OPEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGlEte0qPFM
What you just saw was the opening celebration for last year’s “Christmas in Nazareth”. It’s a 5 day festival that begins with the lighting of a Christmas tree and fireworks. In the following days there are parades, concerts, street musicians and jugglers, market stalls selling local produce, arts and crafts and food. And there’s entertainment for all the family, and a visit from Santa.
And, of course, there’s even a reference or two to Jesus.
They do this festival because of the obvious tie-in between their city (Nazareth) and Christ’s birth. I discovered the video while doing a YouTube search for Nazareth and Christmas and was surprised by all that was going on there. But as I watched, I got to thinking - that’s a lot of activity for a city that never even saw the Baby Jesus.
Now Nazareth does have a connection with the tale of Christmas. Luke 1 tells us “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee (who told her) “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus." Luke 1:26 & 31
But that’s pretty much it.
Shortly after she became pregnant, Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the Roman census. And, of course, Bethlehem was where Jesus was born and raised for 1st couple of years. But shortly after that, King Herod heard about the new King born in Bethlehem… and he decided he didn't want another king around, and sought to kill Jesus.
Being warned in a dream Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt where they lived for the next couple of years until King Herod died. Then they returned to Nazareth. By the time they returned to their hometown Jesus was at least 4 or 5 years old.
When most scholars refer to Nazareth, they describe it as an insignificant, back water town. One person described it as an “unimportant town, hidden away in the mountains of Galilee” (Wayne Burnett). Someone else said it was “an obscure little town, one of about 200 such little towns in that area” (Gregory Dawson).
A website I visited that focused on the history of Nazareth said “The city of Nazareth was a small and insignificant agricultural village in the time of Jesus” (http://www.nazareth-israel.com/nazarteh-history)
In fact, Nazareth was so insignificant that Nathanael asked his friend Philip: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46
So, there’s not much about Nazareth that would impress us.
It doesn't seem to play a significant part in the Nativity story, and Nazareth seems to have been an extremely unimportant town in Israel.
You might be tempted to think that Nazareth wasn't all that important for God either. You might be inclined to believe that it was just an accident that Jesus’ parents just happened to come from there.
What do you think? Do you think it was an accident that Joseph and Mary came from Nazareth?
Well, you’re right. It wasn't an accident.
Nazareth was exactly where God wanted Jesus to grow up.
And one of the main reasons was this: it fulfilled prophecy.
Matthew 2 tells us that Joseph and Mary took Jesus back to Israel after King Herod died “and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’” Matthew 2:23
Now, the prophecy that Matthew’s referring to came out of Isaiah 11:1 which said “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch (Hebrew “netzer”) shall grow out of his roots.”
The Hebrew word for Branch is “Netzer”… which is Root of word “Nazareth” and “Nazarene”
So, Matthew’s telling us that in order for Jesus to fulfill the prophecy that said that He would be called “the Branch” He HAD to come from Nazareth and be called a Nazarene.
Now in Jesus’ life, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies out of the Old Testament. And each of those prophecies was like a “calling cards”. Each of those prophecies was one of His “credentials” that said “I am who I say I am.”
And one of the “credentials” – one of those calling cards - was that Jesus was called a “Nazarene” which fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah.
Now, that’s interesting.
But I have to admit I found that fairly boring.
What difference did it make if Jesus fulfilled this particular prophecy or not?
Then I did a “word study” and looked up everyplace in Scripture you would find the words “Nazareth” or “Nazarene” and was amazed at what I discovered.
These words showed up a total of about 30 times… and each time the city or title was associated with Jesus. Even more significant than that, I discovered some interesting things when Jesus was referred to as “Jesus the Nazarene” or “Jesus of Nazareth”.
