Jesus' "Competition" - Tiberius, the Roman Emperor

Statue of Tiberius

Jesus had lots of competition. When he traveled around Judea and Galilee preaching about the “Kingdom of God,” his listeners had to evaluate this message in the context of their own political realities. As I shared with you in my last entry, the names of Herod the Great and his sons would immediately come to mind, because this powerful man and his family claimed to be “King of the Jews” and he had the power to back up his claims.

But there was another dominant power that people in 1st century Palestine lived under and they must have wondered what this rabbi was talking about when he described the “Kingdom of God.” How did this Kingdom match up with that of Rome?

It’s time for a short history lesson. For several hundred years, Rome had been increasing in power and prestige and expanding its borders throughout the Mediterranean region. While there had been tyrants in Rome when it first emerged as a political power, Roman leaders eventually developed a system of checks and balances that ensured no one would gain absolute control.

But this changed in the century before Jesus’ birth. Julius Caesar became a military hero on the battlefield and, at the height of his military success, he returned to Rome with his army and established himself as emperor. He also encouraged Romans to think of him as a divine ruler.

Opponents had him assassinated in 44 BC and a long and bloody civil war followed. The winner of this civil war was Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian. He took the title “Augustus” (which means “majestic”) and became known as “Caesar Augustus.” Caesar Augustus declared that his adoptive father, Julius, was divine, so this meant that he was the “son of god.” Anywhere you traveled in the Roman Empire during this time, the politically correct answer to the question “Who is the son of god?” was “Caesar Augustus.”

Caesar Augustus also took on a priestly role and became known as pontifex maximus (“chief priest” in Latin). N. T. Wright points out that court poets during this time made Caesar Augustus out to be an emperor who would bring in a “golden age.” By the way, the writers of the American constitution borrowed a phrase from these Roman poets – novus ordo seclorum, “a new order of the ages” – and this appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on our one dollar bill!

Roman coin with Tiberius' image

When Caesar Augustus died in 14 AD, his successor Tiberius worked hard to continue the memory of his predecessor as a divine figure, so he could make the same claims to be the “son of god.” Roman coins in Jesus’ day showed Tiberius on one side as Caesar and on the other side as “chief priest.” When Jewish leaders asked Jesus what to do about paying taxes to Rome and showed him a coin with these two engravings, you can now better appreciate the challenge this presented.

There is no way Jesus could have avoided this “competition.” He was proclaiming the coming of a new kingdom, but any potential new kingdom would be viewed as a threat by Herod and his supporting elites, as well as by Tiberius and his regional political appointees. Like today’s Middle East, Palestine in the 1st century was a cauldron of political movements with loyal supporters of the status quo, diverse oppositional parties, and those who tried to simply survive the harsh character of their life under foreign occupation. Jesus’ claims added new questions to all of this!

I had the chance this week to talk about some of these issues with Michael Card, the composer/writer/biblical scholar, and we discussed how this situation is not unlike what we face today. Jesus was preaching about the “Kingdom of God” and encouraging his followers to find their identity in this “Kingdom.” They had a identity crisis facing them – were they going to worship the “son of god” from Rome (Tiberius) or the powerful regional ruler (Herod the Great and his surviving sons) or this new rabbi Jesus? To whom would they attach their identity?

Jesus made it clear that God the Father wanted his people to identify with his plans, his “Kingdom,” and he told them what this meant. He laid out his radical “kingdom message” that, among other things, included not just the healthy and wealthy, but also the poor and disadvantaged, Gentiles, women, Roman centurions, tax collectors, and people who suffered with sicknesses and blindness. This same invitation has been extended to us!

So What?

• Whether we live in America or Russia or anywhere else, there are many pressures on us to place our identity - our meaning - on some person, some ideology, or some political party; or maybe just on our family or ethnic community. Jesus’ “kingdom message” is to place our primary identity here – as a citizen of the “Kingdom of God.” Any other claims on us, if we are followers of Jesus, simply don’t match up to this!


• What would it mean if we began to live as “Kingdom citizens” and no longer found our primary identity in a political party, a social group, or our professional achievements? Of course we find some comfort (at least at times!) in being identified with the country where we live, but Jesus’ message of the “Kingdom of God” teaches us to lay this identity aside and put our true commitments into building God’s Kingdom “on earth, as it is in heaven.”


