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How God Prepared the World for Jesus the Messiah

We might logically ask: "Why start a study of Luke with a session, ‘How God Prepared the World for Jesus the Messiah’"? The best advice I’ve ever heard on how to study the bible comes from Evelyn Laycock, who says we must first understand the bible as it’s original hearers understood it . . . then lift it into a modern context. The term "contextual bible study" is often used. In this age of pithy one-liners, one bible teacher has said: "Text without context is pretext." And it is.

We study Luke because we want to learn about Jesus: His life and message. But we can gain a much greater appreciation of that if we first understand something about the people Jesus spoke to. Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees and Essenes and Zealots . . . and what was their attitude and why? What was the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, and how did it develop? What special preparations had God made for the world, such that Jesus the Messiah came when He did (rather than some other time)?

To refresh our geography . . . here’s a map of the modern Middle East . . . and another of the ancient Middle East.

A discussion of "How God Prepared the World for Jesus the Messiah" could go back to the first biblical Prophesy of the Messiah to come—called Messianic prophesy—in Genesis 3. But tonight we’ll only go back to the 8^th century BC. As the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea are two "Jewish" Kingdoms of the descendants of Jacob (aka Israel): the northern kingdom called Israel, and the southern kingdom called Judah. For two hundred years evil kings have lead the people away from God in both kingdoms . . . and God is about to pronounce judgment.

In 722BC the Assyrians overrun Israel—and Jerusalem is only saved by a miracle. The Assyrians—from modern Iraq—were horribly cruel; an Assyrian relief in the British museum shows them proudly impaling Jewish prisoners. Most of the people of Israel were killed or deported, and the land was resettled by foreigners, who married with a remnant of Israelites to produce the half-breed race which the bible calls "Samaritans."

Just over 100 years later, the same thing happens to the people of Judah; this is documented in 2 Chr 36:

An interesting thing about the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem is that it is not only described in the bible, but also in Babylonian archives, now displayed in the British museum . . . and the two accounts match!

The Babylonian conquest happened in three waves about 10 years apart . . . around 606 BC, 596 BC, and 585 BC. Ultimately Nebuchadnezzar’s army besieged Jerusalem—a well fortified city on a small but steep hill—and burned it to the ground. Solomon’s temple was looted and destroyed. In modern excavations of Jerusalem, what’s called the "Burnt Room" shows evidence of this destruction. Artifacts found in the excavations include many "bullae"—seals—notably one from the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah, who predicted this disaster . . . and also predicted a Jewish return 70 years later.

Most of the people of Judea and Jerusalem—especially those of wealth and position—were deported to Babylon. The British Museum has an artist’s rendition of what Babylon may have looked like . . . the impressive capital of an empire that covers much of the Middle East. The Pergamon Museum in Berlin has reconstructed the Processional Way and Ishtar Gate of Babylon . . . including an original inscription by Nebuchadnezzar. A model in the museum shows how these would have looked as the captured people of Judah were brought in—in chains—to learn their fate.

Now something remarkable—miraculous, actually—happens. In the history of the ancient world, no people defeated and deported like the Jews, ever came back as a viable ethnic group. But God plans deliverance for his chosen people. And God even "calls His shots": through the prophet Jeremiah He says deliverance will occur after 70 years of exile. And through the Prophet Isaiah God even names the deliverer: Cyrus the Persian.

Just as predicted by the prophets—after the Jews have been 70 years in Babylon, Cyrus the Persian (aka Darius the Mede), conquers Babylon. The artifact called the Cyrus Cylinder—now in the British Museum—documents Persian imperial policy to allow captive peoples to return home. Therefore, 50,000 Jewish exiles led by Zerubbabel—who we learn in Luke 3 is an ancestor of Jesus—return home to Jerusalem.

The Babylonian captivity—followed by deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus—is the first example of what becomes a pattern of repeated oppression and deliverance over the next 500 years. These experiences convince the Jews that disobedience brings punishment . . . yet at the same time reinforces their belief that they are God’s chosen people—and God is committed to preserve them and keep His promises to the Jews.

As a result of the Babylonian captivity, the Jews developed the synagogue system, so every Jewish boy would be taught God’s law.

But life was not easy for the Jews—either in Jerusalem or Persia. In Jerusalem, strong opposition arose from the foreigners who had settled the land—Arabs and Samaritans. They complained to 6 Persian kings over more than 15 years and tried to drive the Jews out. King Darius finally agrees with the Jews and orders work on the temple completed; this happens in 516 BC at the urging of the prophet Zechariah.