• When Jesus first introduced Himself to the men who’d become His disciples, one of them named Philip went to his friend Nathanael and said “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote— Jesus of NAZARETH, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45
(To which Nathanael replied “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”)
• Later, when Jesus cast demons out of a man Capernaum, the demon cries: “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of NAZARETH? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" Luke 4:34
• When Jesus is arrested and Peter has followed him and is waiting by a campfire a woman says to Peter: “You also were with that NAZARENE, Jesus.” Mark 14:67
• When Jesus is crucified, Pilate orders that the sign above His head should read: “Jesus Of NAZARETH, The King Of The Jews.” John 19:19
• When Jesus rose from the dead an angel told the women “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the NAZARENE, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Mark 16:6
• When Peter preached his sermon at Pentecost he declared “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of NAZARETH was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” Acts 2:22
• And when Jesus confronted and blinded Paul on his way to Damascus, Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting Him. Paul asked “Who are you Lord?” And Jesus replied: “I am Jesus of NAZARETH, whom you are persecuting.” Acts 22:8
And so Jesus was given this title by angels, demons, His enemies and His friends.
And He even called Himself “Jesus of Nazareth”!
SO it’s got to be important.
There's got to be something that goes beyond just the fulfillment of a simple prophecy.
There’s got to be a reason why Jesus was to be called “Jesus of NAZARETH”.
He could have been called Jesus of Galilee (that’s the region He was from) or Jesus of Capernaum (that’s where He spent much of His ministry) or Jesus of Israel.
But He wasn't. He was called “Jesus of Nazareth.”
So, the question is: Why?
Well, a few reasons come to mind:
1st – Everything about Jesus’ birth was plain and simple.
When Jesus was born, what kind of place was He born in?
That’s right – He was born in a barn.
There was no cute bassinet, no warm and elegant room, no room service or servants.
He was born in the feeding trough of a barn.
And when He was born, who did the angels make the first announcement to?
Common Shepherds!
Not Kings, or Priests, or Prophets or Politicians.
Just common, hardworking shepherds.
And Jesus could have been born and raised in Jerusalem or any number of other great cities in Israel. Instead God chose obscure and unimportant cities like Bethlehem and Nazareth.
Why would God do that?
Why would God choose a humble place for Jesus birth?
Why choose common shepherds to hear the announcements of His birth?
Why choose obscure cities for Jesus’ birth and early life?
ILLUS: Have you ever been into a jewelry store? Next time you go to one I want you to notice how the jewels and diamonds are displayed. Notice how plain the background is.
If you ask to see a diamond ring for example, notice what they place on the counter to display the ring – most likely it will be a black velvet cloth. And did you know that when loose diamonds are often transported in black velvet bags? That way, when the diamonds are taken out of the bag, there’s a ready black cloth to set them on.
It’s long been a tradition to display gems against a background that contrasts their beauty. The more precious the jewel, the more plain and stark the background so that the beauty of the gem is highlighted.
And that’s what God did with Jesus. Jesus – the most precious gift God could ever give to man - was displayed in His birth against starkness of our weaknesses and our struggles.
In Psalm 144:3 David asks God
“O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?”
And God answered with Jesus.
And God said “I care for you so much that I want to give Him NOT to the wealthy and privileged but to the lowest and most unimportant of people so that you might see the majesty and power of this single solitary child and understand what He came to do. The beauty of the gift of Jesus sparkled … as God placed Him amongst the kind of people Jesus was to die for.
I have a poem that says it this way:
“I am so glad He was not born in some rich palace bed.
I am so glad to know it was a lowly place, instead,
A place where soft-eyed cows and sheep were sheltered and fed.
For to the country born of earth a stable will ever be a wholesome place, where night comes down with its tranquility,
A place of heart's ease and content for all who choose to see,
And so I like to think of Him, first opening His eyes in that good elemental place beneath the friendly skies.
That the men of fields could find Him there, as well as the great and wise.”
(Grace Noel Crowell “I Am So Glad”)
So Jesus grew up in Nazareth so that the glory of His majesty might be better seen.
And there’s another reason Nazareth was probably chosen.
God didn't want Jesus tied with the money and majesty that tends to impress men.