• I hope these last few entries have helped you to see the importance of biblical context in understanding biblical content. This study has helped me and I have enjoyed sharing what I learned with you. Your response or comments are welcomed.


• Jesus’ response to the Jewish leaders about paying taxes was brilliant. We need to remember this on April 15 and throughout the year as we pay our government taxes owed and consider our contributions to “Kingdom of God” ministries.

Jesus' "Competition" - Herod the Great

When Jesus began his public ministry and gathered his group of twelve disciples around him, the Gospels tell us that his message was the “good news” of a new kingdom – the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:23-25; Luke 4:42-44).  What did this mean to people living in first century Palestine?

Herod the Great

If you take a tour of the “Holy Land” today, it is remarkable how often the name of Herod the Great comes up.  Many tourists who come to Israel to learn more about Jesus often are surprised that they hear more about Herod the Great and see evidence of his many incredible building projects.  During Jesus’ time, if anyone was “King of the Jews,” it was Herod!

When the Romans conquered Palestine and seized Jerusalem in 63 BC, lead by their famous general Pompey, they chose to identify local elites who would rule new territories for them and collect taxes on their behalf.  When Pompey was killed several years later and Julius Caesar was assassinated, a civil war erupted and Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, emerged as the Roman emperor.  

Herod was a shrewd political leader and he seized this opportunity -- choosing to ally himself with the winning side in this Roman civil war -- and was appointed by Octavian as “King of Judea.”  Once the civil war ended and political stability was restored, Herod had all the political backing he needed from Rome and he launched a series of amazing public building projects that clearly established him as the primary political force in Palestine.   Remnants of these remarkable creations tourists are shown when they travel to Israel hoping to experience the “Holy Land” during Jesus’ time.

Herod’s rebuilding of the Temple was clearly one major achievement, designed to firm up his political support among Jewish leaders.  Solomon’s temple, built one thousand years earlier, was now recreated by Herod who employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters.  Today only the four retaining walls remain standing, including the Western wall, often called the Wailing Wall.

Masada

In addition, Herod built fortresses, such as Masada and Herodium – both amazing architectural achievements, constructed aquaducts that brought water to Jerusalem, and founded a new port city, Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast where no city previously stood and where obstacles to building on a barren shore needed to be creatively overcome.

Herod’s career gradually went into decline and, having gained absolute power, the power corrupted him absolutely; like many dictators, he became increasingly paranoid.  Not only did he order the murder of all the babies in Bethlehem in a cruel effort to eliminate a potential new king he had heard about through wise men from the East, he also ordered the execution of his own wife and children.  Following his death at 70 years of age, two of his remaining sons became the rulers of regions in Palestine – Herod Archelaus in Judea and Samaria and Herod Antipas in Galilee.

The story of Herod the Great and his sons is important background to the life of Jesus because when Jesus traveled through Judea and Galilee preaching about a new kingdom, the people knew he was directly competing with Herod who was clearly “King of the Jews.”  Herod rebuilt the Temple – could Jesus match this?  Herod brought peace and stability, at least for the ruling elites – could Jesus do this?

The Kingdom of God that Jesus announced was a threat to Jewish leaders who had become collaborators with their Roman overlords.  Jesus was making clear links to Old Testament prophecies that said when God establishes his Kingdom on earth, the result will be justice, peace (shalom), and the removal of corruption and oppression.  This made them increasingly nervous and fearful that the people would rally behind this new teacher.

Jesus did not start a new political movement. He did preach about the Kingdom of God and taught his followers to put their allegiance, their faith, in God, not in authoritarian political rulers who oppressed the poor and vulnerable.  His was a risky campaign – to declare that a new Kingdom was established and that God, not Herod or the Romans, was the true and only sovereign ruler.

So What?

• Although Jesus’ teaching and commandments to his followers were not designed to create a political movement, Christians throughout history have often suffered for their faith when living under authoritarian rulers.  Dictators, such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung, were threatened because Christians refused to make them the sovereign authority in their lives.  Many followers of Jesus died as a result.  The same is true with today’s dictators.

