It made no sense to anyone except the Lord. According to Bible scholars who address the question, from a human and historical point of view, God's call of Abraham was not due to any merit found in the patriarch. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2022, Christianity.com. Why did God choose Mary? All of these women share this in common: a disgraceful past. Jesus coming from a place like Nazareth was something that confused Nathanael and probably many others as well. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. No one is anonymous. Well, I dont think that it means that Joseph, knowing the prophecy, he then picked Nazareth.That would be like the skeptics, oh, well, Jesus knew the prophecy, that he was going to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, and he told Judas about it, and so they conspired.That was the old film and it didnt get very far in the book, The Passover Plot, you remember that?No, I dont think he did that.You dont have to fulfill prophecy by making it happen.And I think that would kind of ruin it if Joseph even knew that.The disciples, they didnt know most of the prophecies. Share. Pray that you would be humble and allow God to work in you. There were different things about Nazareth that could easily put Nazareth in the derogatory category. Article Images Copyright 2022 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Which is why each of the Gospel writers had to explain what Nazareth was a town in Galilee when they first mentioned it (Matthew 2:23; Mark 1:9; Luke 1:26). Why Did Jesus Say, 'Remain in Me, As I Also Remain in You'? He told the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as King of Israel. First, during the time in which Jesus lived on earth, people were often referred to by the town or city in which they resided. The early church received similar scorn as the Nazarene sect (Acts 24:5). Samson was a Nazirite from the womb of his mother. God chose Zacharias and Elisabeth to be the parents of John the Baptist. And Nathanael said unto him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?". Let's move the story into the 21st century and see how it plays out. Outside the New Testament references, we know very little, if anything reliable, about ancient Nazareth because it was so obscure. The Old Testament focuses on Israel as God's chosen people ( Deuteronomy 7:6 ). This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has consecrated me. That's why the year between betrothal and marriage). If you were to put the opinions of Nazareth and its people together like a puzzle, you can begin to see why Nazareth was derogatory and why Nathanaels question was right in line with how people viewed Nazareth. So he was not only consecrated for a certain period of his life, but he was consecrated all his life, even prior to conception, to God. And Nazareth not only meant a more out-of-the-way, rural, even backwater life than up in Jerusalem, but Nazarene would be a stigma he would carry the rest of his life. So the purpose of the Incarnation was to effect the salvation of all mankind. She con. Matthew does not mention Nazareth as being the previous home of Joseph and Mary; he says that Joseph was afraid to go to Judea because Herod Archelaus was ruling there and so the family went to Nazareth instead. The wealth of the glory of God's inheritance is you! God had seen the constant wickedness of the folks in Nineveh. He humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, even as a Nazarene. Why did God send Jesus to earth? Outside of that Nazareth was a small, non-descript village that has no mention in the Old Testament. Well, Tom, it is true, we are dumbing down education in America.We have dumbed it down.I mean, Ive lived in Europe a couple of times; they are so much ahead of us in Europe as far as education. The young Jewish girl lived quite an ordinary life in Nazareth, a little city in Galilee. Is it Biblical Where God Guides, He Provides? Improve this answer. Outside of that Nazareth was a small, non-descript village that has no mention in the Old Testament. Here he would remain until John the Baptists arrest (Matthew 4:13). 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, Eph. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The surprising answer is "yes." God chose to have His Son, the Savior of the world, live in Nazareth. It was the hometown of Jesus. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, andbeing warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. In fact, you are the hidden treasure in this world. What does it mean that Jesus is the Lamb of God? Here even Jesus himself in the only record we have of him self-identifying with Nazareth took up the newly honorific title when he appeared on the Damascus Road. Well, thats another big subject, Tom.But anyway, the complaints that many people giveWell, I cant understand the King James.Well, you would understand it if youre reading Shakespeare, its the same kind of language.Well anyway, I shouldnt have raised that, Tom; we got off the subject here. These explanations appeal to our religious sensibilities, but none of them is Biblical. The other thing I want to talk about next week is John the Baptist, here is a really interesting Biblical character, and well go over that next week. Yeah, the kingdom of heaven is at and, well all ponder that, because it was at hand, the King was there, and had theywell; its a good question, if they received Him and put him up as King, thenwell, they couldnt make him their King because the Romans were in charge.But they rejected Him and the prophets foretold that they would reject him.But then people say, Well, supposing they had, then He wouldnt have been crucified.But the fact is that they were not going to, but He still offered it to them. Today we have many descriptions on TV, in books, magazines, movies, etc. The Old Testament never says that the Savior would be called a Nazarene but it does say that the Savior would be despised and rejected. Still, in Gods wise, world-shaming plan for his Son, part of his life of humility, and submission to his parents, was leaving the buzzing, big-city temple, the very nexus of the nations activity and excitement, and going down to small-town Nazareth, to live thirty years in obscurity. The crucified, risen Lord of the universe was none other than Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 2:22). First it came from the angel at the tomb: Do not be alarmed. Though he could have had Jesus born in a palace he was born in a manger. " He (Jesus) became man by the virgin, in order that the disobedience which began with the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. There is another truth in Nathanaels question that is worth exploring. