The Life of Christ
Historical Introduction, Part 1
by
Rev. Mark Perkins, Pastor
Denver Bible Church
326 E. Colorado Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80210
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John 1:1-5
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
"He was with God in the beginning.
"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
"In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
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Know from the beginning that Jesus was and is and forever
will be the Son of God.
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Luke 1:1-4
"Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
"just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
"Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
"so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught."
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Know from the beginning that this is the factual account of
the Son of God, that this is the most widely documented life
and times in history.
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1 John 1:1-4
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
"The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
"We write this to make our joy complete."
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Know from the beginning that this factual account changes
lives. It has changed mine, and it will change yours if you will
listen and believe.
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Gal 4:4-5
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
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Know from the beginning that God's timing is always right,
and that He sent His Son at just the right moment in human history.
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Isa 52:13-53:12
"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
'Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--
"so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
"By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
"After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light <of life> and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
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Know from the beginning that the life of the Son of God was
predicted for many hundreds of years, and know that He had a
destiny of sorrow and a destiny of glory.
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Dramatis Personae for the Opening Act
Mary: a young virgin, who is betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter.
They are residents of Nazareth, a small town in the hill country
of Galilee;
Elizabeth: an older woman of the hill country of Judah, not far
from Jerusalem, and Mary's cousin; her husband Zechariah, a priest
in the division of Abijah;
Wise men from the East;
Shepherds near Bethlehem;
Gabriel, an angel;
An anonymous angel;
Simeon, a righteous man who waits for the consolation of Israel;
Anna, a prophetess more than a hundred years of age, and a widow
for eighty four of those years - a very pious woman;
Herod, the king over the Roman province of Judea - an evil man
full of ambition.
Herod the Great
Herod in many ways personifies the trouble in Israel at the time
of Christ. For a long time, hundreds of years, the Jews had lived
under the control of one nation or another, and they longed to
be truly autonomous. It seemed like whatever empire had the upper
hand in history would rule them.
If it wasn't the Babylonians, then it was the Persians, when
the Persians took over. If it wasn't the Persians, it was the
Greeks, when Alexander came rumbling through the ancient near
east. If it wasn't Alexander, it was the Romans, after the death
of Alexander and the disintegration of his empire.
The Jews still understood that they were a holy people, set apart
for God. They always remembered that, if nothing else. They rankled
under the rule of Rome, and it especially rubbed them wrong that
Herod, the so-called Herod the Great had power over them.
Herod was worse than a Gentile; he was a half-Jewish Idumaean,
a descendant of Esau, a wild desert-dwelling type. The Jews considered
them with no small amount of prejudice.
To make matters worse, Herod was hardly a model human being.
He has been called a monster - one who was crafty and cruel,
jealous and vain and always quick to seek revenge when wronged.
He came to the throne over the Roman province of Judea through cunning and manipulation of Marc Antony.
He had nine or ten wives. Even the historians lost count after a while.
On the smallest of suspicion he had even his favorite wife, Mariamne, put to death, along with her sons Alexander and Aristobulus.
Even while on his own deathbed, just days before he died he had his own son, his flesh and blood Antipater put to death.
Caesar Augustus was heard to say, "It is better to be Herod's hog than his own son!"
Again at his deathbed he ordered all the principle men in Israel to be rounded up and placed in the local stadium, where they could be surrounded by his soldiers and then slain when he died. The reason: so that there would be great mourning at his death.
It must have been difficult for the Jews to read the Scriptures,
and to know that their destiny was so great, and yet have the
reality so different.
Understand, however, that this was Divine Judgment on the nation
of Israel; that they had neglected their relationship with God,
and that the situation was appropriate to their spiritual state.
In this case the outward circumstances reflected accurately the
inward condition: slavery.
It is no wonder, then, there was a great fascination in the nation
of Israel with the prophecies about the Messiah.
The one who would come and re-establish the greatness of their kingdom and their people.
A man who would rise up and smite their enemies and make them a free people once again.
From time to time a fairly great and famous man would rise up, and there would be some excitement about the possibility of his being the Messiah.
Of course, things would quiet down when he turned out to be quite human, and the slavery of Israel droned on and on.
After a time there was even a certain amount of cynicism about the whole deal.
The same phenomenon exists today with the fundy fascination about the end times and the return of Christ.
