3 World Leaders Prepared the Way for Jesus

Bible

Dec 8

This is the blog version of Podcast Episode 005. Listen here.

In this episode, we’re going to see how an intentional God prepared the land, the culture, and both Jews and Gentiles for the birth of His son Jesus, the Redeemer of all people.

From the moment sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God had a plan to free all of us from the penalty of eternal death. (Genesis 2) And in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4-5), when every detail was in place, God sent Jesus to earth (Colossians 1:15).

So what does the Bible say about how God was preparing for the birth of Jesus? In our Bible, we turn the last page of the Old Testament and see the next page that begins the New Testament. Actually, that page turn between Malachi and Matthew represents 400 silent years. For 400 years, there is no record of the history of Israel or an inspired Word from the Lord.

However, historical documents tell us what was going on politically and culturally, and they show us how God was moving even when He seemed to be silent and invisible.

Before we dive into the birth of Jesus, it’s important to know about the context of the Jewish culture. The more we know about the people of Jesus’ day, the more we understand their concerns and motivations. And along the way, we’ll meet what I call the “Advance Team” that God sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

Let’s start with a super quick overview of Israel.

We think of the nation of Israel, or the people of Israel, as one group, but by the time Jesus was born, they were very divided.

The easiest way for me to explain this is for you to imagine a pizza cut into 12 slices, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The pizza is smelling good and it’s still in the box with the lid open. Ok. So imagine a pizza—that you aren’t eating!

We begin with a whole pizza. The nation of Israel is united and strong. The people of Israel want a king. God gives them Saul, who is followed by King David, and then David’s son, Solomon.

Solomon dies, and the nation of Israel splits into two Kingdoms. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin become the southern Kingdom of Judah with the capital city Jerusalem. The remaining ten tribes become the northern Kingdom of Israel with the capital city of Samaria. The kingdom is divided, so we have to divide our pizza. Separate two slices away from the remaining ten slices.

Two hundred years after the kingdom divides, Assyria conquers Samaria and takes those ten Kingdom of Israel slices, I mean tribes. Some believe that the captured Jews integrate with the Assyrians, but most of these tribes are never heard of again. So, set nine of the connected slices outside of the box.

But Assyria took ten tribes? What about the other slice? These are the Jews who are left behind, though they aren’t all from one tribe. With an empty Samaria, the new king decides to repopulate the region by importing Israel’s enemies to intermarry with the remaining Jews. These mixed-race Hebrews from Samaria become known as Samaritans.

Continuing on now with our pizza—we are left with two slices (the Kingdom of Judah) and one slice (the remainder of the Kingdom of Israel). They are separated because they don’t like each other.

Fast forward a hundred years. King Nebuchadnezzar attacks the southern kingdom (our two pieces of pizza) and takes captive about 15,000 people, including Daniel, Ezekiel, and Israelite kings who are all relocated to Babylon, about 900 miles away.

Leave the two pieces connected, but cut a tiny triangle from the end of one slice and separate it from the others. These are the Jews who don’t go to Babylon. So now we have Jews in 3 locations—small group in Samaria in the north, a small group in Judea in the South, and the rest in Babylon.

After 70 years, Persian King Cyrus comes to power and offers all captives the opportunity to return home where they can rebuild the temple and worship their God. Around 50,000 Jews return home, but Esther, Mordecai and many others decide to stay. We don’t know how many stayed or left Babylon and moved elsewhere.

Separate the two remaining pizza slices. The large pizza is now three pieces separated from each other. The Jews are scattered hundreds of miles apart, living in Samaria, Babylon, and Jerusalem, and other nations.

What was once a powerful, united nation of Israel is now a collection of small, independent pockets of people who are challenged to defend themselves. People who have been conquered crave stability, safety, and any leader who can bring it.

Enter the first member of our Advance Team. Alexander the Great, 25-year-old Greek King of Macedon, defeats Persia and continues his father’s plan to unite all Greek cities under a single leader. A student of Aristotle and Greek philosophy, Alexander feels that the God Zeus commissions him to spread Greek culture and make the world civilized.

At the height of its success, the Greek empire covers two million square miles across three continents, the equivalent of more than half of the US. When the Greeks conquer the region of Judea, they bring their culture but also the international language of Koine (COY-nay or coy-NAY) Greek. (Koine is the Greek word for common.)

Alexander the Great prepares the way for Jesus by uniting a large group of independent nations. He also creates a common international language to spread his Greek culture, but this common language also allows the gospel to spread to many nations.

Moving on…

Alexander’s death is followed by 22 years of instability and power grabs that has Israel changing rulers six times. Not long after, everything settles down and, we meet the second member of the Advance Team.

Ptolemy II, Pharaoh of Egypt, rules Jerusalem and Judea from his home in Alexandria, Egypt. Many people in the Mediterranean region, including Jews, now speak and read Greek as their primary language.

