Jesus will be called a Nazarene. This was a title for Jesus that was used during the time of his ministry on earth.

1 – The town of Nazareth

Notice three things about Nazareth:-

• It was an infamous place. It had a disgraceful reputation. It was a city of scorn and contempt. See John 1:45-46. Nathaniel asks the question. He knew the reputation of the place. It was a major trade route. There was narcotics and prostitution. Mary and Joseph came from Nazareth. Yet Jesus grows up in a place like that. We would have Jesus grow up in a more sophisticated place rather than a cesspool. You can’t isolate yourself from the evil of this world.
• It is an interesting place. In that moral cesspool is a little family that is growing like a rose. There is Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It seems that Joseph had died when Jesus was a young boy. Mary had to rear Jesus herself. She read the written word to the Living Word! Jesus was obedient to his parents. See Luke 2:51. He had created them, yet he obeys them. Jesus submitted himself to them. This is a good lesson for young people to learn today. Young people think they know more than their parents. Jesus did know everything yet he submitted himself to his earthly parents.
• It is an incredulous place. Jesus was the best thing that came from this town. Yet they rejected him in his home town. See Luke 4:16-30. Jesus was in this synagogue for worship and school. He goes in to preach. They can’t accept Jesus as the Messiah. They wanted to kill him but they could not. It was not yet His time. There is no indication that Jesus went back again. His own “home town” rejected Him.

2 – Affirmation

The prophets predicted that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. It is not recorded in any of the Old Testament books. Jesus uses “the prophets” to indicate the general effect or result of what God had foretold through various prophets, rather than to refer to a specific prophecy. Referring to someone from Nazareth had become more or less a synonym for despised. See Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 53:2-3 & Psalm 22:6-7.

3 – Salvation

Jesus of Nazareth is the one who provides salvation. He is the solution to every problem that anyone has ever known. Something good did come out of Nazareth. Love, joy, peace and much more came from Jesus of Nazareth. Paul was out to destroy the followers of Jesus from Nazareth. It was Jesus who confronted him and changed his life. Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation to all those who meet and believe in Him. Even the demons knew who Jesus of Nazareth was. See Mark 1:23-24. When Jesus shows up, salvation is never far away. Even His enemies knew who He was. See John 19:19. Death could not hold Jesus of Nazareth. It has held others but not him. He has been raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven – that others might believe and follow him. They still do today.

Categories: Matthew