Midweek Advent 1 (2025)

Luke 2:1

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we begin our Advent Series tonight to see the progress of salvation across the world, we will begin first in the capital of an Empire that brought many nations to its knees and ruled for over 1000 years, and then move closer to God’s people and their City on a Hill, and finally come to rest in that most precious city of David, Bethlehem. As we consider each of these places it is important to understand what God teaches and reveals through our passages to know the plan of God’s salvation for mankind. So let us first look at Rome. This city of Gentiles, a nation that did not know nor honor God, but one who brought oppression to God’s people for many years, but God’s word reminds that that God can use unlikely instruments for the salvation of Mankind.

Our passages tonight, are there to help explain a curious thing in Holy Scripture. For in Luke chapter 2, when it begins to tell us about the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord, it says, Luke 2:1 “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” In some ways this is helpful as it gives us a definite time when the birth of Christ happened and reminds us that the Birth of Jesus didn’t happen in a vacuum, or in some extra special place outside of history. This isn’t just some story or lesson, this is part of the history of our world, and God’s creation.

So often the focus on this is that it gives us a particular date to look back to verify that this isn’t made up. There is something else in this that is surprising. The Old Testament has been focused on the descendants of Abraham, the Son of David, and the line of Kings that had been promised, and the Scriptures had followed this path for over 2000 years. So to start the narrative about the birth of Jesus by referencing an Emperor in a far away land doesn’t seems strange.

For who is Caesar, and what is Rome? Caesar Augustus, Octavius the adopted Son of Julius Caesar and the man who secured the Empire defeating Marc Antony is the one who brings Mary to Bethlehem. The world clamored after Rome and loved Rome greatly. It was a city whose greatness was renowned. They ruled the world at the time, and they had conquered not just what Alexander the Great had, but they expanded past that and showed their power and might.

However, the Caesars weren’t good people, history has shown us that when it comes to earthly Kingdoms that is rarely the case for those who want to achieve worldly success tend to also be brutal. The man known as Caesar was ruthless when it came to handling his opponents. He survived the fallout of the Julius Caesar’s assassination and outwitted and took down opponents with more experience. He then went on to encourage the creation of the Imperial Cult which declared Julius Caesar to be divine, and that meant that Caesar Augustus, the son of Julius, was now the son of a god.

So to include Caesar Augustus in the birth account of Jesus the true Son of God is a little surprising. Especially that this census was for the boasting of Caesar’s accomplishments to know how many people he had in his empire. For that is a measure of an earthly kingdom. For if a man is a ruler but has only one subject, you say, eh, who cares, but millions? That’s impressive to the world.

What do we learn from having Caesar Augustus as part of God’s plan to have the Messiah born in the city of David? Though Caesar and Rome might be powerful in their day, they are still subject to God above. For no ruler, no matter how great the nation is subject to God’s Will and God will put them forward for His purposes. For God is not just the God of the Jews, but also the God of the Gentiles. For the God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit isn’t just the God of believers, but also unbelievers, and oversees all creation.

The Son of God is being born into the World, and being born into an Empire that didn’t recognize him, and is led by Caesar who exalts himself as the Son of God, when Caesar is nothing but a servant and slave to the true God. For there is a Kingdom that is greater than this world, and greater than any Kingdom that has existed, and ever will exist. It is Christ’s Kingdom of Glory.

Who belongs to that Kingdom? It is tempting to think only of Israel, but God isn’t just the God of the Israelites, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are rulers over all creation, even in nations that do not know him nor glorify His name. Which means that His birth isn’t just for those in Israel it is also for you and me. You might think this is elementary stuff, we know this, and we believe this without any issues. So what is the point of reviewing this information.

For those who believe and are baptized, those who gather together around God’s gifts and know who He is, this is no surprise to us. But what about those who do not belong to the household of faith? What of those who think that the God of the Christians cares only about them, or only rules over them. That the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit cares only for His people and has little involvement or interest in the World?

Salvation isn’t just for the Jew, it is also for the Gentile. You don’t have to belong to a certain earthly kingdom to have salvation. For Jesus Christ died for all, and so if you are a sinner, if you are a rebel, if you have sinned against God greatly, and think there is no way that he could forgive me, come to the altar here for this child was born for you.

This is the message that we bring into a world that does not know Him, and does not think that the God of the Bible is there God. There are those who in their pride deny him, and think that they have no need of someone who would require goodness from them. For them they need to be reminded of God’s Law, but there are many others who think that there is no salvation for them, for they think that the line between God’s people and the unbelievers has cut them off from Grace. The fact that a gentile king is subject to the God of creation, and used by God to accomplish the salvation of mankind means that the plan of salvation wasn’t only for Israel.

It includes those who are not of the blood of Abraham, but all those who share this faith. That is why the children of Abraham are numerous for it was not limited to those who were born into the tribe of Israel, but all those who are born of water and the word. That’s why you and I, gentiles, in a far away land can rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ, and it is why we can invite those who do not believe as well. For even though they may have sinned grievously, and may have fallen far from the path of salvation, the Son of God descended from the heavens to save them too.

God didn’t turn his back on the Gentiles, for Jesus is the life and the light of men, who has enlightened both Jew and Gentile that salvation might be freely given to all people.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not forget to invite all people, for Jesus died for for all, and has gifts to give them. The greatest tragedy is that sinners do not realize these gifts are meant for them. The proud and the foolish do not look for these gifts and reject them because they think they don’t need them. That’s a different type of sadness, but it is what they seek, but those who are in need, and think they are unworthy because of earthly divisions like nation, race, language, or who think God could never forgive them, assure them there is a place for them to come and receive these good gifts, for Jesus Christ died for sinners, whether they were in Judea, or Rome. Jesus was born to save all mankind. In Jesus name. Amen.