The World He Entered

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"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Galatians 4:4). The Bible says that Jesus came at a time prepared for him. The world he entered was a meeting-place of empires, languages, and hopes.

The Roman Peace

The Mediterranean world was ruled by Rome. Augustus Caesar had ended decades of civil war, and the empire enjoyed relative peace, good roads, and a common legal order. Luke ties the nativity to this world: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed" (Luke 2:1). He later dates the start of John the Baptist's ministry with careful precision, naming the emperor Tiberius, the governor Pontius Pilate, the tetrarchs Herod, Philip, and Lysanias, and the high priests Annas and Caiaphas (Luke 3:1-2). Each of these figures is known from other sources [2].

The Land and Its Rulers

Palestine was a small and troubled province. Herod the Great, a builder and a tyrant, ruled as king until his death in 4 BC. He rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem on a grand scale, so that the Jews could later say, "Forty and six years was this temple in building" (John 2:20). After his death, his kingdom was divided. His son Herod Antipas ruled Galilee until AD 39. Judea came under Roman prefects, of whom Pontius Pilate (AD 26-36) was one.

The Jewish World

The Jews lived under foreign rule, with a deep hunger for God's promised deliverer. Several groups shaped religious life:

• Pharisees, who emphasized careful obedience to the Law and the traditions of the elders, and who were influential in the synagogues.
• Sadducees, the priestly aristocracy, who controlled the Temple and denied the resurrection (Matthew 22:23).
• Essenes, a community of the Dead Sea region who withdrew from the Temple to keep strict purity.
• Zealots, who sought to overthrow Rome by force. One of Jesus's disciples, Simon, was called the Zealot.
• The common people, farmers, fishermen, and craftsmen who gathered at the synagogue on the Sabbath and travelled to Jerusalem for the great feasts, above all Passover.

Many looked for a Messiah ("Anointed One"), though they did not agree on what he would be. Some expected a warrior-king, some a priest, some a prophet. The woman at the well said, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things" (John 4:25).

Languages

Jesus lived in a world of several languages. He spoke Aramaic, the everyday tongue, and his words are preserved in it in places: "And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise" (Mark 5:41). Hebrew was used in worship, Greek was the language of trade and of the New Testament writers, and Latin was the language of Roman administration [3].

Timeline

Scholars debate the exact years. Herod died in 4 BC, so Jesus was born before that. Luke says he was "about thirty years of age" at the beginning of his ministry (Luke 3:23). The Passover on which he died fell on a Friday in AD 30 or AD 33, the two dates most often defended [4].

CHAPTER 3