7 Essential Historical Takeaways from Jesus' Day That Will Deepen Your Understanding of Easter

For centuries before the Romans, impalement was a popular public execution method. Impaling a person on a sharp pole caused excruciating pain but didn’t kill them immediately. The pole could be set up in a public place to warn other criminals and rebels. This method usually worked well for empires wanting to control the population.

The Romans desired more personal humiliation and a longer pain period. So, they developed crucifixion to exert control, instill fear, and punish criminals, enslaved people, and enemies of the state. It involved affixing a person to a wooden cross or stake, typically through nails driven into the wrists and feet, and allowing them to hang until death, often through exhaustion, asphyxiation, or shock. The Romans refined this method, devising variations to prolong suffering or enhance humiliation. This wasn’t only a physically agonizing ordeal. It also carried a stigma: victims were often left exposed as a deterrent to dissent and rebellion. All this made crucifixion one of the ancient world’s most notorious and feared execution methods.

Jesus submitted willingly to this extreme, cruel, and oppressive punishment. The cross tangibly expressed sin’s brutality and oppression. He bore it upon himself to forgive, to show mercy as the righteous God in the flesh. Through the cross, he paved the way for our salvation and all who would believe in him.

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In Roman society, citizenship contained certain privileges and protections, including immunity from certain punishments like crucifixion. This distinction between citizens and non-citizens shaped the Roman Empire’s dynamics of power and oppression.

For the Jewish community in Jesus’ time, the Roman occupation and its social hierarchy imposed significant challenges. Some Jews (like the apostle Paul) held Roman citizenship. Most were subject to Roman rule, with only limited rights and protections. Slavery was also prevalent, with many Jews enslaved to Roman masters.

Citizens’ immunity from crucified had implications for Jesus and his follower. For Paul, a Roman citizen, it meant that when emperor Nero wanted him executed, he had Paul beheaded instead of death on a cross. For Jesus, his death on a cross highlighted he was no Roman citizen. Jesus was the King of Kings and the Creator of all things, but Roman law treated him no better than a criminal or an enslaved person. His crucifixion highlighted the oppression and subjugation marginalized communities faced under Roman rule. It was a stark reminder of harsh imperial domination.

On the cross, Jesus identified with the oppressed and the marginalized. Even before his crucifixion, Christ taught his followers they must take up their cross every day to follow him. This dying to self to have life is a continuing theme throughout the New Testament. We remove the “old” person and clothe ourselves with the “new,” born again (Ephesians 4). Being born again can be a painful, long process, but it is worth it for the glory of resurrection life here and in the future.

In addition, Jesus taught his followers would experience persecution and trouble, much like he did. When we give our lives for others’ good, we never suffer in vain but are given the rewards of Christ in the coming life, rewards we can’t lose.

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During Jesus’ time, the Jews eagerly anticipated the Messiah’s arrival, influenced by various Old Testament scriptures (particularly the book of Daniel), which prophesied a divine figure coming to deliver and redeem the Jewish people. This expectation was deeply ingrained in Jewish culture and theology, fueling hope for liberation from foreign oppression and God’s kingdom being established on earth.

Daniel 9:25-26 foretold the Messiah coming within a specific timeframe, adding urgency to the anticipation. Other Old Testament passages, such as Isaiah 9:6-7 and Micah 5:2, provided further details about the Messiah’s nature and mission: he would be a righteous ruler and bring peace, justice, and salvation to the world.

Amidst this anticipation, various theories circulated regarding the Messiah. One prevalent belief was that the Messiah would be a military leader, akin to King David, who would lead a successful revolt against Roman oppression, liberating the Jewish people and establishing a sovereign kingdom of Israel. Another theory posited a more spiritual understanding, emphasizing his role as a divine savior who would bring forgiveness of sins, spiritual renewal, and reconciliation with God, drawing from prophetic passages about ushering in a new covenant between God and humanity.

The Jews of Jesus’ day expected a military leader who would conquer the world and establish Jerusalem as a religious and political capital of peace on earth. These misconceptions kept the scholars and religious leaders, even most of the population, from seeing Jesus as the Messiah: he didn’t act as they expected. Today, let us not allow our expectations to keep us from seeing God as he is.

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A tense and violent history between the Jews and Romans marked the period leading up to Jesus’ death.

Tensions between the Jews and Romans escalated with the Roman conquest of Judea in 63 BC, putting the region under Roman rule. Initially, the Romans allowed the Jews a degree of autonomy in religious and cultural matters. Resentment grew over time due to heavy taxation, oppression, and interference in Jewish religious practices.

