Jesus of Nazareth

Recently on Facebook, I was asked, by a “friend” whom I had not seen in 40 years, if I was The Dianna Judy from Norway (South Carolina, not the Scandinavian country), who went to Hunter-Kinard High School? I was! So often, we are known by where we come from. It is often how we are remembered, and part of our personal legacy—and Jesus was no exception.

With his family, Jesus lived most of his life in Nazareth, a small town about 55 miles north of Jerusalem, in Galilee. Nazareth had a significant population of Gentiles and archaeological ruins that suggest Roman soldiers may have been stationed nearby. It was not a place held in high regard by the Jews. In the book of John, Nathanael makes that clear. When Philip tells Nathanael that he has found “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,” Nathanael replies, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:45-46 [NIV]).

Before people even met Jesus, they had preconceived ideas of who he was because of where he was from. In Isaiah 53:3 (NIV), the Old Testament prophet, says “he (Jesus) was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Perhaps people thought the Messiah would come from somewhere big and important, like Jerusalem.

Yet even demons recognized who he really was. In Luke 4:31–34, Jesus is approached by a man possessed by a demonic spirit, and when the demon comes face-to-face with Jesus, he exclaims “Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Demons feared him, this lowly servant from Nazareth. Although obviously unhappy about it, they recognized his power and authority and addressed him with both his human, worldly identity (Jesus of Nazareth) and divine nature (Son of the Holy One of God).

Jesus may have been born in humble circumstances and grown up in what was considered a small, backwater town, but his legacy is greater than anyone ever born.

Reflect

As you reflect on today’s devotional, listen to the song, “Living Hope” while you answer this question:

When have you thought wrongly about a person you just met because of their name or where they came from?