Herod. Not much has changed. He had wealth and power. He built a massive, beautiful estate for himself. He got things done. He completed great projects and accomplishments. He built cities, temples, and ports. He transformed the region that he lived in. In the end, none of this really matters. “The world and its desires pass away”.
The lives of Herod and Jesus show us two completely different paths we can go down. Herod considered himself King of the Jews, and that title was also inscribed over the cross Jesus was crucified on. Herod had a fantastic palace, while Jesus was born in what was probably a muddy cave. Herod had immense wealth, while Jesus could basically be considered homeless during his ministry. Herod craved power, while Jesus said that the meek would inherit the earth. One path leads to a life that could never be satisfying, as Herod was filled with paranoia as he was desperately clinging on to what he had. The other path leads to everlasting peace.
Caesar Augustus was a man that makes for another interesting comparison with Jesus. He was the Emperor of Rome when Jesus was born. He was called the Son of God by some due to being the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He was considered one of the greatest emperors. He ushered in a period referred to as “Pax Romana”, which was a period of about 200 years of prosperity and peace. Below is an inscription that was found on a government building from just before the time of Jesus, and it sounds like it could have come out of one of the Gospels in the Bible:
The authors of the Gospels were trying to spread the word that there was one who was greater than Caesar. The word Gospel comes from the Greek word “euangelion”, and it means “good news”. An emperor like Caesar Augustus would have returned from battle spreading the good news of their victory. This is the backdrop among which the Gospels of the Bible were written.
There were people back in this time period who really felt like Caesar Augustus was a God. They might have placed their faith in the peace that came from Pax Romana. The gospel that their soldiers spread upon victory in battle probably felt pretty reassuring. The problem was that this peace and prosperity was fleeting. At some point, the Roman Empire crumbled. Over a long enough time horizon, the same will happen to all great nations. You can place your faith in governments, armies, or political structures, but eventually all of that will fade. The gospel of Pax Romana did last about 200 years, but the Gospel that Jesus taught has lasted 10x as long so far and is still going strong 2,000 years later.
The time period Jesus was born into was so fascinating. This was a time when you had a self proclaimed King of the Jews building incredible infrastructure. One of the great empires of the world was attempting to bring peace to its people from a ruler who was supposedly divine. The gospel message was proclaimed from the battlefield. At that moment, a baby was born into poverty in a small town with no political power or military might. Yet, he was going to teach the true message of the good news and show how one’s life should be lived.