Christmas 2014 part 2: Christ, the one true King, has set us free from all other kings. Php 2:11; Luk 2:11; Heb 4:15.

Title: Christmas 2014 part 2: Christ, the one true King, has set us free from all other kings. Php 2:11; LUK 2:11; HEB 4:15.

 

The greatest gift ever given - a King of our souls and our destinies who is the King of all kings as well as the only gracious Atoner in eternal love.

 

God the Son entered the world in the flesh as a newborn baby as was foretold in Bethlehem, the city of David. This baby held some astounding titles and would give other astounding titles to men who became His followers.

 

He enters a world at a unique time. The historical stage was perfectly set for the true King and the kings of men; the world of Caesars.

 

Caesar ruled the most powerful, expansive, and prosperous kingdom in the history of mankind, which title it would hold and will hold until the antichrist revives it.

 

Due to his tremendous power he developed a Cult of the Caesar. Christianity came into a world dominated by this cult.

 

Caesar took upon himself certain titles as the lord of his world. He bestowed upon a select number of subjects other titles which were greatly desired. Christ is all these titles and He has graciously bestowed the other titles to anyone who believes in Him.

 

Cult of Caesar: the Roman emperor was worshipped as a god. He was titled kurios or "lord."

 

The empire was held together by the universal religion of Emperor-worship.

 

The imperialism of the world system competes with the imperialism of Christianity for men's souls.

 

Herod the Great, king of Judea, had a hard time determining his heir from his sons. He was paranoid of losing his throne. When a King of the Jews was announced he became extremely agitated.

 

Herod the Great was made king of Judea by Caesar in 39 BC. He died very soon after Christ was born. He had a very hard time determining an heir to his throne from his sons. He was forever paranoid of losing his kingship. He became extremely agitated when it was announced to him that the king of the Jews was born in Bethlehem. This paranoia and anger motivated him to slay all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and under.

 

To claim Christ as Lord and God instead of Caesar was to place yourself in serious trouble with the Roman authorities if they had known of it.

 

Polycarp in 156 AD was confronted with the question by a Roman official: "What is the harm in saying 'lord Caesar'?" Because of his refusal he was murdered.

 

Festus, governor of Judea said regarding Paul:

 

ACT 25:26

"Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord [Caesar - Nero].\

 

Festus sent Paul to prison in Rome. In that prison he would write:

 

Php 2:9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

 

Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

 

Php 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

The Cult of Caesar also gave the Emperor the titles theos, "god," and huios theou, "son of god."

 

It is one thing to claim a title and to be powerful enough to enforce it upon others, but the child come into the world was these titles and as such He came to exercise the authority of them and to set free all those who would believe in His name.

 

JOH 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,' You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

 

The Emperor was also given the title "overseer." He was charged with responsibility of caring for the welfare of those he ruled.

 

Can the ruler in the world, your government, no matter what type it is, actually oversee the welfare of your soul? Christ the King came into the world for this very purpose.

 

1PE 2:25

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian [episkopos: overseer] of your souls.

 

This title, in a subservient role to His own, would also be given to some of His subjects - His pastors or His under shepherds or guardians of the flock.

 

When Peter wrote this, he was aware of the imperialistic challenge of Christianity when presenting the God of Christians as the Overseer of their souls, refusing to acknowledge the overseeing care of the emperor-god.

 

The emperor was also given the title basileus, "king." Some monarchs used the title "king of kings." The Jewish leaders knew that He was claiming world dominion.

 

The Jewish leaders knew that when Jesus claimed to be king of the Jews that He was claiming, according to the OT, world dominion. This title was proclaimed by the magi subsequent to His birth.

 

The Jews tried to use this as a means of involving Jesus in difficulties with Rome:

 

JOH 19:12 "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar."

 

LUK 23:2-3

And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." And Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him and said, "It is as you say."

 

Pilate didn't see Jesus as a threat. One look at Him in His condition and he would have never guest that this man is an overthrower of kingdoms. How wrong he was. Pilate found no guilt in Him and presented Him to the crowd.

 

JOH 19:14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!"

 

JOH 19:15 They therefore cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

 

JOH 19:16 So he then delivered Him to them to be crucified.

 

Paul, after he had faced Nero as the prisoner of the Roman empire and had been liberated, wrote the following to Timothy:

 

1TI 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

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1TI 6:15 He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords;

 

1TI 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

 

Not only did the emperor have the titles of lord, son of god, god, overseer, and king, all of which were titles of our Lord also, but he was given the title soter, "savior."

 

The emperor was also given the title soter or "savior." The Roman Empire was well governed and policed, which made life bearable.

 

At least eight of the emperors carried the title "savior of the world." They were hailed as saviors of the people. For the most part, the Roman world was well governed and policed, Roman law was administered in equity, the Roman roads caused travel and commerce to flourish, and the Roman peace made living conditions bearable and in some cases even pleasant.

 

Thus the emperors were known as world-saviors. However, Christ comes with the imperialistic announcement of Savior.

 

LUK 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 

There cannot be multiple Saviors since only one is qualified. The true Savior would save them from their sins which they loved and from which they did not want to be separated. What motive would they have in transferring their allegiance from a world-savior who gave them the comforts of life and at the same time allowed them to go on in their sin, to the Lord Jesus, especially when allegiance to this new Savior could very well result in their crucifixion by Rome?