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. In Deuteronomy 7:7 -9 Moses tells the children of Israel why God chose them: "The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were . The first and technical reason for Jesus' descent from Judah is the important fact that Jesus is THE "First-born" unique and only Son of the Father ( Rom.8:29; Col.1:15; 1:18; Heb.1:6; Rev.1:5; cf. Nazareth was a place that had no real attention paid to it and only became famous for one reason. Click here to see our updated Privacy Policy. Oh yeah, the U. S. is down near the bottom of third world countries.So anyway, all I am saying is, I think it wouldnt be problem, in fact it might even be helpful to learn a little King James English, but that was a moot point, so we better move on.They came back to the land of Israel, as the angel had told them to do, and they heard that Archelaus, Herods son was really in his stead.Well, they knew that Herod was dead.Well, Joseph, I guess made a decision on his own.It doesnt say the angel told him or warned him about that, and decided not to go back.We had a discussion about this, I think last week, or it was the week before.The wise menwhen they came it wasnt to the stable, but it says they came to the house.And so it was, maybe at least a year probably, it took them a while to make this journey.But Herod was going to be safe, so he had all the babies killed from two years and down.So, they were living, I believe, in Bethlehem up to that point, in a house now.They have moved out of the stable into a house.Well, they didnt go back to the house in Bethlehem; they turned aside and went to Nazareth. We know from chapter 1 that Jesus is from Nazareth. The Bible doesn't explicitly say why God chose Abraham. Why did Jesus live in Nazareth? Some say God chose Mary because "she must have been of high character." In other words, Mary was a moral woman. That is why we don't know why God chose Mary, but we know it was by grace. In essence, God chose Mary because she was of the right lineage, she was from Nazareth, she was engaged to a man whose lineage set up a trip to Bethlehem, she was a virgin, and she was a. James says it this way: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). David B. Hanson Why did god choose Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus Christ? One way to engage our current location is by thinking about our current moment in the context of God's plan. The Berean Call is also available in a large-print edition at a nominal cost. The earth only exists because Jesus made it. but refer to him only as being from Nazareth. It is possible people may have said the same thing about you that Nathanael said when you mention where you are from. God chose the ancient Israelites because He had promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation and occupy the land of Canaan ( Genesis 12:3, 7; 17:4, 7-8; 22:17 ). So also, after his memorable visit to the temple at age 12, Luke tells us Jesus went down from Jerusalem with his parents. Meg is engaged to Joe but he's religious and doesn't want to have it away with her until after they tie the knot. what a man is supposed to be: sexy, strong, rich, powerful, educated, etc. He chose you because you are a pearl of great price. Today we sing about the little town of Bethlehem, but Bethlehem, humble as it was compared to Jerusalem, had a name that dwarfed Nazareths. He was called the man after God's own heart. The Berean Call is available by paid subscription . And because of that, God chose one woman, and made her "Full of Grace" to be able to give Jesus the perfect love in which he was immersed as a child. We also live in a moment where environmental . Meg understands his commitment but she's a healthy girl with normal needs. In love. I would suggest that "God" chose Mary and Joseph, with a great deal of human assistance, because the Parthian magi and members of the Essene priesthood worked together to try and create a new Messiah in the vein of Cyrus the Great that would grow up to be a warrior king like Cyrus and lead them in a revolt against the Romans to gain their freedom. Clarence L. Haynes Jr.is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. The problem with Nazareth and the problem with Nathanaels expectations. Just like Jesus you can impact the world and you can do it coming from a place where no one would ever expect. Think of all the genealogies and historical accounts, and what seems, at least to us today, like unusual attention to land, geography, and place. Come and see, said Philip. And it was only a matter of time before it would be the moniker that his enemies, and the demons besides, would use to throw shade on his credibility. Nathanael made a common mistake. Most of us were born in a very non-distinct manner and while the people around us celebrated, the whole world wasnt put on notice because you arrived. What is the significance of John baptizing in Bethabara (John 1:28)? But contrary to this line of