December 23 Oppression to Freedom

Luke 2:1-3 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

THIS seems fairly simple, doesn’t it? Orders are given; it’s time to go pay the tax. But when you read these words, do you see the bondage? It’s not simply the bondage of the tax. It is bondage over Judea by a foreign government. Caesar Augustus and Quirinius are Romans. Rome controls Judah. Israel’s people are subject to an outside force intent on taking as much wealth out of the country as it can to build the riches of Rome.

     The other critical aspect of these words is how they represent a point in history. Luke wants to give evidence of the timeframe, day and month (actually October) when Jesus was born. The more deliberate he can be of the circumstances and time, the more we can trust the reality of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

     This joyful reality is that God sent his Son into the midst of Judea’s oppression to release the Jews and mankind from sin’s oppression. Then amazingly, God would actually use the oppressor Rome as a means to spread the gospel into the world and to begin his church. Rome’s structures of roads, schools and unifying language among many people allowed for the gospel to spread and new churches to begin. The Roman government was at first more lenient toward Christianity than were the Jews. It is interesting to note, the Roman government would be a refuge to the early apostles as they escaped from the hatred of the Jews, who were the first persecutors of Christ’s church. Tragically, Rome was later led by demonic rulers such as Nero, who violently persecuted the church. But God used even this to strengthen his church. And in the 4th Century, Rome would become one of the first governments to approve of and support the church.

     God works in mysterious ways to free his people. Where has he come into your life to break the things that hold you in bondage?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I release to you the things that bind me and keep me from an intimate relationship with you. Free me in Jesus. Amen.