Matt 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea...
(13) ...An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph,
saying, Arise, take the child and His mother and flee into
Egypt. (23) And he came and settled in a city called Nazareth,
so that what was spoken through the prophets might be
fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazarene.
[Part 1 of 2]
Mary conceived a child in Nazareth. According to the prophecy
in Micah 5:2, however, Christ had to be born in Bethlehem.
Under God's sovereign arrangement, Caesar Augustus ordered the
first census of the Roman Empire. This forced all the people
to return to their native places. Mary and Joseph were forced
to return to Bethlehem, their hometown. Immediately after they
arrived in Bethlehem, the child Jesus was born. The mistake of
the magi [in searching for Jesus in Jerusalem] aroused the
hatred and jealousy of King Herod, who was angered that a
kingly child had been born. Then Joseph received guidance in a
dream to take the child to Egypt. This enabled God to fulfill
the prophecy of Hosea 11:1. After Herod had died, Joseph
received word in another dream to return to the Holy Land.
When Joseph had returned and had learned that Archelaus, the
son of Herod, was in power, he was afraid to remain in the
territory around Bethlehem. Therefore, he went to Nazareth,
where Jesus was raised. For this reason Jesus was called Jesus
of Nazareth.
What does all this mean? It means that when Jesus was born
into the human race, He appeared in a way that was somewhat
hidden, in a way that was not open or evident. Sometimes I
have even used the word "sneaky" to describe it. Everyone
called Him Jesus of Nazareth, for He was a Nazarene. But the
Bible said that Christ would be born in Bethlehem.
Jesus Came in a Hidden Way (2)
John 1:45 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, We have
found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote,
Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. (46) And Nathanael
said to Him, Can anything good be from Nazareth? Philip said
to him, Come and see.
[Part 2 of 2]
When Philip met Jesus, he realized that Jesus was the Messiah.
Then Philip went to Nathanael and told him that he had met the
Messiah and that He was the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth.
Immediately Nathaniel said, "Can anything good come out of
Nazareth?" Did Philip give Nathanael the wrong information? It
is difficult to say. Philip only knew that Jesus was the son
of Joseph and that He was a Nazarene. Although Jesus was from
Nazareth and was a Nazarene, He had not been born in Nazareth,
but in Bethlehem. Nathanael was troubled. However, Philip did
not argue with him; he simply said, "Come and see."
In appearance, Jesus was a Nazarene, but within Him...there
was the glory of God. Second Corinthians 5:16 says that we
should not know Christ or any man after the outward
appearance. Rather, we must discern the inward reality of
Christ.
We must keep this principle today. We must not go according to
the outward appearance, but according to what is within. If
you would know the church or the saints, do not be bothered by
the outward appearance. Do not give any value to outward
things, such as huge cathedrals, large church buildings, or
pipe organs. Forget all that. Jesus had nothing outstanding
outwardly. He was a little Nazarene, One who grew up in a
province that was called “Galilee of the nations” and who was
raised in a city despised by people--"Can anything good come
out of Nazareth?" But if you “come and see” and get into Him,
you will appreciate Him and be caught by Him.
