Jesus lived in a world not too different from ours today. His was rife with chaos, as Rome aimed to cement its status as the superpower of the time. He was born during Augustus's reign and died under Tiberius. After Herod the Great’s death—who was known for his brutal rule and infamously ordering the murder of children in Bethlehem—Augustus divided the kingdom among his four sons and returned in 6 CE to remove Archelaus and officially colonize Judea, Galilee, and the wider region of Palestine.
Jesus lived in a world not too different from ours today.
Under Rome's yoke, people in Palestine lived in extreme fear. Roman Governors and Prefects were placed in charge, and heavy taxes were levied on the masses while the tax collectors enriched themselves. Roman soldiers were a common sight in Palestine. They had legions in Syria and in Egypt, ready to crush any resistance and insurrections.
A devastating blow came in 70 CE (a mere 40 years after Jesus' death/resurrection) when Romans, under Titus, ransacked Jerusalem and dispersed most of its population. For decades before then, it was pretty difficult to have hope. The yoke of Rome was not easy.
Yet, when Pilate tried to release Jesus, having found no fault with him, the people screamed, “Crucify him.” Later, he mocked them by offering Jesus as their king. In response, their chief priests declared, “We have no king but Caesar.”
The Jews had been colonized deeply enough to believe Caesar had their best interests at heart.
Some of those present had likely sung “hosanna” (which, by the way, means “save us”) only a few days earlier. In twenty-five years since the deposition of Archelaus, the Jews had been colonized deeply enough to believe Caesar had their best interests at heart.
By choosing Caesar over Christ, they rejected their true King—the Messiah—in favor of a worldly ruler. They were so colonized that they chose Tiberius, the very person who was in charge of their oppression, to be their “Messiah.”
This allegiance to Caesar was not only a political compromise but a tragic spiritual betrayal. They placed their hope in the power of the empire, blind to the eternal kingship of Christ. They chose the exclusive and oppressive might of the Roman Empire and ignored God’s liberation that is so expansive as to include all humans (to the ends of the earth).
How often do we do the same? When we allow comfort, power, or approval to rule our hearts, we echo their cry. When we prioritize success over integrity, security over faithfulness, we, too, declare, “We have no king but Caesar.”
Followers of Jesus are called to live differently.
But followers of Jesus are called to live differently. Christ is our King—the One who reigns with justice, mercy, and truth. There is no Caesar for us. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, but it is the only kingdom that endures. Let us not trade eternal glory for fleeting power.
As we celebrate Easter, may we be reminded that our ruler is Christ, the eternal King. May we boldly declare with our words and lives: “No Caesar for us. We have the only true King there is, Jesus Christ.”
Originally published on Harvey's Substack, Global Witness Globally Reimagined. Republished with permission.
Dr Harvey Kwiyani is a Malawian missiologist and theologian who has lived, worked and studied in Europe and North America for the past 20 years. He has researched African Christianity and African theology for his PhD, and taught African theology at Liverpool Hope University. Harvey is also founder and executive director of Missio Africanus, a mission organization established in 2014 as a learning community focused on releasing the missional potential of African and other minority ethnic Christians living in the UK. More recently he became African Christianity Programme Lead for CMS (UK) Pioneer Mission Training.