• Even in our democratic system, followers of Jesus can be viewed as a threat by others because they refuse to “bow down” to political leaders and their fanatical supporters.  If we declare that “Jesus is Lord,” all other claims on our allegiance are limited.

• Our challenge, as followers of Jesus, is to put our confidence in God alone and to reject any personal tendency or push from others to make a political ideology – of the left or the right – the place where we put our hopes.

Foreign Occupation

Caesar Augustus

One of the most important realities that sets the context for Jesus’ life and ministry is the fact that Jews in Palestine in the first century were living under foreign military rule. Palestine was part of the Roman Empire. The powerful presence of military forces and political rules closely tied it to Rome. Rome’s constant demand for more taxation was a feature of Jewish life that Jesus knew very well.

Historical reminder: 150 years out of 2,000 years of Old Testament history, the Jews were a marginalized, powerless people, often caught between hostile and aggressive empires in Egypt, Persia and Greece. The last books in the Old Testament dealt with this region as part of the Persian Empire. The New Testament, which picks up the story of the Jews 400 years later, presupposes the dominating presence of the Romans.

Here are some examples that highlight this Roman dominance in Jesus’ life and New Testament times:

• Luke tells us that Jesus’ birth was connected with the decree by Emperor Augustus “that all the world should be enrolled.”

• Jesus grew up in a land where the propriety of paying taxes to Rome was a live and contentious political and theological issue.

• It was a Roman magistrate who sentenced Jesus to death.

• Jesus’ execution was carried out in a brutal Roman style normally reserved for rebels and political enemies of Rome.

• Paul, a Roman citizen by birth, was a carrier of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, even to Rome itself, where he was executed.

• The early church faced terrible persecution from Rome, as the Apostle Paul warned would happen.

• Finally, Revelations -- authored by John, one of Jesus’ disciples -- presents an image of the Roman Empire as a seven-headed monster waging war against the people of God!

Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans

The first major encounter Jews had with the Romans occurred in 63 B.C. when the Roman army, under the leadership of Pompey, besieged Jerusalem. After three months, they breached its massive walls, stormed the Temple grounds, slaughtered the priests who continued their worship in the Temple as if no war were underway, and then entered the sacred “Holy of Holies,” an event the Jews refer to as the “Abomination.”

Following the occupation of Palestine, Rome initially granted freedom of religion, but over time “the Imperial Cult of Rome” took over and “No God but Caesar” became the reality of the day.

We need to keep this in mind as we consider Jesus’ life and times. Because those of us in modern North America have never experienced foreign military rule like this, it is hard for us to imagine what it was like and what challenges it presented to people trying hard to eke out a living, pay burdensome taxes, and were now hearing the “gospel of peace (shalom)” from Jesus.

For the people who lived in Palestine, their land had been ruled for 650 years by the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. There was a deep longing for liberation among the Jews, for a king who would break the chains of their oppression and end the occupation. When would God hear their prayers and give them freedom, like God did when their ancestors were slaves in Egypt? When would a new “King David” appear? In this context, how was Jesus’ message heard?

So What?

• As many of you know, I love history and politics – these were my undergraduate majors and I did a doctorate in this field as well.  But that’s not why I am highlighting this facet of Jesus’ life.  My concern is that we often read the Bible without seriously considering the context of the stories we read.  Jesus was a Jew whose life unfolded in turbulent times and he was not oblivious to this reality.  I will try to illustrate the importance of this in the weeks to come.

• It is a joy for me to see new dimensions of the biblical story when I learn more about the world in which Jesus lived. It’s amazing to see how it opens up new (to me) biblical truths in my own, very different context. I hope you have the same experience! I would love to have you share with me some of the insights you gain.

Location, Location, Location

Geography is an important part of biblical studies and, for many of us, it can open up surprising new insights. Some biblical scholars feel it is so important that they refer to the land of Palestine as “the fifth Gospel.”

I highlighted earlier the fact that Palestine in Jesus’ time was approximately 50 miles wide and 150 miles long, roughly equivalent to the size of the state of Connecticut. The vast majority of the Biblical story takes place in this small area. Palestine has often been referred to as “a land in-between.” It forms a land bridge between three continents, is the homeland of three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and is a territory where the sea and the desert come together.

