In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome died.  He was killed by the same folks who declared him to be a god a couple of years earlier.  His wealth and kingdom fell into the hands of his adopted son, Gaius Octavius, who over a twenty-year reign rose to become a great emperor.  So great that he ultimately held the title, Augustus, which means “the supreme ruler.”  However, in 12 BCE, after seeing Halley’s Comet flash a stripe across the sky, Augustus claimed it was the spirit of Julius, his predecessor, who entered the heavens, as a god.  Because he was his son, he too should be worshipped as god. 

In case you are wondering, this is the same Emperor Augustus that Dr. Luke (2:1) recorded in his gospel, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” Because of this decree, Joseph and Mary had to return to his hometown of Bethlehem.  And as we know, because of this decree, Jesus the Son of God was born in Bethlehem, to fulfill Micah’s prophecy (5:2), “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel.”  Chuck Swindoll, in his book, Jesus, rightly says, “Caesar Agustus thought this exercise of power would give him greater control over the world, but in the end, all he did was run an errand for God.”  He concludes, “The decisions of men only served to accomplish the sovereign plan of God.”  Amen.

Augustus, the supreme ruler, died in 14 CE at age 75, and no, he’s not a god, or the son of a god, as he claimed to be. Jesus, the true ruler, lives on and to this day millions of people worship Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  Unlike Augustus, His sphere of influence is not geographical but spiritual.  Unlike Augustus, He does not conquer lands and kingdoms, but hearts and minds.  And unlike Augustus, He rules not with swords, but with love and grace. 

Pastor Paul