Episode 82: Jesus – born to be king!

Dan and Laurence delve into the fascinating historical context surrounding the birth of Jesus. Journey through the regal yet tumultuous world of King Herod and the Roman Caesars, and uncover the stark contrasts between their rule and the teachings of Jesus, the one born to king of a different kind. Discover how Jesus’ birth and teachings presented a radical departure from the totalitarian and often brutal reigns of worldly kings. This Christmas-themed podcast reveals the profound differences between the kings of men and the king who was laid in a manger. Tune in to explore the themes of humility, justice, and divine kingship that continue to inspire and challenge us today.

Show Notes

Laurence and Dan begin with a reading from the Jewish historian, Josephus^[1], that introduces Herod as a very shrewd and competent politician and governor. In this passage, the first time Josephus refers to Herod the Great, we find him being hailed as a ruler who brings peace and prosperity.

This sets the objective of the podcast which Laurence and Dan explain – to look at the kings and rulers around the time of Jesus, both Roman and closer to Jesus, and contrast them with the one who was born to be king, yet laid in a manger. They reflect on the many Christmas carols that emphasis the theme of kingship, from Hark the Herald to Mary, did you know? and after Dan is treated to Laurence’s performance, (yes, performance!), of the Coventry Carol, they begin by turning to Caesar Augustus.

The house of Caesar Augustus

It gets very complicated, very quickly. Laurence and Dan talk about where Augustus fits in, first known as Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar and the eventual victor of a massive power struggle in the years shortly before Jesus is born. His victories earn him many titles, including:

• Divi filius (son of a god)
• Imperator (a military general, from which our word emperor is derived)
• Augustus (sacred)

The reign of Augustus is also known for bringing in a period of relative peace and stability, known as the Pax Romana (the Roman peace). But it wasn’t a happy household without their share of drama. Laurence and Dan talk briefly about the Roman emperors who succeed Augustus and the various scandals that they get involved in. The family tree is full of people called Julia, Agrippa and Agrippina and all the emperors were tended to also be called Julius or Claudius, so it’s extremely easy to get confused! But various murders and assassinations eventually worked their way through to the rise of Nero (who also murdered his own mother, Agrippina), perhaps the most infamous of them all.

Despite all the moral depravity, the Roman empire had brought some level of stability and peace. This is celebrated in the Priene calendar inscription, which commemorates the birth of Augustus as “glad tidings” (using the Greek word that gets translated as ‘gospel’ in the New Testament).

The Herodian dynasty

Switching attention from Rome to Judea, Laurence and Dan try to unravel the complicated family of Herod the Great, king over the Roman province of Judea and a familiar pattern emerges. Despite being successful in bringing a level of peace and prosperity to the region, (as the opening words from Josephus demonstrated), Herod the Great is also the well known for his cruelty, exemplified in the Christmas story when he instigates the massacre of the infants, (Matthew 2:16-18).

Herod’s paranoia also drove him to dispatch many family members who he believed were a threat to his reign! Of those who survived, Herod Antipas took his brother Philip’s wife to be his own, who also happened to be his niece(!), an act which was publicly denounced by John the Baptist. Herod Agrippa, another ruler mentioned later in the New Testament, was friends with the Roman emperors Claudius and Caligula.

Herods and Caesars up to no good

Laurence and Dan discuss the close relationship that some of the Herods had with the household of Caesar and note that Herod Agrippa was named in honour of Augustus’ trusted adviser Marcus Agrippa. Noting the terrible things that Tiberius and Caligula get up to, they conclude that the rulers of the world at the time of Jesus were basically characterised by rounds of incest, murder, infighting and assassination, despite bringing a measure of peace to the world.

Jesus, born to be king – a different sort of king

Having set the scene, Laurence and Dan focus attention on Jesus, the one born to be king in a world full of totalitarians and cruel despots. They look at how Jesus is described as king in three key moments of his life, namely, his birth, his teaching and his death.

At his birth, they notice how Jesus is announced by Gabriel who said that “the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32–33). The theme of kingship is found in Mary’s magnificat and Zechariah’s inspired speech, but a strong feature is how the mighty and proud would be deposed and the poor and humble would be recognised. This sets the reign of Jesus apart from all the typical human kings.

A king ruling with justice.

Laurence and Dan move on to briefly consider the sermon on the mount where Jesus sets out a ‘manifesto’ for his kingdom. The opening verses of this majestic discourse are a series of blessings on those who will be part of his kingdom. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:3–6). It would be difficult to imagine Herod or any of the Caesars finding common ground with anyone who hungered and thirsted for righteousness and justice.

To close, Laurence and Dan consider 1 Corinthians 1-2 and discuss how the apostle Paul remembers the death of Jesus on a Roman cross, (1 Corinthians 2:1-8). Normally speaking, this was a shameful death, but Paul shows how the very shame of his death is actually a display of God’s wisdom and glory. A king who chooses willingly to die to serve his subjects is indeed the type of ruler we need and want. The fact that this man, Jesus, also lives again through the power of the resurrection from the dead, gives us a strong reason to want follow him as our leader.

Related content

Episode 72: Have yourself a lesser known Christmas story. In 2023 we explored the story of Anna a Simeon in the temple of Jerusalem shortly after the birth of Jesus!

Episode 58: “The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”. In 2022 we focused on Gabriel’s pronouncement to Mary and what the term Son of God really means for Jesus.

Our blog considered the joy that we can find in Jesus and how it can last, unlike much of the superficial festivities around Christmas time.

We looked at some surprising statistics a few years ago about what American Christians believe about Jesus.

Our series on the gospel of Matthew included much discussion about the kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming.

^[1] “His next son, who was then a very young man, for he was but fifteen years of age; but that youth of his was no impediment to him; but as he was a youth of great mind, he presently met with an opportunity of signalizing his courage; for, finding there was one Hezekias, a captain of a band of robbers, who overran the neighboring parts of Syria with a great troop of them, he seized him and slew him, as well as a great number of the other robbers that were with him; for which action he was greatly beloved by the Syrians; for when they were very desirous to have their country freed from this nest of robbers, he purged it of them; so they sung songs in his commendation in their villages and cities, as having procured them peace and the secure enjoyment of their possessions; and on this account it was that he became known to Sextus Caesar, who was a relation of the great Caesar, and was now president of Syria.” – Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 376