Jesus of Nazareth

 

Because Jesus came as the seed of David (Rom. 1:3-4, Matt. 1:1-16, Luke 2:1-20), He was born in Bethlehem of Judaea. But as the word above says, He grew up in Nazareth of Galilee, the hometown of Joseph and Mary.

 

Luke 1:26-27 “26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

 

Luke 2:1-5 “1Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. 2This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 5to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child.”

 

All these things were what God had spoken beforehand through Moses and all the prophets (Acts 3:20-24), and He fulfilled them just as He had spoken. Likewise, we can know that God caused Isaiah the prophet to speak beforehand that the Christ would be despised and rejected by men, and thus Jesus came to be called a Nazarene.

 

Isaiah 53:1-6 “1Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? 2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

 

When God told Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a standard so that the people might live, He caused Christ to be prefigured in the form of a serpent. Through this also, we can understand the same meaning: the Christ had no form nor comeliness, no beauty that we should desire Him, and He would be rejected by men—that is, He would be called a Nazarene. See also When He Looked unto the Brazen Serpent, He Lived.

 

Numbers 21:8-9 “8And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.”

 

John 3:14-15 “14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; 15that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.”

 

Amen. Truly, Jesus, who had no sin (1 John 3:5), was despised and rejected, was chastened and bruised, and died on the cross so that we might have life. Therefore, whoever believes in Jesus can have eternal life. Yet just as Jesus was once despised and rejected by being called a Nazarene,

 

John 1:45-46 “45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”

 

John 7:40-41 “40Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is of a truth the prophet. 41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee?”

 

John 7:50-52 “50Nicodemus saith unto them, he that came to him before, being one of them, 51Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth? 52They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.”

 

Jesus was even rejected by the people of His own hometown, Nazareth.

 

Matthew 13:54-58 “54And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? 56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

 

Even today, there are people who do not regard the word of Jesus, that is, the gospel, as precious. Thinking that they can live in this world without Jesus, they do not believe His word, but reject it or disregard it. This is the same as treating Jesus merely as “Jesus of Nazareth,” just as people did in the past. But I state this firmly: there is no one in this world who can live without the word of Jesus.

 

John 15:4-6 “4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

 

Acts 4:11-12 “11He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the head of the corner. 12And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.”

 

The reason we can do nothing without Jesus, and the reason we can bear much fruit and receive salvation only through Jesus, is that Jesus is our “Lord” and “Christ.”

 

Luke 2:10-11 “10And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: 11for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”

 

Acts 2:36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.”

 

Amen. Therefore, with our mouth, we must confess by faith that “Jesus of Nazareth” is “the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Romans 1:2-4 “2which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

Romans 10:9-13 “9Because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: 13for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

 

Now Jesus, who was rejected by men, has become to us “a living stone” who is precious.

 

1 Peter 2:4-8 “4unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, 5ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 7For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; 8and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”

 

Therefore, all of us must give all glory, praise, and thanks to Jesus alone. Truly, only our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power!

 

Revelation 4:10-11 “10the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.”

 

Amen.