THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

ADVENT

WHAT WAS THE WORLD LIKE WHEN JESUS WAS BORN?

WHAT DOES LUKE WANT US TO KNOW?

WHAT WAS THE WORLD LIKE WHEN JESUS WAS BORN?

GermanicusSlaughtered the Rhine population – “neither age nor sex inspire pity, only the destruction of the race will end the war”

Pompey12 million prisoners from 1500 towns

DiodorusThey made the boundaries of the empire equal to the boundaries of the earth

TitusConquered all of Judea – crucified 500 people a day

PolybiusIt seems to me that they do this for the sake of terror

ROMAN EMPIREWho ruled the world and how did they rule?

CassiusRoman General – enslaved 30,000

VerusCrucified 2000 people at once

THE CAESARS

Julius Caesar

Augustus

Tiberius Caligula

Nero Vespasian

Titus Domitian

Augustus

Roman EmpireThe boundaries of the earth were the boundaries of the empire.

VirgilThe one who is to come, will be the divine King of salvation for whom mankind has waited

JOHN THE BAPTISTAre you the one who was to come?

VIRGIL

He will annihilate the evil of the past, and free the people from unceasing fear...he will establish a universal empire of peace and will lead in the golden age for the blessing of a renewed humanity.

ADVENT

ADVENT HYMN

The saviour of peace, who has brought a golden age to the world. May it last with increasing splendour from age to age, now and forever.

ADVENT COINSAUGUSTUS – SON OF GOD

AugustusSalvation is to be found in non other save Augustus.

HOW DID CAESAR GET SO POWERFUL?

AugustusHe was reigning in the fullness of his glory, the entire empire was resounding with the sound of the advent proclamation.

LUKE 2:1-7

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Questions

• Why do you think Luke mentions what he does in verse 1?

• Why might Luke want you to know what was happening in the world at the time of Jesus’ birth?

Is the story bigger than this?

LUKE 2:11

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Questions

• How is this a story about religion?

• How is the Christmas story about politics?

• How is the Christmas story in the 1st century about power, about worship?

• What did this story mean for the first people that heard it?

LOVE WINSWho gets the last word?