The Birth of a Revolution
Matthew 1:23
It’s December 2020 and I love the United States of America. I love this nation as a truly democratic one nation under God nation. I truly pray that the Socialist/Marxist Revolution that has been infiltrating this country for many decades and that is now being blatantly shoved in our faces will be overcome for the good of this nation and its people.
But, in light of the battle to prayerfully protect our democracy from being overthrown, I want to talk to you about a revolution that each of us does need, desperately. It’s an eternally life-changing revolution. It is a revolution that was born on the first Christmas morning. The night Jesus was born was the Birth of a Revolution to take over the government – of one heart at a time.
REVOLUTION: A sudden, radical, or complete change. [or] The overthrow of one government, and the substitution of another - by the governed
Today I pray that our democracy will not be overthrown by those who desire that end. And it breaks my heart to see the Millennial and Gen-Z generations being used by the power-elite to help accomplish that goal.
But what it does make me feel is that this Christmas – maybe more than any I can ever remember – what we do need is an overthrow of the government that rules our own heart.
What we may need most this Christmas, is a revolution in our own heart. Because that revolution will bring us peace now, and it will bring us eternal life when we get there.
And if we get the Jesus revolution right, then he will make us victorious no matter what the days ahead hold.
The birth of the Jesus Revolution starts in Luke Chapter 2.
Luke 2:1 (NLT)
1 At that time the Roman emperor, (Caesar) Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
We usually just point out here, that this is how Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem. But the Christmas story is actually the story of the complete overthrow of the world’s “rulership” of your heart, and the world’s “rulership” of your heart is portrayed here by Caesar Augustus – the first Emperor of Rome.
Sixty years before Christ, the Roman Empire stormed through the land and made all of Israel the “subjects” of Rome, and the Romans crushed anything in their way that might challenge their absolute rule. That was the Government structure that Jesus Christ was born into.
Rome was governed by Emperors, the first attempt of which was Julius Caesar (but he was murdered), and so formally the first Emperor of Rome was Julius Caesar’s adopted son called Caesar Augustus (who’s here in our Christmas story) and whose real name is Octavian. When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., Octavian decided to avenge his adopted father’s murder and it led Rome into a civil war. In the midst of that, Octavian (Caesar Augustus) decides to throw a huge sporting event to honor his father Julius Caesar. In the middle of these games, a comet appears in the sky and Octavian decides this comet proves his father Julius Caesar was divine, and so, he himself was now the descendant of a God, since his father was now a god, that would make him the son of God. And So, Octavian (soon to be Caesar Augustus) began referring to himself as “The son of the deified one” meaning “the son of God.”
In 31 B.C., Octavian took complete control of the Roman Empire, and he changed his name to Caesar Augustus, which means “The Illustrious (or Divine) One.” Then, Caesar Augustus began to be called Savior because he had saved Rome from the civil war. It was said he brought salvation to Rome, and he had people call him Lord Caesar Augustus and throughout the land, the “good news” (or gospel) of Caesar Augustus was being proclaimed. Then groups began to form to “worship” Caesar Augustus and these groups were called ecclesius which is the same word we translate “church.” And Rome built statues, and offered sacrifices, and prayed to the Lord Caesar Augustus.
That was the condition of the government when Jesus Christ was born, which means God can handle the current sad condition of our government and our nation, and we can let him handle it this Christmas. The government that Jesus was born under was even worse than what our government might become – which is why Jesus came to bring a “revolution of the heart” – because that revolution will provide the peace and the power we need, no matter what the condition of our government (or nation) becomes.
But isn’t it interesting that God allowed the same titles that rightly belonged to Jesus Christ to be used for Caesar Augustus as the “Lord” of the world system? Could it be that God wanted to draw a very clear line in the sand?
Maybe… if Jesus and Augustus had been described differently you and I might think we could live under both governments.
But, when God became a man and was born in a manger, there was no gray zone.
Either Caesar was Lord or Jesus was Lord – but not both.
Either Caesar was Savior or Jesus was Savior – but not both.
Either you bowed the knee to Caesar or to Jesus – but not both.