King Ptolemy II commissions his librarian to invite Hebrew translators from Jerusalem to travel to Alexandria in order to translate the Hebrew Bible. There is a large population of Jews in Alexandria, so it could be for the Jews who can no longer read the law or for the king’s famous library in Alexandria.

Translators begin with the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, but the Greek translation of the entire Hebrew Bible is complete by the time Jesus is born. Hebrew is still used for religious education and worship, but scholars are divided about how much Hebrew is used outside of religious settings during this period of time.

In any case, the Septuagint spreads throughout the nations and becomes popular with Jews who speak Greek.

King Ptolemy II prepares the way for Jesus by overseeing the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. Not only is this Bible understood by the majority of the readers in the known world, but it is often quoted by many New Testament authors.

Our story continues…

Sadly, the Jews in Judea continue to experience domination and are stuck in the geographical middle of two warring nations. Eventually, one side wins, and Judea has yet another new leader.

And in the capital city of Jerusalem, it’s a train wreck. The priesthood is divided between those who support integrating with Greek culture and those who oppose it. The position of high priest, once determined by family of birth, is up for grabs to the highest bidder.

In 63 BC, the Romans conquer Jerusalem and Judea and rename the region Palestine. Because Jew and Judea sound similar in Hebrew, Romans hope to sever connections between the people and their land by renaming it. Palestine refers to Israel's enemies, the Philiistines, who lived in that area (1 Samuel 17).

If that isn’t enough, the Romans add insult to injury when the Roman Senate declares Herod the Great “King of the Jews.”

In 27 BC, our third member of the Advance Team, Caesar Augustus becomes ruler of Rome. He is one of the most unlikely candidates to be preparing the way for Jesus and his ministry, and yet he plays an important role.

At a time when most roads are only dirt paths, the Romans are known for building stone and paved roads for communication, trade, and military movement.

During the rule of Caesar Augustus, Rome builds 50,000 miles of roads that eventually become a road system of 250,000 miles that stretches across three continents.

That’s where we get the saying, “All roads lead to Rome,” because they did! There’s a link in the sources below with a map and an image of a portion of the Roman roads system.

There are three Roman roads in the area renamed Palestine and the region that surrounded it:

• Via Maris or The Way of the Sea, a Major paved Roman highway along the shore of the Mediterranean

• The King’s Highway runs from Egypt to Syria on the east side of the Sea of Galilee.

• A third shorter route runs through Galilee and connects the other two highways.

Having paved roads is incredible, but the location of the roads is significant. The connector route runs right through Galilee, the home base of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is able to minister to a diverse group of foreigners without the physical, financial, and emotional expense of travel. He is like a missionary with the nations coming to Him!

And when these people return to their homes, spending evenings telling stories around a campfire, they likely share what they heard, whether or not they believe.

Caesar Augustus, and his Roman Empire, prepare the way for Jesus by building roads that Jesus, His disciples, and others used to spread the gospel to cities, countries, and continents.

None of these power-hungry men on the Advance Team are known to be followers of God. In fact, it would be easy to prove that some are strongly opposed to His law and His Son.

Yet what they created to advance their own kingdoms, God used to expand His.

When Jesus is born, He arrives in a culture of Jews who experienced centuries of political instability and current domination by a secular leader who allows them a degree of religious freedom.

Their religious systems and leaders are far from the laws God gave them, yet they hold on to the promise of a Messiah who will come to rescue them and restore what they’ve lost.

This is what I see about God:

He can take the most difficult situations and use them for His purposes and blessing.

The Jews suffered under the rule of cruel leaders, yet what these ungodly men created became tools that God used to bring hope and healing to the world.

As Joseph said to his brothers, “As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”

I also see that God is still working, even in the silence.

For 400 years, there was no word of the Lord. I definitely know what it’s like when I pray and ask God for an answer or direction, but I hear nothing. But this is where faith comes in, where we have the choice to hold on to the promises of God, knowing that He keeps His promises.

God is all about details.

He puts the right people in the right place at the right time. He knew every piece that needed to be in place to successfully spread the message of the Good News. Details matter to God.

When Jesus is born, the known world has a common language for Jews and Gentiles, a Hebrew Bible written in that language, and a system of roads that cross the region where Jesus will base his ministry, yet extend across continents so his followers can share the good news.

Every detail is in place for the arrival of Son of God.

Sources:

Dallas Theological Seminary Free Course: Historical Backgrounds for the New Testament

Israel Conquered by the Assyrians

The Lost Tribes

The Babylonian Exile

Jews Return to Judea

Did Jesus Speak Hebrew?

Septuagint 1 | 2

History of the Term Palestine

Roman Road System

Berean Study Bible, Public Domain (Genesis 50:20)