Matthew 2.23 23 …and came and lived in a city called
Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall
be called a Nazarene.” (NASB)
There is some discussion among scholars (aren’t we glad
we have smart people who’ve made it their life’s work to study the Scripture
and figure all this stuff out?) that Matthew was referring not so much to Jesus’
locale: the town of Nazareth, as he
was to the fact that in Isaiah, Messiah is referred to as neser: the Branch.
It’s not so much that Jesus lived in Nazareth, although
there was much argument about that later in the Lord’s life. What was important
was Jesus’ heritage: He came from the family of David (very important) and His
life fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 11.1: Then
a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will
bear fruit. What was important to these folks was the restoration of the
throne of David – their hero.
Human heroes are necessary, and we hear and know of their
lives and their contributions to our lives. Heroes are those who selflessly give
of themselves in a way that benefits others. There are municipal and military
heroes. There are heroes in our neighborhoods and in our schools. There are
heroes at work and heroes at play. But human heroes, despite what they
accomplish, are fallen people just like you and me. They have the same bouts
with sin as everybody else.
But heroes like David, despite their sin, are a far
better option in our eyes because of what they do for us in making us feel like
we’re on the winning team. In human terms it’s always about performance and
position. There aren’t too many who
esteem the title of being a perfect ass… And Israel wanted desperately to
be back on the winning team when their enemies weren’t so up close and
personal; when their nation wasn’t under Roman occupation. Israel longed for
the return of their Hero: David. So it was important to them that their coming
Hero be from David’s lineage: the shoot from the root of David. And Matthew may
have called Jesus just that: the neser
(branch) from the family tree of Jesse, the father of King David.
But Jesus lived in Nazareth: a Roman military town (and I’m
assuming all the frills that come with that: bars, prostitution, pawn-shops,
and used chariot lots.) And the locals trying to make a go of it in that
environment. Nazareth was the last place any Israelite worth his salt would
look for a Messiah; Nazarene’s were scummy Roman sympathizers, bar owners,
pimps, used car salesmen. But that’s where Jesus lived and grew up. And when it
came time for His credentials to be examined by the religious mucky-mucks, they
wrote Him off as a fraud for no prophet can come from Galilee (John 7.52).
Advent is the time to look for the unlikely. Jesus was
the Messiah and from an unlikely place and He wasn’t the kind of Branch the
Jews were looking for: a Davidic conquering Hero. Christmas is a time to seek
heroes, but not your garden-variety type; no, real Heroes like Jesus Christ. To call someone a Nazarene in Jesus
day was an insult. The Christ of Christmas is to many today an Insult: how can
anything good come out of those antiquated stories about some Baby in a
stinking manger!? Come onnnn!!!
The thing about Heroes: they don’t wear badges that read
HERO. Jesus lived the life of a Hero but unlike men, He lived a life without
sin and promised that freedom from sin would come from believing in Him. King
David’s Son, was a Nazarene (despised) and He lived in Nazareth (despised) and
He made claims about Himself that caused a lot of criticism (despised) but He
is the Greatest Gift to mankind throughout history and to the one who accepts
Him for Who He was and what He said He was…
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