Tag Archives: Nazareth

LUKE’S GOSPEL…NAZARETH – 7b

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The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because they thought they knew who He was. They judged His message without exploring the evidence of His claims.

Jesus made it clear to His own disciples, “You can trust me because of what I do””. 

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ entire ministry focused on the restoration of God’s kingdom, not only to His own people but also to the entire Gentile world as prophesied in Isaiah…

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. “…I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As much as the Jewish leaders hated Him for exposing their hypocrisy, and even accused Him of using demonic powers to cast out demons…His works were incontrovertible evidence of the real source and purpose of His ministry…

“If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why did Jesus do the miracles He did? Why did He heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons? Was He looking for popularity or trying to gain a following in competition with the religious leaders? 

Jesus had one goal in view…

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

His message was the good news of the kingdom, with all the ramifications of that message…including His own death and resurrection, and the miracles as evidence of God’s benevolent rule at work. Jesus came to herald and to bring about the return of the order, justice, righteousness, and peace of His rule, which would culminate in the restoration of everything, including creation, to His original plan, on His return at the end of time. 

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬

To the Jews, this message was both revolutionary and unpalatable because there was no place in their Messianic expectation for the Gentiles. Their very mention brought about responses of anger and contempt. 

So, they rejected their very own “homeboy”, despite His teachings and His work, because of their bitter prejudice, which even cancelled their own covenant relationship with God. From that moment on, He was unwelcome in Nazareth. Their unbelief shut Him out, limited His power in their town, and sealed their fate as it did for everyone who refused to believe in His name. 

This brings me to the part of my meditation that is relevant for us humans…the issue of skepticism and prejudice that is damaging to our attitude to truth.

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.’ And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.” – Mark 6:1-6

“After Jesus restored Jairus’ daughter to life with his healing touch, he and the disciples departed Capernaum and traveled 25 miles south to Nazareth. For Jesus, this was a homecoming, a chance to see his family and the friends with whom he was raised. We might expect the town to be excited about his visit and welcome Jesus as a local celebrity. After all, they would have heard all about how he taught with authority, healed diseases, drove out demons, and even calmed a storm. That’s a fairly impressive resume! 

“And yet, the people of Nazareth greeted Jesus with skepticism and outrage. Others might be empowered by God to perform such works, but this was Mary’s Son. He grew up down the street, and they knew he was just a carpenter. While today we value the opportunity to achieve, advance, and make a new way in the world, the people of Jesus’ day were defined by their families and their upbringing. Jesus did not come from a line of teachers and preachers; he was not a scribe or a priest. And so, the people took offense at what he was doing and who he claimed to be. They felt entitled to define Jesus according to their terms.

“How does your skepticism keep you from experiencing the full and awesome power of Jesus? Have you sought to understand and define him from your earthly perspective? Faith is about surrender and trust.”

(Source: biblestudymedia.com)

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…NAZARETH – 7a

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“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ resolve to live by the words of His Father was quickly put to the test in His hometown, Nazareth. What better place to begin, where He had grown up under scrutiny, where He was best known by the community, so they thought. 

Once again, come Sabbath, Jesus took His place in the synagogue, however, not as a regular worshipper but as a recognised “rabbi”, a teacher of the law. He has become well-known in the region for His teaching and authority. 

Jesus stood up to read the Scripture for that day. He deliberately selected a passage that formed part of Isaiah’s prophetic picture of the Messiah. How fitting that Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah’s ministry of deliverance and healing for His broken people, an exact description of His mission which had already begun in nearby Capernaum. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” …He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬-‭19‬, ‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Well, that set the cat among the pigeons! Imagine the audacity of the man! One of their own villagers, a young upstart who grew up in front of them, claiming to be the fulfilment of their great prophet Isaiah’s immortal words!Who did He think He was? 

Jesus’ next words struck a raw spot. He made it clear that He already knew that He would be rejected. 

“Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Using two stories from Israel’s own history, Elijah’s miracle for a Gentile widow in Zarephath and Elisha’s healing of Naaman, the Syrian, as illustrations, He foretold that His own people would reject Him because of His ministry to Gentiles! Well, that did it!

Before He even said any more, a heated debate broke out. Some were impressed…others were incensed. The mention of the Gentiles made their blood boil. Without giving any consideration to His message of hope, or His mission of mercy to all people, they unceremoniously threw Him out and even tried to eliminate Him. 

However, this was Jesus…and their murderous rage didn’t work. At least not this time. 

One thing was clear…little by little, Jesus began to determine who were willing to listen to His message and who were not. By rejecting Him, they were rejecting the Father who sent Him, and His gracious message of deliverance and redemption. 

This brings us to an important consideration at this point…

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – YOU ARE MY SON

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YOU ARE MY SON

 

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9- 

This is an unembellished record of Jesus’ first public appearance – baptism by the hand of John. This practice of ritual washing was a recognised part of Jewish religion. It happened on many occasions and for many different reasons. It was a symbol of old and new, cleansing and initiation into something new. For Jesus, a big part of its meaning was identification – full participation with the human race so that He could be a faithful high priest (Hebrews 4:16).

According to Mark, the voice from heaven that accompanied Jesus’ baptism was heard by Him, not necessarily by the crowd, and yet the message was an affirmation of His sonship and God’s total approval of phase 1 of His human existence.

Three times in the gospels, God, the Father, speaks audibly. The first time He acknowledges His Son’s flawless hidden years, at His baptism; the second time His equally flawless public ministry, on the mount of transfiguration; the third time the Father responded to Jesus’ prayer “Father, glorify your name,” (John 12:28), at the end of His public life and on the eve of His crucifixion.