thinking, scripture tells us that God is not partial to working with men: " Then the Lord sat under an oak tree to be near Gideon.The first thing the Lord said is "the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor . Well, Dave, that brings another question:What prophecy says that He shall be called a Nazarene? And while many despised him for his hometown, even his fellow Nazarenes soon rejected him, drove him out of town, and threatened to throw him off the cliff (Luke 4:2830). Several reasons can be given. His hometown never made the transition to seeing Jesus as Messiah and they ultimately rejected him. Not many of us were born with influence, nobility, or some level of distinction. This is where Jesus grew up, went to school, and found a job. Answer (1 of 8): Gullibility! Now it tastes of sweet glory. Gideon, a farmer, was threshing wheat by a winepress to hide from the Midianites. Well, Dave, lets talk about that for a minute.This is your Bible of choice; this is what you grew up with, the King James.I do stumble over it, and as I read most of the verses, my thithers get a little problematic from time to time.But on the other hand, as I mentioned in the previous segment, I like to work with young people, and I hold to the text that the King James is from, certainly as opposed to Vaticanus and Alexandria, and so on.But when I am teaching young people, as we mentioned, its sort of a problem because theyre sort of brought up on entertainment, they have a short attention span, and if I dont have to explain words that have a different meaning today, then, you know, I think I am in better shape.For example, things like conversation, any conversation; conversation is what people talk about.No, the King James means their conduct in their life, so if I dont have to explain that it just saves me a little bit of time.When the King James says God is pitiful, well, we know that that means He is full of pity, but that can trip up a young person.What do you mean, Gods pitiful?So, there are a number of things like that, that its justI could say its more convenient for teaching young people, but I do like the King James.But for some people thats not enough, they would take you to task when you correct some of the King James, and some of it needs to be corrected, the translators missed a few things here and there.But just saying that, were going to get letters like you cant believe! His Father saw fit not only to redeem a fallen race, but also a disgraced moniker, when he raised the Nazarene from the dead. The significance of Mary's life was not based on any of the things our world values so highlybackground, physical beauty, intelligence, education, natural gifts, and abilities. No! A question many Bible readers ask is why God chose Abraham. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Nathanael was falling victim to his own expectations. Click here to get the app! and to give sight to the blind; to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.". Typically, it was crowds unfamiliar with him (Matthew 21:11; 26:71; Mark 10:47; Luke 18:37). No one is obscure to Him. The men were given the mandate to advance God's kingdom and carry the gospel message. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.. Jesus taught about God's Kingdom, a government in heaven that will bring peace to all the earth. I say He chose Joseph because he was like men were designed to be: kind & merciful, humble, respectful of God and His commands (This is the summit of what man can be). That is what made all the . He provided the hope of everlasting life. Well, Tom, thats a tough one that the skeptics and atheists raise.There is no prophecy that says He would be called a Nazarene.But it doesnt say prophecy, it says, spoken by the prophets.So there is no one prophecy that says this in so many words.Well then, how would we relate that?Well, can any good thing come out of Nazareth, or search the Scriptures; does a prophet arise out of Nazareth? 26For consider your calling, brothers:not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[a]not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. When those orders were given, Jonah was to comply without hesitation or question. Above right is a photograph of the ruins of ancient Pelusium, through which Joseph and Mary almost certainly passed on . What Did Jesus Mean I and the Father Are One? What I love about Jesus and what makes him such a wonderful savior is he has walked in our shoes. Why do you think God selected adespised town, instead of a great city like Jerusalem, to be the place where his Son was raised? That Jesus of Nazareth, teacher, son of God, king of Israel, is the Messiah, the risen Lord. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. Why is Nazareth significant? To leave Jerusalem was to go down not just geographically but socially. He is remembered as the mighty man of God who destroyed the enemies of God. "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. For you coming from where you are is the same. The Jews were God's chosen people, to be sure, but their history is one of consistent rejection of God. It was the hometown of Jesus. What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, Sell Your Cloak and Buy a Sword? All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Why did Nathaniel ask, Can anything good come out of Nazareth (John 1:46)? Isaiah 45:1-25 The author of the Book of Isaiah says that, although Cyrus (the King of Persia) does not acknowledge the one true God, the LORD will use him to set the Jewish exiles in Babylonia free and re-build Jerusalem. Why Was Jesus Being from Nazareth Derogatory? Joseph sacrificed his personal integrity when he married Mary. Wherever we find his name on the lips of foes who want to give it a derogatory spin, expect them to call him Jesus of Nazareth. 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