newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Gaius Octavius was born in 63 BC in Rome when his great-uncle Julius Caesar was assassinated for overthrowing the Roman Republic. Young Octavian, who was only 18 at the time, became his heir. Although Julius is remembered as a great general and pioneer of Rome’s transition from republic to empire, But it was young Octavian who really oversaw the transformation.
Initially joining forces with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, Octavian defeated his great uncle’s assassins, dividing the republic into three parts. Octavian then conquered his former allies and assumed sole rule of the Republic around 31 BC. over the next three decades Octavian enacted a series of laws that turned Rome into an empire. In honor of his great uncle he changed his name to Augustus. Octavian overthrows the ancient world’s greatest republic and restores it. The resourceful and ruthless Octavian did so in a way that established stability and positioned the empire for growth. This led to a 200-year period of unprecedented peace and strength known as the Pax Romana. The unified empire lasted for more than 400 years, and its eastern successors lasted for more than 1,000, eventually falling. Dissolved in 1453
Octavian is probably the most successful political leader in history. Perhaps he is the richest and most powerful person on our planet. And his legacy permeates everything from Europe’s modern political structure to our calendar. which is his name in August. However, the single most well-known historical text regarding Octavian treats him as little more than a footnote. The message read:
In those days, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census of the entire Roman world should be taken. (This was the first census during the time of Quirinius as governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own city to register. And Joseph went up from Nazareth in Galilee into Judea, to Bethlehem, the city of David. because he is of the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who had promised to marry him and was pregnant (Luke 2:1-5).
MAX LUCADO: Christmas 2024: Jesus is what happened next.
The baby was born to a teenage outcast and her carpenter husband. He came into this world in a dingy stable in an unimportant province without any fanfare or notice. Because of the prophecy He would eventually be hunted down by the king of the region—thousands were killed in the hunt—and live as a fugitive abroad. When he comes back He will grow up in confusion. Having spent more than a decade honing his father’s blue-collar career. Although few details about Octavian’s life are recorded, But a baby’s life is largely undocumented. except during the last three years of his ministry.
Two of the greatest men in history lived at the same time. They walked very different paths.
At age 30, a boy born in Bethlehem begins preaching to the poor and disenfranchised in a small town. and forgotten places He will begin dealing with prostitutes, foreigners, laborers, and the sick. He will offer healing and hope to those people who have been rejected by the world. and ultimately inspired jealousy and hatred among the religious and political elites of his time. He would be betrayed by one of his 12 closest friends and then executed on a cross under his successor Octavian Tiberius. He would die penniless and homeless. Homeless and is a criminal Completely unknown to the emperor, the power he ruled resided in.
Jesus came into this world in a dingy stable in an unimportant province without fanfare or notice. (Fred de Neuel via Getty Images)
after his death It is those same poor people and heretics who keep his memory alive. Even if the imperial authority rules The murdered man’s followers will be persecuted. But most were ignored until their numbers were large enough to cause emperors like Nero to attempt to wipe them out. But in persecution they thrive because the poor and their suffering will always outweigh the rich and powerful.
This situation lasted for 300 years until the Roman Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity in 313 AD, and even then it became The official religion of RomeThat faith blossoms best among the “gentle” people, whose slain men were once called the inheritors of the world. It radically undermines the morality of traditional authority. Nietzsche declares it to be “Slave morality”—with ridicule at the elevation of the weak over the strong. And nearly every dictator over the past 2,000 years has tried to command, distort, or destroy that faith.
Although Julius is remembered as a great general and pioneer of Rome’s transition from republic to empire, But it was young Octavian who truly oversaw that transformation. (Istock)
But today, more than two millennia after Augustus forced that impoverished family to journey to Bethlehem, Billions of people around the world will not sing to Octavian. But for that weak little child that the world cannot forget:
“Come, you have been expecting Jesus for a long time.
Born to set His people free.
From our fear and sin free us.
May we find rest in You.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation
He is the hope of the whole earth.
Good wishes of all nations
The happiness that every heart desires
Born for His people to deliver
Born as a child and as a king
Born to occupy us forever
Now your glorious kingdom brings.”
Augustus still remembers. Scholars study him Students read about him in history. One of my favorite biographies is Adrian Goldsworthy’s “Augustus: The First Emperor of Rome.” His Empire political legacy and military innovations have shaped the world. If it weren’t for the babies born during his reign He was perhaps the most famous person of his time. But God and history had other plans. Augustus is now a member of the supporting cast of the greatest story ever told. That is, his birth and death dates are associated with that night in the manger. Octavian’s name in the popular imagination is forever associated with the great king.
I believe the timing was intentional. God raised up the greatest politicians in history at the same time that He sent the opposite into the world. One praises the strong. Another person admires the gentle person. One person rules by force. Another person rules by faith. One seeks power, another sacrifices, one shows loyalty. Another person shows love
Click here for more Fox News opinions.
Two billion of us now believe that babies are God’s creation of humans. It is a message of hope and healing to all of us who are heartbroken. Jesus is the guarantee that our almighty God is not as reckless, dangerous, and evil as the gods of ancient Greece and Rome. But His concern for each human heart is limitless.
Nativity 1892 Printed from a supplement to Le Petit Journal 24 December 1892. (Photo by Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)
But for those who do not believe in the sanctity of the Jewish child. There are still messages worth remembering. Things that matter in the world are often not what we think. The real effect is not the violent exercise of power over others. It was not born of an army or an order, a conquest, or a palace vault. It is not determined by the tastes or allegiances of the rich and powerful. It comes from love. It comes from surrender and sacrifice.
Octavian is currently studying on a college campus. Jesus is worshiped in every corner of the world. And at this time in December, presidents, prime ministers, shopkeepers, and slaves gathered together to pray and sing about God made flesh. which governance does not depend on political power But it depends on love. When executed Jesus said “Father, forgive them. Because they don’t know what they’re doing.” When pressured to find a way to live He said “A new command I teach you: Love one another.” His message, lived well, will bring hope and peace to the world.
Even for those who do not believe in the divinity of the Jewish child Jesus. There are still messages worth remembering. Things that matter in the world are often not what we think. The real effect is not the violent exercise of power over others.
Today, although there are many good people, there is no shortage of people who will do anything for power. They may not be as skilled or as successful as Octavian. But they will clamor for riches, fame, and praise. Many will harm or kill others to get there. Some people will oppress others. And some of those people will It has been “successful” for a while. They will become dictators and presidents or CEOs or celebrities, and they will try to be worshipped. But like Augustus They and the morality they embraced will eventually fade into history. And what will replace them are stories of people who seek not power but mercy, not rule but freedom.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
That is the message of Christmas. For believers It is a moment of reverent reflection on that special time in history. When the great God of the universe humbles himself to restore our relationship with Him, it is for everyone, even those who have never held such faith. This is an inspiring historical story. Two of the greatest men in history lived at the same time. They walked very different paths. and contemporary observers would fail to identify which of the two was truly great.
Merry Christmas to everyone May this message of redemption be the light of the world. Hope for the hopeless and give encouragement to every human heart
Click here to read more from John Colman.