The Father’s affirmation is accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s manifestation – again seen and experienced by Jesus as a visible and personal presence. Why did Jesus need the Holy Spirit? As always, the triune God functioned as ECHAD, indissolubly intertwined in their salvation plan. Jesus was the last Adam, created in the image of the first Adam, innocent but not righteous. He had every potential to fail, like the first Adam but, like the first Adam, He also had the Spirit of God to empower His choices.

Jesus had to navigate the treacherous path of life under the total focus of the enemy without one slip into self-sufficiency or independence. He offers to all who believe in Him the same Spirit that empowered Him, to live the same life of obedience to the Father and complete trust in Him, and He showed us how it was done.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – POPULAR!

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POPULAR!

“Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that He was back spread through the countryside. He taught in their meeting places to everyone’s acclaim and pleasure.

“He came to Nazareth where He had been reared. As He always did on the Sabbath, He went to the meeting place. When He stood up to read, He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.” Luke 4:14-17a.

They knew Him. He was already a well-known and well-loved figure in the region. After all, an unusual person like Jesus could not escape notice. He was talked about outside Nazareth. When He disappeared for six weeks, people wondered where He was. ‘Have you seen Jesus?’ they asked one another. ‘Strange! No one knows where He has gone.’

Then, out of the blue He was back, chatting to groups of people here and there; telling them stories and teaching them about the kingdom of God. They were excited. The news spread. ‘Jesus is back. He’s a rabbi. He tells wonderful stories. Come and listen to Him.’

He fascinated them because He wasn’t like the other rabbis. He seemed to know what He was talking about. He wasn’t forever quoting this rabbi or that rabbi, and His yoke – so different from the others! He spoke about God as though He knew Him; and His God didn’t sound like the God the other rabbis spoke of – always demanding and expecting them to keep this law and that rule to please Him. He actually called His God ‘Father’ and Father was generous and full of mercy and compassion.

Back in Nazareth, on the Sabbath, everyone crowded into the synagogue. Jesus was there and they wanted to hear Him. It was expected that He would have something to say. And He did. When the time came for the reading of the Scriptures, everyone looked at Him expectantly, so He stood up and was given the scroll for that day.

“Unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written,

“God’s Spirit is on me; He’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free, to announce, ‘This is God’s year to act!'”

“He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant and sat down. Every eye in the place was on Him, intent. Then he started in, ‘You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.'” Luke 4:17b-21.

What? Did they hear right? Did He say that prophecy was being fulfilled right in front of them? That was something difficult to swallow. There’s a difference between having a strong expectation about something and accepting someone’s claim that he or she is the fulfilment. Many have made audacious claims about themselves, only to disappear like everyone else, leaving life to go on unchanged as usual.

What was different about Jesus’ claim? What was He saying? ‘I am the one on whom all your hopes and dreams are pinned. I have arrived to carry out everything your beloved prophet Isaiah spoke about. You can relax now. I am here!’

Can you imagine a well-known figure, someone who grew up in your neighbourhood, who went to school down the road, who played with your kids in the street, who climbed trees and rode bicycle and scraped his knees under your nose, standing up in church and saying, ‘I’m the one God sent to tell you that it’s going to be okay. I’m going to fix everything for you.’

How would you react?

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – MISSING!

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MISSING!

“When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on Him.

“Every year Jesus’ parents travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When He was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents didn’t know it. Thinking He was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for Him among relatives and neighbours. When they didn’t find Him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him.” Luke 2:41-45.

What a contrast! Twelve years of trouble-free childhood, and then He goes missing!

Twelve was a magical age for a Jewish boy. Bar mitzvah! He had come of age. He was permitted into the company of the men to take His place among them. Admittedly He was still a “junior” man and had lots to learn, but nevertheless He was still a MAN. As a man He also had responsibilities. He took part in the Jewish “rehearsal” feasts. Did Jesus know at this stage that He was celebrating the ritual of His own death?

Luke pulls a veil of secrecy over the first twelve years of His life – His apprenticeship for manhood. Instead he sweeps it aside with a summary statement that says everything; no intimate details about nappy rash, teething problems, potty training, learning to walk, measles, chicken pox or a runny nose! Did Jesus participate in all these minor details associated with growing up?

A healthy, strong, wise child – that’s all we know. Those of us who are parents can fill in the details against the backdrop of our own experience! His family life must have been chaos; at least six brothers and sisters pitted against Him. Did they victimise Him because He was the firstborn and had to take the rap for everything they did? Did they gang up against Him and deliberately do things to make trouble for Him? Did Mom try to shield Him from their vindictive pranks?

We know that His brothers refused to believe in Him until after the earth-shattering event that took place in Jerusalem thirty three years later. He walked out of a sealed tomb – alive! That shook them to the core. They mocked and ridiculed Him because they didn’t understand. He knew exactly how it felt to be the cause of a split right down the middle of a family. He spoke about it. “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword…a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” Matthew 10:34b, 36 (NIV).

And then, after twelve years of a perfect record, He goes missing! What was He thinking? Was He aware of the anguish He was causing His parents? This seems to have been the moment when He crossed over from boyhood to true manhood. In the rituals of the Passover He began to see His role in God’s big plan. With His mind filled with the Torah, which He already knew by heart, He pondered the greater truths hidden in the old story of deliverance from Egypt.

His parents had not caught up with Him. They were still Mom and Dad, doing their best to raise this kid who was placed in their trust, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. They didn’t learn that at school! What crazy thoughts went through their minds as they frantically searched through the company for their missing son? Were they thinking, ‘After twelve’s years He’s gone and blown it. Has He been kidnapped? We’ve messed up. It’s our fault. We didn’t keep an eye on Him.’

They were so used to an obedient and compliant Jesus that this shook them to the core. What were they to do now? What if they never found Him? How would they explain that one to God?