Darius expands the Persian empire all the way to Greece. After he is succeeded by his son, Xerxes, another Jewish miracle-rescue story occurs. Xerxes wants to expand his empire deeper into Greece, and holds a banquet to prepare for his invasion. Perhaps in a drunken euphoria, Xerxes summons his wife, Queen Vashti, to the banquet. But Vashti refuses. Xerxes, isn’t going to take this from his queen in front of all his generals and admirals! So he divorces her . . . and decrees a beauty contest to choose a new queen. Most of the Jews in Babylon and Persia had remained there when Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem. One of those Jews, Esther, is a reluctant contestant in the new queen pageant . . . but she wins—hiding her race and religion from Xerxes. This slide shows artifacts from Xerxes’ palace in Susa, where all these events take place.

Xerxes’ invasion meets with dismal failure: the Greeks decimate his navy at the Battle of Salamis (near Athens) in 480 BC. Xerxes returns to Persia to regroup.

The Jews in Persia had prospered . . . and developed enemies. One of these is Haman, the King’s prime minister. Haman convinces Xerxes the Jews are subversives, and should be killed and their property confiscated. Xerxes needs money to rebuild his military, so he agrees. Esther and her family are doomed to die unless she appeals to the king and he rescinds Haman’s order. But the king hasn’t summoned Esther for a long time, and it is death to enter the king’s chamber without being summoned (unless he grants clemency).

In one of the most moving scenes of the Bible, Esther’s uncle Mordecai says to her:

So Esther prays and goes to see the king—a scene which may have been witnessed by this column base from Xerxes’ throne room, now in the British Museum. Esther appeals to the king . . . and saves the Jews. Hence another cycle of oppression/deliverance for the Jews, and another lesson learned . . . perhaps the words of Mordecai that God will always send a delivered to save His people.

Haman was executed on the gallows he had built for Mordecai, and Esther’s triumph is celebrated today in the Jewish festival of Purim.

Xerxes is succeeded by his son Artaxerxes, and 5000 more Jews return to Jerusalem, led by Ezra the priest. But the Jews in Jerusalem are still barely hanging on . . . enter Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king. In my mind’s eye, I see Nehemiah bringing this bowl—on display in the British Museum—to Artaxerxes. Nehemiah appeals to the king to send him to Jerusalem as governor, to build a city wall so the Jews can prosper in safety. Opposed by Arabs and Samaritans, Nehemiah succeeds in building the wall; remnants can still be seen today.

A great revival is held when the wall is completed, and all the Jews dedicate themselves to God. Hence another cycle of oppression and deliverance of the Jews.

The Jews have peace for 100 years . . . but in the meantime another empire is developing in Greece. There is school of philosophers in Athens, led by Plato and Aristotle. But in the north, a 19-year-old king of Macedonia has grand ideas. Alexander the Great, tutored by Aristotle himself, Alexander is a "true believer" in Greek philosophy and the culture we call "Hellenism" today. More important, in a mere 13 years, Alexander conquers an empire extending to Afghanistan and India, based on a new military technology: the Phalanx. Alexander dies of venereal disease . . . but leaves a Greek Empire behind.

To summarize . . . the Greeks believe they have all the answers . . . they believe the "Navel of the World" is in Delphi, home of their oracle.

Alexander and his successors imposed the "virtues" of Hellenism on conquered people. Hellenism includes Greek philosophy, many gods, a focus on beauty and pleasure and hedonism—including Greek theater and athletics (performed in the nude). And the Greek language became—in effect—a universal language.

The next slides show a selection of Greek gods, beautiful building, theaters, and athletic stadiums.

Israel is part of the Greek Empire . . . but here the gods and hedonism of Hellenism clash with the culture of Judaism—and the Jewish belief in the one true God. There is uneasy tension for over 100 years . . . then oppression when Antiochus IV becomes king. As the ultimate insult to the Jews, he defiles the temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar. Most Jews girt their teeth and submit . . . but a priest name Matthias defies the king. Led by his son Judas the Macabee, the Jews begin a guerilla campaign against the Greeks . . . and win! After reclaiming the Jewish countryside, they capture Jeruasalem and purify the temple. By a miracle, a one-day supply of lamp oil burns in the temple for 8 days; today this is celebrated by the minor—but important—Jewish festival of Chanukkah. The Jews are delivered again . . . and the independent Jewish nation formed by the Hasmonean family of Judas the Maccabee lasts for about 100 years.