Either the King of this World was your Lord or the King of Heaven was your Lord, and really, it’s no different today, is it?
Jesus Christ came to overthrow the government of this world – in your heart and replace it with the government of Heaven – in your heart. Jesus Christ was born in that manger to bring true revolution to one heart at a time.
And in order to bring this revolution, God had to (literally) be with us.
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Caesar Augustus tried to make himself like a god, but Jesus Christ came from heaven, into our world, AS God With Us, AS God in human form. And he came to bring the only eternal revolution that will set you free from the king of this world and provide the power of God to truly transform your life.
As we continue the Christmas story in Luke, there were shepherds in the fields between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (and we love this place), and they were the first ones to join this Jesus revolution.
Luke 2:8–11 (NLT)
8 That night (of the birth of Jesus) there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
This is an awesome scene – Rome had already declared the “good news” of Caesar Augustus. Caesar Augustus had already brought great joy and he was already being called Savior and Lord.
But here, Heaven is announcing the real Savior. Heaven is announcing a new King to overthrow the ruler of this world.
The (supposed) “good news” of the world system was about to be challenged by the eternally good news of Heaven.
So, the Angel of the Lord makes the announcement of the birth of this eternal revolution. And then, in verse 12, the Angel gives the shepherd’s the sign to know who this new King is.
Luke 2:12 (NLT)
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
And maybe you can imagine the shepherds (living under the grandiose rule of Caesar Augustus), maybe thinking the “strips of cloth” and “lying in a cow trough” might not be the best start if you’re going to go up against the Roman Emperor. But then suddenly, like a sonic boom, the sky rips open and verse 13 pours out of Heaven.
Luke 2:13–14 (NLT)
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others— (it was) the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
And at that point, the shepherds immediately decide to join this revolutionary Savior from Heaven.
Luke 2:15 (NLT)
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
But these shepherds weren’t going because they’d never hear of a Savior, a gospel, or a Lord. They’d heard plenty of all of that from the world.
They went because Heaven was proclaiming that THIS was Heaven’s Savior, Heaven’s King, Heaven’s Lord.
I wonder, are we like those shepherds? Have we heard the “call of Heaven” to go find Jesus? Have we heard the miraculous call of the Heavenly choir?
The Bible’s account of the revolution of Jesus Christ has the mark of Heaven on it – from start to finish. Miracle after miracle, each on is Heaven’s call for you to go to find Jesus. Heaven has opened up and cried out to us – Go and find this Savior for yourself.
As Psalm 19:1-4 says,
Psalm 19:1–4 (NLT)
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world . . .
God has spoken from Heaven – Go find the Savior and he will overthrow the world’s rule in your heart and he will govern your life for your eternal good.
This is an eternal revolutionary, and this is what was happening on that first Christmas morning.
And now we – each one of us – must decide which kingdom is going to rule our lives. This revolutionary Kingdom of Heaven is defined by the King of Heaven giving his life for you to pay for your sins and to die in your place so that you can live and reign with him in his eternal Kingdom.
By contrast, the kingdoms of this world (whatever they are) offer ultimately only destruction and death and separation from the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
And so, please choose carefully because there is only one name that people are still living in revolution for after 2,000 years. There is only one name that causes the spiritual ruler of this world system to tremble. There is only one name that someday soon, every knee will bow to and every tongue will confess that he alone is Lord.
Philippians 2:9–11 (NLT)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
THAT is the final overthrow of the world’s rule that governs this earth.
Guys, Jesus Christ came into the manger as “God With Us” for one reason – to give us a choice of who was going to govern our lives, the kings of this world or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And THAT is the revolution started with the birth of Christ.
Listen, guys, we need to pray for our nation and we need to do all that we can to save our nation as “one nation under God” from the forces that are trying to dismantle it today.
But first, it is immeasurably more important that we install the government of the Kingdom of Heaven in our own hearts.
And so, let’s join the Jesus Revolution to secure our eternal victory over this world and over death. We do that by surrendering our life completely to the government of Heaven and of the rule and reign of Jesus Christ as Lord in our hearts.
