The World in Which Jesus Lived

GALATIANS 4:4—“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.” Thus does the opening text of today’s lesson remind us that the first advent of Jesus occurred at a fixed date which had been prearranged by God. In keeping with this we read in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,” that is, the King has appeared. Paul confirms this truth when, in referring to the final phase of Jesus’ earthly ministry he wrote, “In due time Christ died for the ungodly.”—Rom. 5:6

This “due season” feature is true of every phase of the divine plan. The flood came in “due time.” God’s oath-bound covenant with Abraham was in “due time,” so also was the Exodus and the giving of the Law. The Pentecostal blessing came upon the waiting disciples on the exact day that God had prearranged, and the second advent of Christ occurred according to a foreordained time. God’s great time clock of the ages is never late, and is never ahead of schedule. We may not always read it correctly, and therefore may be looking for the wrong thing at the right time, or the right thing at the wrong time, but that would be our mistake, not God’s.

LUKE 2:1-7—Jesus was born into a Roman world, that is, a world dominated by a pagan Roman government. The population of the Roman Empire at that time was estimated to have been approximately 120,000,000. Forty million of these were in Europe, of which 7,000,000 were in Italy. One-half of all who lived in the Roman Empire were slaves. There were only 20,000,000 who enjoyed the privileges of full citizenship, including voting.

The Alexandrian conquest some 300 or more years before Christ had given the entire Mediterranean world one language, which was Greek—that is, all who possessed any degree of culture were able to speak Greek. It was the use of this common language which enabled the apostles, later, to go everywhere from Britain to India, speaking, in addition to Hebrew in the synagogues, Greek to the multitudes.

Historians tell us that while the Roman world at that time was filled with hundreds of gods and goddesses, their hold on the people was being lost. One result of this was the deification of the emperors. In this we find somewhat of a parallel today, at the time of Christ’s second presence. Faith in the false gods of the creeds rapidly waning, and again there is a tendency for the people to deify their rulers. Especially is this true under communism.

Luke tells us that when it was due time for Jesus to be born, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled for taxation, and that this was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Luke is the only one of the evangelists who mentions the names of Roman governors, and he does it correctly. Greek and Roman historians report nothing concerning this decree of Caesar, and higher critics have pointed the finger of scorn at Luke’s testimony. Now, however, the discovery of a mass of papyri and several inscriptions have confirmed the accuracy of Luke’s record.

LUKE 2:41, 41—The experience of Jesus and his parents mentioned in this passage occurred when he was twelve years old. The trip to Jerusalem was an annual one and for the purpose of commemorating the feast of the passover. The significant incident on this occasion, as shown later in the chapter, was the finding of Jesus in the temple asking questions of the doctors of the Law.

Jesus indicated that his motive in this was his desire to be about his Father’s business. He sensed that he had come into the world for a great purpose, a divine purpose, and even at this early age he was desirous of learning what it was, and when he could embark upon it. Probably at this time he learned that according to the Law he would not be eligible for such a service until he was thirty years of age.

MATTHEW 22:5, 16, 23—This scripture gives us a more intimate view of the world in which Jesus lived—a Roman world in which his own people, the Jews, were held in bondage. The common people of Israel heard Jesus gladly, but the religious rulers despised and persecuted him, ultimately unto death. The Pharisees were zealots for the Law of Moses, but they had added many traditions—traditions which are incorporated in the Jewish Talmud, and which still enslave the Israelites and keep them blind to God’s truth.

The Sadducees were the liberals of Judaism, and their chief characteristic seems to have been their unbelief, particularly with respect to the resurrection of the dead. The background of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees gave the people confidence in them, and it was against this wall of opposition that Jesus had to conduct his ministry. But he said to his disciples, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

It is well that Jesus gave his followers these words of encouragement, for they too, because of their faithfulness to him and to the truth, have experienced the opposition of the world. This has been true in every part of the age, and is still true today.

QUESTIONS

Which of the four great empires was, ruling when Jesus was born?

Who were the Pharisees? What did they believe?

What did the Sadducees believe?

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