Nazareth and the Shoot of Jesse
Our Israel/Greece tour was postponed due to the coronavirus. We have postponed it to November 2-16, 2021. For each day that we would have been travelling, we will post an article about where we would have been that day. Today we would have been visiting Nazareth.
“Nazareth” is located in the northern region of Israel, situated in a valley surrounded by mountains in the Lower Galilee. There is no mention of Nazareth in the Old Testament, nor by Josephus, nor in the Talmud. However, Nazareth is mentioned in the New Testament as the hometown of Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) and his parents, Joseph and Miriam. After Yeshua was born, his family fled to Egypt for fear of Herod who sought His life. Herod died and the Bible tells us that Yeshua grew up in Nazareth: “Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. He came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’” Matthew 2:21 and 23
In Hebrew, the word “Nazareth” is “Natzeret.” Yeshua was called “Nazarene” or “Natzri” in Hebrew. The prophetic fulfillment Matthew speaks about refers to a verse in Isaiah 11:1: “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” The word “branch” is “Netzer” in Hebrew. More accurately, “Netzer” is a “young branch,” a synonym to “shoot” and it is the shoot that springs from the roots, whereas a “branch” grows from the stem or the trunk of the tree. The offspring of Jesse would contain the spiritual essence and unique nature of the house of Jesse, chosen to bring God’s Anointed One, the Messiah.
Yeshua, the Nazarene, was the humble Messiah described by the prophets. It was in the synagogue in Nazareth that He made His first public statement regarding who He was. He read Isaiah 61:1-2 and declared: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21). I’m sure that those who heard this proclamation had jaws that dropped in amazement!
However, after the initial amazement, it became clear that He was being rejected by the villagers who took offense at His teaching. Then Yeshua said, “A prophet is not accepted in his own hometown.” (Luke 4:20) Why not? Familiarity breeds contempt.
For those of us who love Jesus, familiarity can also breed ignorance. For many of us, there’s not a story about Him we haven’t heard. Our quest as followers of Yeshua is often to know more, not to grow more. Too often, we chase after information more than transformation or relationship.
Let’s try to resist the urge to think we’ve “got it” because we know it—when the goal, instead, is to live it. When we think of Jesus’ home where he grew up, we think of family. Family means relationship. Remember that when God created Adam and Eve, He did so because He wanted a family relationship with them. That is still His desire. He isn’t that impressed with head knowledge as much as He is with our relationship with Him.
During this time of uncertainty and public confinement, let us seek God more. Spend time with your Savior and seek transformation and relationship with Him.
To learn more about our November 2-16, 2021 Israel/Greece tour or April 2021 Israel/Petra, Jordan tour, please click here.