December 15 | Miracle In A Manger | Born Under Empire | Barry Rodriguez by Grace Church published on 2024-12-16T03:06:37Z When the New Testament was written, the might and rule of the Roman Empire was at its peak. In fact, the shadow of Rome falling over everything was such a common phenomenon that the biblical authors rarely draw our attention to it. For example, Luke does not mention that the census of Augustus in 2:1, which leads Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, also sparked off a violent rebellion in Galilee. The shadow of Rome and the unrest it fomented in Israel was just a part of life. However, as we look back at the first century with two thousand years of history between us and Rome, we can gain a lot of new insight by grasping the implications of Jesus being born under foreign military occupation. What do we learn about our savior as we consider his deep identification with a people oppressed by empire?