In I Corinthians 1:26-31 Paul writes: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not— to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
ILLUS: Sometime back I got a call from a Christian radio station in another state. The host of one of their call-in shows had read one of my sermons online and he liked it. He asked if I’d be interested in doing a live interview on his radio show and explain more about the sermon thoughts I’d had.
Well, yeah!
So he did a pre-show interview and he asked about my background and where I grew up and where I got my training. Then he asked me questions about the church here and then he asked how big our congregation was.
I said, “Oh, about 150 or 160”
And there was this awkward pause… and then he said “Oh.”
Why do you think he said “oh?”
That’s right, he thought he’d caught a big-un.
He’d been thinking I was a preacher at a mega-church. And when he found out that I wasn't, it was kind of a letdown for him.
But that was OK. It didn't bother me. I understood what was going on.
It would have been so much better a draw if he’d been able to tell his audience that I was a prominent preacher in a huge congregation. But I wasn't, and that couldn't be used to draw the crowd.
He was a nice guy and his surprise only lasted a couple of moments and he quickly recovered. He proved to be a very friendly and cordial host and made me feel very important. But his surprise that got me to thinking: God isn't impressed with mega-churches or mega-preachers. Not there’s anything wrong with such things, it’s just that isn't what God’s looking for. God doesn't care about the size of the congregation. He cares about the size of our faith.
God told us He wasn't looking for the wise or the influential or the noble born for His servants. Instead, He chose people like me. And like you. God looks for common people to work through.
And Jesus repeatedly drove that truth home to His disciples.
It started with His birth in a common manger in Bethlehem.
It continued with His growing up in common city named Nazareth.
He refused to become part of the important religious crowd of His day, but instead choose 12 common uneducated men for His disciples.
And ultimately with His being crucified between two common criminals.
Again, and again, and again – Jesus drove home the fact that He came for common people. People who struggled and who hurt and who didn't have all the answers. People who needed a God who knew what they’re going through… and listened to them.
That’s what “Jesus of Nazareth” was all about.
That was the message in the name.
Now… there was one last thing that occurred to me about Jesus being from Nazareth. You remember that video at the beginning of the sermon?
Did you NOTICE how many people were there in the city square? It was huge. That festival’s only been going on since 2010 and so that was the 3rd year they’d held it. And 1000s of people flocked to the city and crowded in the town square.
Do you realize that the one of the main reasons Nazareth was important enough to draw such a huge crowd… was because of Jesus? Jesus has been pretty much Nazareth’s only claim to fame. If it weren't for the fact that it was “Jesus of Nazareth” the crowds would most likely have found somewhere else to go.
Places like Bethlehem or Jerusalem or the Jordan River, or the Sea of Galilee.
But not Nazareth.
Nazareth was off the beaten path.
Nazareth was an obscure and isolated city.
Maybe a nice place to visit, or a nice place to live, but not a place that would catch your attention and reel you in.
But then Jesus came … and the city was changed forever.
Then Jesus came.
He came to live amongst people who lived obscure and isolated lives.
He touched people who others would rather not touch.
He spent His time with common people, and losers, and sinners people that righteous folks didn’t really want around.
When Jesus came… lives changed.
Because that was why Jesus came.
Jesus said “I've come to seek and to save the lost.”
And the question you need to ask yourself this morning is this:
Has Jesus come into your life?
Has Jesus come and change WHO you are… and HOW you live?
This year in Nazareth there will be another “Christmas in Nazareth” festival. They’ll light the Christmas tree. They’ll shoot off fireworks. They’ll have a frenzy of music and entertainment and a visit from Santa Claus. And they’ll draw 1000s with their bright lights and loud performances.
It will be a fun place to visit.
But unless Jesus lives in the hearts of those who come they’ll leave no different than they came.
And unless Jesus lives in your heart – you can come to church every Sunday the rest of your life and enjoy the sermons, the songs and the prayers… and you’ll leave no different than you came.
We don’t want that and so every Sunday we offer an invitation.
INVITATION.
