14. The return to Nazareth
– Matthew 2:19-23
Matthew 2:22-23 “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.”
Isaiah 11:1-3 “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.”
Following Herod’s death, the land was divided among his three sons. Achelaus reigned over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea where he murdered 3,000 influential leaders. Joseph had initially intended to go to Judea but he knew that Achelaus was a cruel man. By living in Nazareth instead of Judea, Joseph kept his family safe. Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee and Perea. Nazareth is located on the southern edge of Galilee near great trading crossroads. Nazareth was looked down upon by the Jews. The Roman army was located there and the people were known for having poor morals. According to the Jews, Jesus was brought up on one of the worst towns. Even in a place full of people with terrible reputations and attitudes, Jesus remained pure and holy. Jesus’ very humble upbringings created great controversy and broke many social barriers. Sometimes we make the excuse that if only we had better surroundings, then we would have a better attitude. We allow our surroundings to control us. If we are in a good place, then we praise God. How terrible would it have been if Jesus took this mentality? He could have easily been influenced by the people of Nazareth. He could have turned away from God for putting him in such a bad place. Yet, he remained true to his character and praised God through it all. When your surroundings are less than ideal, remember to praise God and remain true to yourself. Officially, there is no account in the Old Testament that prophesizes Jesus coming from Nazareth. Scholars theorize that Matthew is either referencing Isaiah or speaking about prophets not recorded in the Bible. The Hebrew word for Nazarene is similar to branch. Isaiah prophesizes that the royal line of David will be chopped down to a stump and from the new stump will be the Messiah. He will be greater than the original tree and bear much fruit. Either way, Matthew’s statement helps to suggest that Jesus was the coming Messiah who grew up in Nazareth.
