The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Jesus Christ was born under the reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. His ministry occurred during the reign of Tiberius (and, for what it is worth, Jesus was crucified, raised, and ascended to heaven less than a decade before one of the most evil, deranged emperors of all time took power—Caligula). Prior to Augustus, Rome had been a republic. The center of Roman government for about five centuries was the Senate (from the early sixth century BC to the late first century BC), a group “elected” in a barely-democratic process, primarily by prominent families. Rome for over half a millennium had resisted authoritarian, imperial rule.

In fact, it was the power and popularity (and some would say the great success) of Julius Caesar five decades before the birth of Christ that led ultimately to Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC. This is oversimplification, but people in positions of influence at that time were deeply alarmed that too much power was being concentrated in one person. Caesar refused to follow the instructions of the Senate and instead led his army into Rome. Soon afterward, Caesar was declared “dictator for life.” Several senators, concerned about this brazen act and this unconscionable declaration of power, conspired to end Julius Caesar’s life. He was killed on the Ides of March (March 15), 2,068 years ago. Not long after, Caesar’s nephew (and heir) Augustus brought the senatorial schemers to heel. As a result, imperial Rome was born. Power then rested primarily in one person, the emperor.

No proper elections. No real input from the people. Just the virtually unbridled control of hereditary—and often inbred—dictators.

I mention the above as a simple reminder, which is this: politically and governmentally, we have it easy compared to the folks that we meet in our New Testament. I often hear people arguing that Jesus would have been on this or that end of the political spectrum—that Jesus would have voted for this gal or that guy or whoever. The fact of the matter is that any such argument is just plain silly. Voting in the sense that we understand it today was nonexistent in Jesus’s day. He was a Jew living under the authority of imperial Rome. You don’t vote for emperors or governors or tetrarchs. You just get who you get.

In my opinion, it is the most egregious form of anachronism to use the politics of 21st-century America as a basis for dissecting the political life of Jesus, or of anyone else in his world. It just does not work.

We are deep into national political season, of course. Two days from the day on which most will read this article, the final day of voting will arrive. We will know (fairly?) soon who will be the next president of the United States. Many tears will be shed—tears of joy and of sorrow. Some people will be thrilled. Others will be angry, disappointed, or despondent. Talking heads will break down everything from nine ways to Sunday, as the old saying goes. Strategists on one side will take credit. On the other side, they will point fingers. Pundits will, well, pundit.

And yet Jehovah God will still be sovereign. Jesus Christ will remain King. “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21). In the midst of the celebrations and the weeping and gnashing of teeth that surely are to come in a few days, please remember that God is still God. He is in control. He is near. Our hope is in God and in his Christ. Only.

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

–Ricky