Herod tried bribing the Jews, so that they would like him, and
he could view himself as a successful ruler.
Julius Caesar had given Herod a fantastic and truly royal inaugural
celebration back in 37 B.C., when Herod took the throne. He always
longed for that past glory, when in fact the traditional Roman
warning of "sic transit gloria mundi" applied to him
more than any other. The bribes came in the form of a building
program that was the very rival of Solomon's.
He built monuments and buildings in the Holy Land, and even rebuilt
their temple in magnificent fashion, topping it with a golden
dome.
The rebuilding of the Temple was much like the building of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California.
More was added every year. A higher roof here, an annex there - all very magnificent.
When Herod died, his relatives took over the folly and the never-ending program continued until it was finally finished in 66 A.D., some 87 years after it was begun.
It is one of the great ironies of history that it was burned down just four years later when Jerusalem was destroyed.
Other buildings and monuments were undertaken.
A temple, a forum, and a theatre at Samaria.
A great Greco-Roman capital, a temple, and port at Caesarea.
The port was an engineering marvel that even today is remarked upon by the archaeologists who work at the site.
Luxurious palaces and fortified retreats were built at Masada, Jerusalem, Jericho, and Herodium, which was near Bethlehem.
In Jerusalem he had baths, a theatre, and a Hippodrome constructed.
He also promoted Greek and Roman games so that the people might be entertained.
All of these things struck a sour note - as any bribe to a slave
will. The people really did not want these things. They wanted
to be autonomous and free. But in order to be truly free, any
people must know God, and that was exactly the problem in Israel.
Herod was the king. The people were unhappy. Their response to
his despotism is worthwhile to note.
Jewish Responses to Herod's Rule: The Maccabaean Revolt
Syria had one incredibly evil ruler by the name of Antiochus
Epiphanes. This man was so evil that he made Herod the Great
look like a great humanitarian by comparison. Antiochus was the
prototype for the Antichrist of the Tribulation.
In 168 B.C. he desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by setting
up an altar to Jupiter Olympus, where he dedicated the use of
the Temple to this false God by offering up the flesh of a swine.
This was the 'abomination of desolation' of Daniel 11:31, ""His
armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and
will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination
that causes desolation."
Antiochus made a furious effort, with the help of the corrupt
high priesthood (who helped because of a bribe), to Hellenize
the Jews.
The high priest himself, a man by the name of Jason, was power
mad, and attempted a coup in Jerusalem when Antiochus was mistakenly
reported dead during a military campaign in Egypt.
His brief reign was characterized by violence, but the real violence
would begin when Antiochus heard of the coup. He returned to
Jerusalem with his army, besieged it, and killed 40,000 Jews
upon its capture, and sold at least as many into slavery. Then
he went back to Egypt.
Eventually, Antiochus awoke the ire of Rome, and he was arrested
and ordered to back off from Egypt or die. He did so, but he
made another stop at Jerusalem, where he took out his frustration
on the Jews. He entered the city on the Sabbath, and murdered
thousands of men in the synagogues, while enslaving the women
and children. He defiled the Temple in every way imaginable,
and caused the daily ritual system to cease entirely. This meant
war.
During this time of great persecution there was a priest by the
name of Mattathias. He was an old man of noble blood, and he
had retired to a little town west of Jerusalem. There he was
commanded to sacrifice on the Pagan altar, and he refused. In
fact, he became enraged when a Judean came forward to sacrifice,
and he struck the man, overthrew the altar, called upon the faithful
to follow him, and fled with his sons into the wilderness.
This was the Maccabaean family. The example of Mattathias was
followed by many in various parts of the country. His story was
well-known, and the idolatrous altars were being overthrown,
and Jewish worship and culture was being reestablished. The rigorous
life of a rebel took its toll on Mattathias, and he died just
a year later, in 166 A.D.
The third son of Mattathias, Judas, took over for him in directing
the war for independence. He was a man full of energy and clever
in the running of the war. He was an expert at guerrilla warfare,
attacking at night, and at the most surprising times and places.
Encouraged by early success, he became even more bold, and defeated
Antiochus' head general, Apollonius, at Beth-horon.
