The Political Situation at the Time of Christ

From the historical records of the consequences that arose in the city of Jerusalem and in the land of Palestine at the time the birth of the new-born Jewish King was announced, we can comprehend how that people was situated politically at that particular time. Then the laws and the political power of Rome ruled the Jews. The Emperor on the throne of Rome, dictated the politics of the people of Jehovah, and Herod, king of Judah, ruled in the land by permission of the Roman throne and in obedience to its rules. Consequently, there was no room in Palestine for a Jewish king-child—a pretender to the throne. The existence of such a child was a direct threat against the Roman throne, and signified the eventual overthrow of the kingly power then established in the land. It implied a revolution against the Roman government and it affected directly the king who then ruled. King Herod understood this and therefore concluded to kill the new-born king-child as soon as he found out that such a child was born.

He planned so carefully to destroy the child that when he had found out from the chief priests and the scribes where the Messiah should be born, according to the prophets, "he sent and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." The prophetic words, "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel," stirred the king and the whole city of Jerusalem, because they indicated an overthrow of the existing ruling-power.

The inhabitants of Palestine, especially those of Jerusalem, feared that the event would arouse the suspicion and anger of the Emperor, and that he, consequently, would withdraw from them their religious privileges and place the country under strict martial law. Hence they did not object to the murdering work of Herod because it removed from them the threatening danger. They valued highly the religious freedom which Rome extended to them.