For a small territory, it has amazing diversity in climate, plant and animal life. Mount Hermon is 9,200 feet high – higher than Mount St. Helens, while the Dead Sea is 1,300 feet below sea level – the lowest spot on earth. There are coastal plains, low lying hills, a central mountain ridge, and the impressive Jordan rift valley.

Knowing where Jesus traveled and who he talked with in these regions helps in understanding his message. I often challenge the participants in my adult education classes to pay attention to where Jesus was when a certain event occurred. This can often help us understand what he did and said.

Jesus’ home base was located in Galilee and three times during his short three-year public ministry he traveled in-and-out of this region; all of these journeys are described in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus also traveled to Perea, which is east of the Jordan River, but only Luke records this facet of his ministry. Jesus’ time in Judea is carefully documented in the Gospel of John and John’s chronology is often linked to various religious festivals.

Many of the insights I will be sharing with you in the weeks ahead come from my three trips to Israel in 1986, 1988 and 1980. Dr. James Fleming and Dr. James Martin were the biblical scholars who lead these study trips and they opened my eyes to the significance of the land and how understanding the geographical and cultural context of Jesus’ life and ministry provides important insights in the content of his teaching and deeds.

I still remember the thrill of walking on land where Jesus walked and visiting the area around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent so much time. I also have a clear memory of standing outside Jerusalem and looking toward the Herodian, one of Herod the Great’s mountain fortresses. It was from a location like this that Jesus told his disciples that if they had the faith to move mountains, it could be done. To the disciples, who knew that Herod the Great had actually forced Jewish workers to literally move the top of one mountain to its neighboring peak in order to build this fortress, Jesus’ observation hit home!

This experience was an eye-opener to me because it showed the important connection between location – the geographical context -- and Jesus’ teachings. The connections between the words of Scripture and the land itself provided a deepened understanding of the Biblical message, the gospel of peace (shalom), and I have been blessed ever since. I will share these insights with you in the weeks ahead.

So What? 

• Do any examples come to mind of important experiences in your life where the location of the experience was a key to what occurred? 

• Here’s a helpful key when reading the Bible: First, what did God say and do then and there? Second, what does it mean for us here and now? Addressing both questions is important as we read God’s Word. 

Helpful Resources

• If you want to learn more about the land of Palestine during Jesus’ time – and I would encourage you to do this, take advantage of the excellent resources of the Preserving Bible Times. Their web site is www.preservingbibletimes.org. In particular, explore their “Above Israel” and “The Bible and the Land” DVDs as well as two very helpful books – A Visual Guide to Bible Events and A Visual Guide to Gospel Events. 

• Doug Greenwold, the Executive Director of Preserving Bible Times, leads a trip to Israel each year and the web site noted above will provide details if you are interested in joining him for this remarkable Holy Land experience.

What Timing!

Have you ever wondered why God sent his son into the world when he did? The Apostle Paul wrote, “When the time had fully come, God sent his son” (Galatians 4:4, NIV) – other translations say, “In the fullness of time.” Why does the Old Testament end and then we find a 400-year gap before the birth of Jesus? I studied this question and gained some fascinating insights about the context of Jesus’ life.

It’s an election year here in the States, so let’s start with politics. The Mediterranean region was dominated by a single political power, the Roman Empire, and that Roman rule meant peace and stability in the region. A commercial system had been created by the Romans that expedited freedom of travel and the shipment of goods. While the political system was Roman, the dominant cultural influence was Greek and the language of the empire was Greek, because the Romans took over the empire created by Alexander the Great and the powerful influence of Greek culture was absorbed by the new rulers.

The Romans were prodigious road builders and they spent 500 years completing a road system that reached every corner of their empire. It is estimated that Roman roads covered a distance equal to ten times the circumference of the earth at the equator! This road system had 50,000 miles of first class highways (15-20 feet wide) and 200,000 miles of secondary roads (5-6 feet wide). I have been amazed to see sections of Roman roads still in reasonable condition in Europe and in Israel.