It was only a little while later that Antiochus left Jerusalem
and left the government to a man name Lysias. Lysias was a military
dunce, and Judas defeated his larger army at Emmaus, and later
at Bethsura. Judas was then able to occupy Jerusalem, where he
purified the Temple.
Judas continued his triumphs on the military field, and after
the battle of Adasa, the Jews had almost won their independence.
Almost. Bacchides led another invading army, and this time the
Jews were caught unaware. Able to only muster a small group of
men, and losing many of those on the night before the battle,
Judas was defeated, and died.
All that was gained seemed lost. The patriots were in a state
of total disorder, and it was only renewed persecution that brought
them together again.
The Jews again looked to the Maccabees, this time Jonathan, the
youngest son of Mattathias would be their champion. Jonathan
would fight a skillful defensive campaign in the Jordan Valley,
and when a new king took the throne in Syria, he gained support,
and Israel a fair amount of freedom.
Jonathan was made high priest, and there was peace in the land
for some 20 years. Sadly, in 144 B.C. Jonathan fell victim to
the treachery of a man by the name of Tryphon, and was imprisoned
in Ptolemais, in Galilee. This act left just one Maccabee, Simon.
Simon had all along been a steady military leader, but had left
the national leadership to his brothers. Now it was his turn,
and he placed himself at the head of the patriot party. After
a short while, Tryphon put Jonathan to death, and seized the
throne of Syria.
Simon had the wits to make an appeal for the freedom of the Jews
to Demetrius, a well-known general with connections to Rome.
This appeal was accepted, and once again it seemed as though
the Jews would be free.
Although Mattathias had begun the rebellion over the issue of
the Jewish religion, after 32 years, the war, and political freedom
became the thing. Relationship with God had taken a back seat
to military strategy and tactics, and politics. And remember,
that no nation can remain free without a relationship with God.
At the time of Simon, in 143 B.C., Israel had apparently won
their freedom through military skill and political maneuvering.
They had won almost every battle that they had fought for 25
years. They had successfully manipulated the political machines
of their foreign occupants.
They had done everything just right, but they had failed in the
most important regard: the spiritual life.
Just eight years after the apparent victory of Israel, Simon
and two of his sons was murdered by Ptolemaeus, and in 135 B.C.
the nation of Israel once again found itself on the brink of
slavery.
John Hyrcanus was one of the two living sons of Simon. When he
heard of the death of his father, he marched with the army against
Jericho. Unfortunately, Ptolemaeus held a trump card: he had
Simon's widow, John's mother, captive, and the sabbatical year
of the year of Jubilee was just around the corner, so the siege
of Jericho failed.
Seeing no further use for the woman, Ptolemaeus had her killed,
and then he fled to Philadelphia. Antiochus the sixth (not Epiphanes)
then invaded Judea, and besieged Jerusalem, and Hyrcanus and
the army was trapped there and placed into a desperate situation.
The Jews caught a break when a truce was granted for the passover
feast, and Hyrcanus took the opportunity to bargain with Ptolemaeus.
Hyrcanus compromised like crazy in order to gain the freedom
of Israel, even going to the extreme of opening David's tomb
to pay the tribute demanded by the Syrian General.
He then went to Parthia to bargain further for the freedom of
Israel, and through compromise and manipulation was able to establish
a treaty that lasted for more than fifty years.
By 30 B.C., the line of the Maccabees had died out with the death
of Hyrcanus II, the grandson of Hyrcanus. His granddaughter was
Mariamne, who went on to marry Herod the Great.
Now, where were the Pharisees during all this time? Well, they
had begun to grasp for political power, so that they might more
effectively carry out their mission. At first they were on the
side of the Maccabees, but the more the rebels concentrated on
the war, the further they got away from strict observance of
the Law, and so they earned the wrath of the Pharisees.
Because of the gross compromises of Hyrcanus, and looting of
David's tomb, more and more Jews went to the side of the Pharisees.
After the death of Hyrcanus I, his daughter became queen, and
seeing the handwriting on the wall, she abandoned her political
power to Pharisees.
At the time of the birth of Christ, the Romans through Herod
held the outward political power, while the Pharisees held it
internally. The people found themselves under a double tyrrany,
and it was a difficult time indeed.
Concluding principles
Freedom without a relationship with God is in reality slavery.
War without a relationship with God is a waste.
Both slavery and freedom begin in the soul.
John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.""
Gal 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
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