 

And yet, for the first three hundred years of the Church's history, tens of thousands willingly embraced this new Savior and went to a horrible death. How does one explain this? The only answer is that the supernatural power of God was operative in their hearts.

 

JOH 4:42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."

 

1TI 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope

 

1TI 4:10

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

 

While Caesar may be able to import food and goods from distant places in order to make one's life a little easier, Christ is the true Savior of all men. Believers all across the Roman Empire proclaimed this under the threat of death. No wonder that Rome recognized in Christianity a formidable rival.

 

The Roman historian Tacitus:

 

"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, repressed for awhile, again broke out, and spread not only through Judea where it originated, but reached this city also (Rome), into which flow all things that are vile and abominable, and where they are encouraged." [Tacitus, approx. 110 AD]

 

The apostles combine the words God and Savior as well as Lord and Savior multiple times.

 

Another term used by the Emperor was archiereus (arkay-ar-oos), "high priest."

 

The emperors were called "Pontifex Maximus" in the east, the name being the Latin translation of the Greek archiereus. Augustus was the first to take this title upon himself.

 

In contrast to the arrogance, cruelty, and wickedness of the Roman emperor who was recognized not only as lord, son of god, god, savior, but also as high priest… HEB 4:14-16, we have the word of God through the writer of Hebrews:

 

HEB 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

 

HEB 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

 

HEB 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

 

There is a contrast to the high priesthood of Christ, from the tribe of Judah, to the Aaronic high priesthood and also to the claims of an earthly Emperor of tremendous earthly power.

 

The Emperor claimed a high priesthood from his earthly throne. Christ is the High Priest sitting at the right hand of God and someday will occupy the throne of David on earth.

 

The Emperor claimed to be the high priest as he sat on his earthly throne. Christ is the one and only High Priest who sits on His throne at the right hand of God.

 

He will some day as High Priest of the Messianic Kingdom occupy the throne of David in Jerusalem:

 

In the Cult of Caesar some of the people could have the title "friend (philos) of the emperor."

 

Our Lord called His disciples His friends.

 

JOH 15:14 "You are My friends, if you do what I command you.

 

JOH 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

Our Lord knew the Roman custom of calling servants of the state a Benefactor (LUK 22:25), so He certainly knew of this custom of certain ones being called "friends of the emperor," and certainly the disciples knew of this as well. Think of what faith this involved on His part and theirs. The King of kings was on His way from the upper room where they had celebrated the Passover together for the last time, to His crucifixion and death, the rejected King of Israel.

 

What good is it to be the friend of a dead King? His faith in His resurrection, ascension, and session gave eternal weight to this title for the disciples.

 

In all the dignity of His royal position as King of the Jews in the Davidic dynasty, He said, "I have called you friends." Yes, they were friends of the Emperor who would be raised from the dead, ascend to heaven, and some day come back to this earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Another official title of certain ones of the people under the Cult of the Caesar was "bondslave (doulos) of the emperor." This was an honor.

 

There were imperial slaves all over the Roman world. There was an honor in even being a bondslave of Caesar.

 

Paul, very aware of this as a Roman citizen from birth states:

 

ROM 1:1

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

 

The Emperor also had a legate; Greek word presbeuo, namely, the one who speaks for the Emperor.

 

2CO 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

 

EPH 6:19 pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

 

EPH 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

The Lord uses this legal, earthly office as an illustration in a parable.

 

The imperial secretary used the technical expression pepisteumai which meant "I am entrusted," the qualifying word being added which would designate the matter with which he was entrusted.

Paul uses this phrase of himself as the Lord's imperial secretary.

 

GAL 2:7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.

 

1TH 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts.

 

1TI 1:11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

 

The correspondence of the imperial secretary was designated by the technical expression, hiera grammata, "sacred writings." It was used of imperial letters and decrees. The expression theia grammata, "divine writings" was used of imperial letters.

 

Imperial ordinances were referred to as "divine commandments." This shows clearly how completely the religious or ecclesiastical position of the emperor made its influence felt throughout the affairs of state. Alongside all of this we have Paul using the same expresssion, hiera grammata.

 

2TI 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 

The word euaggelion "good news" or "good tidings" was used in a profane sense of any piece of good news. But it had a sacred connection as when it was used to refer to the good news of the birthday of the emperor-god.

 

At the accession of a Caesar to the throne, the account of this event was spoken of as euaggelion "good tidings"

 

LUK 2:10 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news [euaggelion] of a great joy which shall be for all the people;

 

LUK 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 

 

He is the Emperor called Lord, Lord of lords, Son of God, God, King, King of kings, Savior, High Priest, who paid for sin and put it away forever.

 

This is the good news to the world. Heralded by all believers who know it and desire to. They in the body of Christ are friends to the King, imperial bondslaves, legates, imperial secretaries entrusted with divine writings of the good news. To too many Christians these titles don't mean much, if they even know them. They were given as a gift by His grace, the greatest gifts ever given to men. They should be adored, guarded as precious, and put into practice in every believer's life.