The desire for liberation meant that the Jews sporadically rebelled against Roman rule. Judas Maccabeus led one notable uprising in the second century BC, known as the Maccabean Revolt, leading to brief Jewish independence.

However, by Jesus' ministry, Judea was again under Roman control. Roman soldiers in Jerusalem and other Jewish cities fueled resentment, leading to frequent clashes. Religious and cultural differences further inflamed the climate. Jews resented Roman idolatry, while the Romans disliked Jewish monotheism with its religious exclusivity.

These tensions became the backdrop to the Easter narrative. They help explain the political maneuvering between Pilate and the Jewish council. Both knew people were expecting a political, military Messiah to come soon. The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead because he didn’t fit those Messianic expectations but didn’t have the authority to execute a person officially, so they required Pilate’s cooperation. Pilate eventually realized letting an alleged Messiah go free would make him lose political favor, so he had to follow their wish for execution. Today, we see how God accomplished his redemptive plan even through the religious and political power games.

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The Babylonian exile lasted for several decades and profoundly impacted Jewish identity and religious practice. So, their return to their homeland was a pivotal moment.

The Babylonian conquest and subsequent exile were divine punishment for the nation’s disobedience and abandoning their covenant with God. When they returned to Judah, they renewed their commitment to upholding the Mosaic Law and preserving their relationship with God. Doing so would ensure national prosperity and security.

This emphasis on legalism manifested in many ways, including meticulously observing ritual purity laws, Sabbath observance, and dietary restrictions. Ezra and Nehemiah played crucial roles in enforcing these laws, seeking to safeguard the Jewish people from the spiritual and moral pitfalls that had led to their exile. A legalistic approach provided a framework for maintaining religious identity in the face of external pressures like Roman occupation and their own internal challenges.

This background helps us understand Jewish culture’s dogmatic legalism when Jesus comes on the scene. It also explains where religious leaders criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath and breaking other rules. This legalism developed apart from a relationship with God. So, when challenged by God himself in the flesh, people resisted him, even unto death. Let us not make the same mistake of divorcing God’s instructions from God’s heart.

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The Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace,” lasted roughly from 27 BCE to 180 CE and made Christianity’s spread possible. It provided a relatively stable, secure environment throughout the Roman Empire, which allowed Jews and Christians to travel.

The Pax Romana resulted from the Roman government consolidating its power and establishing its military control over vast territories. Under the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire maintained law and order through a system of governance that emphasized stability and security. This meant travel and commerce within the empire were safer and more predictable than in previous eras, marked by frequent conflicts and instability.

For Jews and Christians, the Pax Romana meant they could decimate ideas, beliefs, and religious practices across any region connected by Roman roads and trade routes. Jewish communities could maintain connections with their religious centers in Jerusalem and other significant locations, fostering a sense of unity and continuity despite dispersion throughout the empire.

Jesus’ followers could spread his teachings and establish communities in various urban centers throughout the empire, including Rome itself. The stability allowed Christianity’s growth and expansion beyond its Jewish origins, eventually becoming a prominent religious movement within the Roman Empire.

As oppressive as the Roman Empire became, God used this time for the Gospel, teaching us how his plan and timing were perfect. The Roman Empire fell, but the Kingdom of God has grown since that day and will last forever in a greater peace than the Pax Romana ever hoped to achieve.

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First-century Hellenistic culture combined Greek culture from Alexander the Great with culture from the lands that Alexander the Great and his successors conquered. This cultural amalgamation resulted in a vibrant and cosmopolitan society. It had a common language (Greek) and shared philosophical, artistic, and religious ideas. Interestingly enough, the Romans spoke Latin but continued with Hellenistic culture.

Greek becoming the lingua franca facilitated communication and cultural diffusion throughout the Hellenistic world. To begin with, the Jewish culture adapted to this world by translating the Old Testament into Greek. From the time of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and now Rome, empires had dispersed the Jewish people throughout various regions. These Jews learned Hebrew, but the local languages would often be their first tongue. This collection of texts, called the Septuagint, unified Jews living in the Roman Empire. Further, the Septuagint allowed non-Jews to access the teachings of Moses and the prophets.

The Jewish culture and economy fit in this unified and connected world. For Easter specifically, we better understand the languages used to accuse Jesus upon the cross, King of the Jews in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. As with the Pax Romana, this Hellenistic linguistic unity also allowed for the rapid spread of information like the Gospel and the teachings of early Christianity.

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