Can you see him in his royal robes? Augustus assumed he was the most powerful man in the whole empire. Roman coins bore a graven image of Caesar Augustus. A caption on the coin read: divi filius, “son of god.” It was believed by Romans that Augustus, the first of the Roman emperors, was divine-conceived by a serpent as Augustus’ mother lay asleep in the temple of Apollo. Augustus had thousands of Romans bow down at his name, tremble at his power; but he didn’t have a clue that in a few short years his reign would come to an end.

Meanwhile that very night a child would be born who would reign forever-King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Augustus had no clue that this child who would be born in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea was the true divi filius, Son of God.

He didn’t realize it, but Augustus Caesar, who thought he was so cunning and so powerful, was simply a pawn in the story of the first Christmas. How so? Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Everyone was ordered to the town of their birth to register. Thousands of people were uprooted from their homes traveling many miles mostly on foot-trying to find shelter in a town where they may not have resided in decades. Without knowing it, Augustus was doing the will of our Sovereign God. The prophet Micah hundreds of years before, had prophesied in writing (Micah 5:2) that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. But that could only be accomplished if Mary and Joseph had a good reason to travel from their home in Nazareth the 90 miles to Bethlehem. It was a long and arduous journey and Mary was “great with child.” The reason that motivated them to make that journey turned out to be the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. Even Mary and Joseph probably did not realize that they were fulfilling an ancient prophecy by going to Bethlehem. Someone far greater than Caesar Augustus was controlling their destiny.

Augustus accomplished many fine things as the first Roman emperor, among them the Pax Romana, a largely peaceful period of two centuries in which Rome imposed order on a world long torn with conflict. He built roads and vastly expanded the empire. In fact, what he really accomplished, though he was not aware of it, was to make this vast area of the world much more accessible to Christian evangelism. It was not that many centuries later that the notoriously pagan Roman Empire was known as the Holy Roman Empire. We owe a debt to Caesar Augustus, who thought he was all-powerful, but was really an unwitting instrument of God.

What a contrast there was between these two divi filius. While Augustus dwelled in a magnificent palace, a humble stable became the place in which the holy child lay. It has always fascinated Christians that when God came down to earth, He did so in such humble surroundings. Philip Yancey in his book, “The Jesus I Never Knew”, tells of a visit Queen Elizabeth II once made to the United States. He says that reporters delighted in spelling out the logistics involved: for example, “her four thousand pounds of luggage included two outfits for every occasion” . . . For some reason she carried along “forty pints of plasma.” Most unusual of all, the list included “white kid leather toilet seat covers.

She [also] brought along her own hairdresser, two valets, and a host of other attendants. A brief visit of royalty to a foreign country,” says Yancey, “can easily cost twenty million dollars.” Yancey adds, “In meek contrast, God’s visit to earth took place in an animal shelter with no attendants present and nowhere to lay the newborn king but a feed trough. Indeed, the event that divided history, and even our calendars, into two parts may have had more animal than human witnesses . . . ‘How silently, how silently,'” concludes Philip Yancey, ‘the wondrous gift is given.'”

A seminary professor, Malcolm Tolbert, wrote an article asking and answering the question why Jesus was born in a stable. “Had Jesus been born in a mansion on the hilltop,” Tolbert wrote, “few people would have felt welcome in His presence. But He was born in a barn; anyone can go there. The lowly shepherds did not hesitate to enter a stable and bow before the Child. Then and now anyone willing to humble himself may come to Jesus.”

As we reduce Christmas in our time to an occasion for extravagant gift-giving, let’s consider what it means that the Christ was born in some of the most deprived circumstances in this world. The angel Gabriel came to a humble maiden in an obscure village called Nazareth to tell her that she would bear a child who would be called the Son of the Most High. She could not foresee that his birth would be in a stable with cattle and sheep as witnesses. Through the centuries Christians have kept a consciousness of Christ’s humble birth as well as a sense that we, as his people, should have a sense of responsibility for those who do not share in the affluence we enjoy. The true Divi filius came to a humble stable with cattle and sheep and a humble young couple. He came those who were humble, willing to receive him like the lowly shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Can you see an angel of the Lord appearing to them, and the glory of the Lord is shining around them? It had to terrify them. Luke tells us the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appears with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” It’s interesting that the first thing that an angel invariably says, “Don’t be afraid” or “Fear not!” It must be a startling experience to encounter one of these messengers of God. But this is an integral part of the Gospel-the idea that followers of Jesus should not be afraid.

Fear is one of the most common emotions that human beings experience-fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of failure, fear of losing your job, fear of doing the wrong thing and embarrassing yourself, The list goes on and on of things to fear. The angels were proclaiming a message that sooner or later will speak to every heart: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” That’s a message that gladdens the heart of every believer.

Some of you may remember watching the popular TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” years ago.

James Moore in his book, Christmas Gifts That Won’t Break, tells about a beautiful moment toward the end of this animated Christmas special. The scene features Linus, the fearful kid known for his security blanket that he carries with him everywhere he goes.

The next time you watch the show notice that at the end, Linus takes the spotlight. He begins to recite the Christmas story from Luke 2, but he adds a little bit of drama when he comes to the part about the shepherds receiving the news of Jesus’ birth. When he quotes the angels saying, “Fear not,” Linus throws his blanket down and finishes the story with both hands free so he can give gesture to the amazing announcement of the gift of love in the baby Jesus. “There are many messages of Christmas,” writes James, “but there is one that everybody in the story received and receives. And it is, ‘Fear not.’ Do not be afraid. It seems that everybody needed to hear it.” We do need to hear it. The world can be a scary place. But the world is far less scary to those who trust in the message of the Christ child, the true divi filius, the true Son of God. May you have a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

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Rev. Charles Eldredge is pastor of Maitland Church of the Brethren, Lewistown, PA where he is currently serving in his 27th year. He graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in S. Hamilton, MA.