Advent Devotional Week 2: The Paradox of Christmas

Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ birth begins with a bit of a scene-setting. The curtain opens on the reign of Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1), the most powerful leader in the known world at that time. Augustus was originally known as Octavian, but he had taken on the name Augustus (meaning “revered” or “great”) as a sign of his authority and glory. He ruled Rome for over 40 years, was one of the most powerful and important people in the history of the world, and knew it. You do not have issues with low self-esteem if you nickname yourself “glorious.” He even wrote a book about himself called “What I Have Achieved: The Works of the Divine Augustus.”

As such, Augustus makes an interesting contrast for those investigating the circumstances surrounding the coming of the Lord Jesus. And that seems to be Luke’s point in mentioning the emperor by name. Because another king was coming into the world that day, but He was coming in weakness, obscurity, and poverty. Everything in the evangelist’s account seems to point toward how lowly the baby Jesus was. In Luke 2:1-6, we are introduced to a series of people, ordered according to declining influence:

• In verse 1, we read about the mighty Augustus.
• In verse 2, we learn about Quirinius, a local ruler. He’s not as powerful as Augustus but still sits in a seat of authority.
• In verse 4, we meet Joseph. He’s not very much, but at least he’s a free male.
• In verse 5, Mary re-enters the story. She’s a poor, unmarried, pregnant teenage girl. 
• And finally, in verse 6, we meet the infant Jesus. He was the least powerful, least privileged person in the region at that moment. 

While Augustus slept on silk sheets, Jesus slept in a manger.He couldn’t even lift his head, let alone rule the world.But the paradox of Christmas is that He was indeed the Almighty. He was the Son of God. He was the one who would truly rule the earth and bring peace. Luke’s narrative presents us with a contrast of two radically different kings. And just as Jesus and Augustus were radically different kings, they had radically different kingdoms.You may have noticed that Caesar Augustus is no longer around. I doubt he still thinks of himself as divine. Like every man, the grave humbled him.But the Lord Jesus reigns forever. The grave didn’t humble him; it was the beginning of his exaltation. 

The kingdom of God may have started small, like a mustard seed. It may have seemed ridiculous compared to the Pax Romana. But as Paul said in Philippians, one day the entire world, not just the Roman Empire, will bow down before this King Jesus (Philippians 2:9-10). As the loud voices in heaven declared: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)Luke didn’t have to mention Augustus in his narrative, but he seems to want to make the contrast clear. The paradox of Christmas is on full display – the true King was not in a Roman palace; He was in the manger.

This truth has serious implications for us as pastors and followers of Christ. We live in a world that ascribes greatness to those who wear their authority, like Augustus. But the kingdom we serve has a culture consistent with the King who rules over it. His glory entered the world in the form of weakness and obscurity, which means that those who want greatness like Jesus’ must be willing to be humbled like He was. Perhaps the Lord Jesus was thinking about Augustus when He warned his disciples not to be like “the kings of the Gentiles” who “exercise lordship over them” (Luke 22:25). 

Jesus himself came as a servant in the humility of the manger. It’s fine for you to aspire to pastoral greatness as long as you pursue it the same way Jesus did. This means that our leadership in the church must be exercised through humility, service, and the embrace of weakness – the world will reward those who are like Augustus, but the Lord Jesus will reward those who are like him.  

©2023 Michael McKinley. Used with permission.