Actually the significance of the timing of Jesus’ birth has more to do with what happened after his death and resurrection than during his life. For his disciples, it would not have been possible to share the “good news” if this region was full of conflict and warring states and if travel was inhibited by poor roads. It would not have been possible if the region had been broken up into different tribal areas with languages unknown to others. Palestine in Jesus’ time was an area about 50 miles wide and 150 miles long, roughly equivalent in size to the state of Connecticut. As far as we know from Scripture, Jesus never traveled outside this area and avoided many of the major cities built in this region that Romans used as military and political bases.

While Jesus lived and traveled in only a small, outlying part of the Roman empire, he certainly could not escape the Roman authorities and their claim that there is “no god, but Caesar.” In fact, the Romans ultimately executed him.

Why did God decide to send his son into the world at this time and in this place? Why decide to have his son born to a poor Jewish girl in an obscure, insignificant town far from the capital of the Roman Empire? Why did God choose the Jews as his people and not the Romans? We will explore these questions in the posts that follow. Stay connected.

So What?

• When I study the life and times of Jesus, I am continually amazed at how God works in history. I have to remind myself of God’s declaration -- “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8, NIV). God is a God of surprises and I have learned this in my life. Have you?

• Have you thought much about the context of Jesus’ birth and life? What questions come to your mind when you think about this? Feel free to share your observations with me and, if I have anything to offer in response, I will.

A Model of Leadership

As I look back over my life, there are a small number of key mentors who helped to shape me – mentors who were models that I wanted to emulate because I saw that their lives were lived in obedience to Jesus’ teachings. They were examples to me of what it meant to live a life as a peacemaker, a follower of Jesus who brought healing and reconciliation to our hurting world. I saw their lives and decided I wanted to follow their example. Dr. John R. Dellenback was one of these people.

Introducing John Dellenback 

I first met John Dellenback when I began the American Studies Program (ASP) on Capitol Hill in the fall of 1976, a work-study program sponsored by the Christian College Consortium and Coalition (CCC/C). I had heard his name through friends in the National Prayer Breakfast and was excited to meet him. John had been elected to the Oregon State Legislature in 1960 and then to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1966, where he served until 1974. Following his defeat in the election of 1974, a defeat largely attributed to the anti-Republican backlash in the wake of the Watergate scandal, he was appointed Director of the Peace Corps by President Gerald Ford and served in this capacity from 1975 to 1977.

I have clear memories of bringing our ASP students to his office right across the street from the White House and talking with him about his leadership of that agency and how, as a Christian, he understood his role as a public servant. He was always so gracious to our students and such a great example of a man who was serving God with distinction in high public office.

Although I admired him as a Congressional leader and Peace Corps Director, when I learned he had been chosen to serve as the next president of the Christian College Consortium and Coalition in 1977, I remember thinking this was a mistake. What did he know about Christian colleges and universities? He had never attended one, and now he was going to become my boss. Was I ever wrong!

Dr. Dellenback served as President of the CCC for eleven years (1977-1988) and I had the privilege of working closely with him for all that time. Dr. Karen Longman and I were his vice presidents and the three of us formed a bond that profoundly shaped my life. He became a mentor and, by his example, I learned so much about biblical leadership by his words and deeds.

Lessons Learned As I look back on my eleven years of working with John Dellenback, the following lessons stand out:

• Marriage cheerleaders. John’s relationship with his wife, Mary Jane, was such a powerful example for Marge and me. These two loved each other and served as cheerleaders for each other. Both did everything they could to encourage the development of the other and to accentuate the other’s gifts. What a powerful model – especially in power circles in Washington, D.C., where marriages were easily broken and unfaithfulness seemed to be the norm. Marge and I saw their example and decided to try to live like this. 
• Not a respecter of persons. For a boy from Cicero, Illinois, to meet and work with a former Congressman and Peace Corps Director was heady stuff. It was exciting to go to meetings with John Dellenback and meet representatives and senators from the U. S. Congress who knew John and respected him. But he did not defer to these powerful leaders, but always treated everyone with dignity, including elevator operators in the U. S. Capitol and the Capitol Hill police. All of these people were of equal value in John’s sight and I was so impressed by his quiet obedience to Jesus’ commandments about treating everyone as a person created in the image of God and not deferring to the “big shots.” 
• Fearless. I remember some difficult challenges we faced in the CCC and how John never put his finger in the air to see which way the wind was blowing, like many political leaders. We would talk through the issues, get all the available information out on the table, and then he would make a decision. He was fearlessly committed to doing the right thing, regardless of potential opposition or threats. 
• Not afraid of confrontation. I will never forget when John met with a group of Christian college presidents and told them to stop competing with each other and to start finding ways to cooperate. Their petty conflicts were impeding the development of Christian higher education and he wanted them to get the message. They did and, under John’s leadership, the CCC grew from 13 colleges and universities to over 75 schools by the time he left the presidency. 
• “To tell you the truth.” When our staff used sayings, such as, “To tell you the truth” or “To be perfectly honest with you,” he would always interrupt you and say “I assume you are always honest with me.” Even if you just started to say these words and then remembered and stopped, you still got his standard response. There was no escape. I have adopted the same approach with my staff. 

John was soft-spoken and warm, a model of generosity, with a great sense of humor. He loved and respected people and treated everyone with dignity. John was a gift of God to me and a model of a life of a shalom-maker.

* If you are interested in learning more about this remarkable Christian leader, see the video entitled “Oregon Legends: The John Dellenback Story,” a 28-minute video available at www.soptv.org/oregon-legends-john-dellenback-story/. The focus of this video is on John’s leadership in Oregon and later in Washington, D.C., but also follows him on his trips to developing countries as Peace Corps Director and Chairman of the Board of World Vision. He had a heart for the world and especially for the poor in developing countries and America’s urban centers. John died in 2002 and his memorial service will be an event I will never forget.

Justice and Peace: The Kiss

"Shalom" in Hebrew

During my first day at Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Michigan), I remember stopping in a restroom, meeting a young guy who said, “Hello,” and when he found out I was new to the campus, welcomed me.  I found out later that this young man was Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff, a professor of philosophy at the college – not a student, as I supposed since he looked so young.  Wolterstorff taught for years at Calvin College and later moved to a former Christian college, Yale University, but I continue to learn from him through his books and lectures.  He has been an important mentor and some of what you read in this Shalom blog are based on insights I gained from him.

Of his many books, Until Peace and Justice Embrace has been one I have read through repeatedly and upon which I built my own “Shalom lectures” while teaching at the American Studies Program on Capitol Hill and the Russian-American Institute in Moscow.  In a short chapter, “For Justice in Shalom,” Wolterstorff writes about the need for a comprehensive vision that will guide our lives and keep us from losing our way.

With this brief introduction, he offers “the vision of shalom – peace – first articulated in the Old Testament poetic and prophetic literature but then coming to expression in the New Testament as well.”  He then goes on to explain that shalom is intertwined with justice and that there is no shalom without justice, but shalom goes beyond justice.

It was Wolterstorff who first introduced me to the four dimensions of shalom when he wrote, “Shalom is the human being dwelling at peace in all his or her relationships: with God, with self, with fellows, with nature.”  He emphasized that shalom is not merely the absence of hostility, but “at its highest is the enjoyment in one’s relationships.”

The title of Wolterstorff’s book is taken from Psalm 85:10: “.  .  . justice and peace have kissed (or embraced)” – what a magnificent depiction of the close link between  justice and peace!  While I am not a bumper sticker guy, I do like the bumper stickers that read “No Justice, No Peace; Know Justice, Know Peace.”

In the conclusion of this chapter, Wolterstorff presents a challenge that profoundly impacted my life: “Can the conclusion be avoided that not only is shalom God’s cause in the world but that all who believe in Jesus will, along with him, engage the works of shalom?  Shalom is both God’s cause in the world and our human calling.”

So What?

• Who have been mentors in your life?  Have you thanked them?

• What have you learned about shalom from this blog that has helped you to see it as a part of your “human calling”?

• Can you see how Biblical shalom involves enjoying relationships and flourishing in your work and in your community?  Living a life of shalom results in being more fully human, according to God’s design.  It’s a good reason for sharing this truth with others.