In the meantime, a new empire—Rome—arises in the west. The Jewish nation makes a mutual defense treaty with Pompey the Great of Rome—co-ruler with Julius Caeser and Crassius. This alliance effectively brings the Jewish nation under Roman control.

The Romans are soldiers and administrators, not philosophers. They are content to leave the Greek language and culture in place . . . as long as they maintain control, and tax revenues flow to Rome. Yet the Romans make a very important contribution to prepare the world for Jesus: a magnificent network of military roads. Ease of travel reaches the highest level in history . . . the highest level until railroads are built in the 19^th century.

Herod, member of a prominent family allied to Rome, marries a Hasmonean princess and is proclaimed "King of the Jews." Herod is not a Jew by birth, but an Edomite descended from Jacob’s brother Esau. His family was forced to accept Judaism when his homeland of Idumea was conquered by the Maccabean-Hasmonean nation of Israel.

Herod’s reign is characterized by massive building projects: military fortresses . . . a new capital city—with a new port—in Caesarea . . . and rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. But Herod is best knows for his evil cruelty . . . oppression of his family and his subjects.

This brings us to a description of the world when Jesus the Messiah came. His Jewish people were oppressed by a foreign conquerer . . . but had some degree of freedom and self-government. The Jewish leaders split into 4 socio-religious-political "sects": Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots.

The Sadducees were the wealthy priestly aristocrats. Their objective was power—not religious faithfulness—and they collaborated with the Romans (and the Greeks before them) against their Jewish people. They controlled the temple and the worship ritual . . . and profited from animal sacrifices. The Jews knew this, and held them in contempt.

The Pharisees were Jewish religious legalists. During the Babylonian exile—with no access to the temple for worship—the Jews developed the synagogue system so everyone could study the bible and learn God’s law (and avoid God’s future punishment). Pharisees controlled the synagogues—and the education—of Jews dispersed throughout the world. They were held in high esteem by the Jewish rank-and-file . . . but at the time of Jesus, the Pharisees preached such oppressive legalism that Jesus said their interpretation of God’s law violated the spirit of the law.

The Essenes were another super-religious group. They openly opposed the illegitimate high priesthood of the Sadducees—appointed by Romans, rather in the hereditary way spelled out in the bible. They withdrew from society to practice what they considered a purer form of Judaism; one of their settlements was in Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Most likely, John the Baptist was an Essene.

The Zealots advocated violent overthrow of the Roman government—as the Maccabees had done over 150 years earlier. They expected God’s promised Messiah would be a military leader like King David and Judas the Maccabee, so Zealots supported many false Messiahs—such as Judas of Gamla, mentioned in Acts 5.

And there was one other important factor. The Jews remembered that their Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, and many believed their "Roman Captivity" would also last 70 years . . . then God would send His promised Messiah to overthrow these oppressors. This day was fast approaching when the Star of Bethlehem was observed by wise men from the east . . . who may well have learned Jewish prophesy from Daniel.

So, in summary, as the time approaches for the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the would is in a very special condition . . . which God has prepared for just this event:

• Jews in general are committed to following God’s law
• They do it with legalism, and worry they don’t measure up
• Most are open to a call to repentance
• World communication best in history (best until 1800 AD)
• Universal Language of Greek
• Network of Roman Roads throughout the Empire
• The paganism of the Greeks is spiritually unfulfilling
• Many "God-Fearing" Gentiles study Jewish scripture; some become Jews
• Oppressed Jews expect a Messiah—NOW

Then the angel Gabriel arrives . . . "and the rest is history."

One final point . . . when the Angel Gabriel visits Zechariah and Mary in Luke 1, it is clear to both of them that Gabriel is talking about the coming Messiah. As we prepare to study the gospel of Luke . . . Christian teaching sometimes is unclear about how the Bible presents Jesus. I was taught as a child that Jesus was very secretive about being the Messiah. However, as we read Luke and other gospels in the context of 1^st century Jewish culture, it’s clear that Jesus literally shouts to the people that he is the Messiah . . . not in ways that would alarm the Romans, but in "code words" from Jewish Messianic prophesy, which had a clear meaning to all who knew the scriptures—as Jews of the time did. We’ll see that as we delve into Luke.

The bottom corner of the last slide has a picture of the traditional site of Mary’s home . . . a "teaser" for our discussion next week about Gabriel’s appearance to Mary; similar photos which will be on the web site.