The people of Israel had some beloved kings in their history: David, Solomon, Josiah. But, there were times when they were conquered and lost their independence. Then, in the mid-2nd century BC, the Maccabees rebelled and won. Israel was not only independent in 110 BCE, but they were able to expand their territory to include Samaria, Galilee, and other lands east of the Jordan River.1 In the mid-1st century, they had a civil war. When both sides of the conflict reached out to Rome for help, the Roman Republic decided to take the land for themselves instead. That was in 63 BCE.2 Rome allowed Judea to have a king, but split off the additional territories they had gained.3
This gets us to the time when Julius Caesar became dictator of Rome and was assassinated.4 In Judea, Herod the Great rose up to defeat political rivals and claimed the title of king in 37 BCE. The Roman Senate confirmed his title. He was the “King of Judea.”5
Herod the Great was the Herod we know from the story of the magi visiting Jesus. He is the one they came to when they were looking for the “King of the Jews.” The son of Jacob, Judah, was from way back in Genesis. The land of Judea is named after Judah and Judea was the place of the religion of the Jews. Each word developed from the previous one. You can see where the King of Judea felt threatened by a newborn King of the Jews.
Herod remained in power for thirty plus years until his death around the BCE/CE turn over. During his reign, the Roman civil war brought Rome a new leader who would make Rome into an empire. They had their first Emperor, Caesar Augustus, who reigned from 27 BCE-14 CE.6
Caesar Augustus was born Gaius Octavius and he was very careful about the titles he would adopt. Though he was ruler for life, he didn’t want to be called a king or a dictator. He preferred titles like Princeps Civitatis, which means “First Citizen.”7 His full title ended up being Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus.8 Imperator started out as a military term that meant commander. It was granted to military leaders who had been particularly successful in battle so this title was about strength.9 The next part, Caesar Divi Filius, means “son of the divine Caesar.” Caesar was both his adoptive father and a leader who had already been elevated to divine worship.10 Then the last piece, Augustus, meant “majestic” or “venerable.” It was a term often used for gods. So, I guess his full name would translate: The Victorious Warrior, Caesar who is the gods’ own son, Man of Majesty. That’s a lot in one title.
Moving forward to the time of Jesus’s ministry and death, we find that Herod’s succession plan didn’t go as he’d hoped. While one of his descendants held on to power in Galilee, Judea itself was ruled by Rome. That’s why Pontius Pilate has so much power in Jesus’s final days. The Herod mentioned in the passion stories is King of Galilee, where Jesus grew up. He doesn’t really have authority over Jesus’s fate in the next territory over.11
When Jesus was born, back in the days of Herod the Great, Judea was part of Rome, sure, but they had some independence. Herod could build, he could rule as he saw fit. But now that we come to the end of Jesus’s life, this name comes up again “King of the Jews.” Pilate asks if Jesus is King of the Jews. The soldiers build on this. They mock him, even dressing him in expensively dyed robes, even taking the time to twist thorns into a crown. They give him a stick to use as a scepter and they bow down before him as though this was the funniest thing they could possibly think of. We come to realize that only Gentiles call him King of the Jews.12 They are Roman – a new empire that spans the whole world that they know of. Their emperors aren’t just great men; they’re divine, sons of the gods. Rome is organized, powerful – unconquerable. Rome encompasses many kingdoms, many lands, many peoples. This means that there are a lot of kings, but their power is nothing next to the emperor. The soldiers nailed a sign over Jesus’s head on the cross that said, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,” so that everyone would know the limitations of the power of the people of God.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great
[6] Ibid & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeps
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperator
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Antipas
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus,_King_of_the_Jews