Sometimes our world can look dark, whether from the many wars and terrible things that happen across the earth, or from the problems and trials we ourselves face. And it was the same in Jesus’ day. At the start of Luke chapter 3, which sets the scene for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Luke lets us know a little bit of what the world was like in Jesus’ day by telling us who was in power at the time:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…
This collection of seven rulers makes for a pretty dark list! Tiberius Caesar, an emperor whose armies were occupying Jesus’ homeland , Pontius Pilate the local leader of the occupying forces who was complicit in the murder of Jesus, the Tetrarchs Herod and Philip, sons of the murderous tyrant Herod the Great, who lived decadent lives and had John the Baptist summarily executed, and Annas and Caiaphas, the religious leaders who tried to stop what God was doing through Jesus. A world that was ruled by such men would have often been a dark place to live in.
However, God chose these dark times to do the most amazing thing – to come down from heaven and come to humanity in the form of his son Jesus Christ! This should be an encouragement to us when we feel that the world around us is dark. Instead of despairing we should instead wait in hope for God to act, and trust that he ultimately will act to end all evil and suffering in the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Ben Soderlund