THAT is the eternal revolution that began with the birth of Jesus Christ, and that is the only revolution that will matter the day we stand before God.
Isaiah 9:6–7 (NLT)
6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
But, in light of the battle to prayerfully protect our democracy from being overthrown, I want to talk to you about a revolution that each of us does need, desperately. It’s an eternally life-changing revolution. It is a revolution that was born on the first Christmas morning. The night Jesus was born was the Birth of a Revolution to take over the government – of one heart at a time.
REVOLUTION: A sudden, radical, or complete change. [or] The overthrow of one government, and the substitution of another - by the governed
Today I pray that our democracy will not be overthrown by those who desire that end. And it breaks my heart to see the Millennial and Gen-Z generations being used by the power-elite to help accomplish that goal.
But what it does make me feel is that this Christmas – maybe more than any I can ever remember – what we do need is an overthrow of the government that rules our own heart.
What we may need most this Christmas, is a revolution in our own heart. Because that revolution will bring us peace now, and it will bring us eternal life when we get there.
And if we get the Jesus revolution right, then he will make us victorious no matter what the days ahead hold.
The birth of the Jesus Revolution starts in Luke Chapter 2.
Luke 2:1 (NLT)
1 At that time the Roman emperor, (Caesar) Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
We usually just point out here, that this is how Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem. But the Christmas story is actually the story of the complete overthrow of the world’s “rulership” of your heart, and the world’s “rulership” of your heart is portrayed here by Caesar Augustus – the first Emperor of Rome.
Sixty years before Christ, the Roman Empire stormed through the land and made all of Israel the “subjects” of Rome, and the Romans crushed anything in their way that might challenge their absolute rule. That was the Government structure that Jesus Christ was born into.
Rome was governed by Emperors, the first attempt of which was Julius Caesar (but he was murdered), and so formally the first Emperor of Rome was Julius Caesar’s adopted son called Caesar Augustus (who’s here in our Christmas story) and whose real name is Octavian. When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., Octavian decided to avenge his adopted father’s murder and it led Rome into a civil war. In the midst of that, Octavian (Caesar Augustus) decides to throw a huge sporting event to honor his father Julius Caesar. In the middle of these games, a comet appears in the sky and Octavian decides this comet proves his father Julius Caesar was divine, and so, he himself was now the descendant of a God, since his father was now a god, that would make him the son of God. And So, Octavian (soon to be Caesar Augustus) began referring to himself as “The son of the deified one” meaning “the son of God.”
In 31 B.C., Octavian took complete control of the Roman Empire, and he changed his name to Caesar Augustus, which means “The Illustrious (or Divine) One.” Then, Caesar Augustus began to be called Savior because he had saved Rome from the civil war. It was said he brought salvation to Rome, and he had people call him Lord Caesar Augustus and throughout the land, the “good news” (or gospel) of Caesar Augustus was being proclaimed. Then groups began to form to “worship” Caesar Augustus and these groups were called ecclesius which is the same word we translate “church.” And Rome built statues, and offered sacrifices, and prayed to the Lord Caesar Augustus.
That was the condition of the government when Jesus Christ was born, which means God can handle the current sad condition of our government and our nation, and we can let him handle it this Christmas. The government that Jesus was born under was even worse than what our government might become – which is why Jesus came to bring a “revolution of the heart” – because that revolution will provide the peace and the power we need, no matter what the condition of our government (or nation) becomes.
But isn’t it interesting that God allowed the same titles that rightly belonged to Jesus Christ to be used for Caesar Augustus as the “Lord” of the world system? Could it be that God wanted to draw a very clear line in the sand?
Maybe… if Jesus and Augustus had been described differently you and I might think we could live under both governments.
But, when God became a man and was born in a manger, there was no gray zone.
Either Caesar was Lord or Jesus was Lord – but not both.
Either Caesar was Savior or Jesus was Savior – but not both.
Either you bowed the knee to Caesar or to Jesus – but not both.
Either the King of this World was your Lord or the King of Heaven was your Lord, and really, it’s no different today, is it?
Jesus Christ came to overthrow the government of this world – in your heart and replace it with the government of Heaven – in your heart. Jesus Christ was born in that manger to bring true revolution to one heart at a time.
And in order to bring this revolution, God had to (literally) be with us.
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Caesar Augustus tried to make himself like a god, but Jesus Christ came from heaven, into our world, AS God With Us, AS God in human form. And he came to bring the only eternal revolution that will set you free from the king of this world and provide the power of God to truly transform your life.
As we continue the Christmas story in Luke, there were shepherds in the fields between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (and we love this place), and they were the first ones to join this Jesus revolution.
Luke 2:8–11 (NLT)
8 That night (of the birth of Jesus) there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
This is an awesome scene – Rome had already declared the “good news” of Caesar Augustus. Caesar Augustus had already brought great joy and he was already being called Savior and Lord.
But here, Heaven is announcing the real Savior. Heaven is announcing a new King to overthrow the ruler of this world.
The (supposed) “good news” of the world system was about to be challenged by the eternally good news of Heaven.
So, the Angel of the Lord makes the announcement of the birth of this eternal revolution. And then, in verse 12, the Angel gives the shepherd’s the sign to know who this new King is.
Luke 2:12 (NLT)
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
And maybe you can imagine the shepherds (living under the grandiose rule of Caesar Augustus), maybe thinking the “strips of cloth” and “lying in a cow trough” might not be the best start if you’re going to go up against the Roman Emperor. But then suddenly, like a sonic boom, the sky rips open and verse 13 pours out of Heaven.
Luke 2:13–14 (NLT)
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others— (it was) the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
And at that point, the shepherds immediately decide to join this revolutionary Savior from Heaven.
Luke 2:15 (NLT)
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
But these shepherds weren’t going because they’d never hear of a Savior, a gospel, or a Lord. They’d heard plenty of all of that from the world.
They went because Heaven was proclaiming that THIS was Heaven’s Savior, Heaven’s King, Heaven’s Lord.
I wonder, are we like those shepherds? Have we heard the “call of Heaven” to go find Jesus? Have we heard the miraculous call of the Heavenly choir?
The Bible’s account of the revolution of Jesus Christ has the mark of Heaven on it – from start to finish. Miracle after miracle, each on is Heaven’s call for you to go to find Jesus. Heaven has opened up and cried out to us – Go and find this Savior for yourself.
As Psalm 19:1-4 says,
Psalm 19:1–4 (NLT)
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world . . .
God has spoken from Heaven – Go find the Savior and he will overthrow the world’s rule in your heart and he will govern your life for your eternal good.
This is an eternal revolutionary, and this is what was happening on that first Christmas morning.
And now we – each one of us – must decide which kingdom is going to rule our lives. This revolutionary Kingdom of Heaven is defined by the King of Heaven giving his life for you to pay for your sins and to die in your place so that you can live and reign with him in his eternal Kingdom.
By contrast, the kingdoms of this world (whatever they are) offer ultimately only destruction and death and separation from the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
And so, please choose carefully because there is only one name that people are still living in revolution for after 2,000 years. There is only one name that causes the spiritual ruler of this world system to tremble. There is only one name that someday soon, every knee will bow to and every tongue will confess that he alone is Lord.
Philippians 2:9–11 (NLT)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
THAT is the final overthrow of the world’s rule that governs this earth.
Guys, Jesus Christ came into the manger as “God With Us” for one reason – to give us a choice of who was going to govern our lives, the kings of this world or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And THAT is the revolution started with the birth of Christ.
Listen, guys, we need to pray for our nation and we need to do all that we can to save our nation as “one nation under God” from the forces that are trying to dismantle it today.
But first, it is immeasurably more important that we install the government of the Kingdom of Heaven in our own hearts.
And so, let’s join the Jesus Revolution to secure our eternal victory over this world and over death. We do that by surrendering our life completely to the government of Heaven and of the rule and reign of Jesus Christ as Lord in our hearts.
THAT is the eternal revolution that began with the birth of Jesus Christ, and that is the only revolution that will matter the day we stand before God.
Isaiah 9:6–7 (NLT)
6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!