View from Nazareth today
Mt Tabor
Valley of Jezreel
Mark 6:1-6
He went away from there and came to His hometown, and His Disciples followed Him.
And on the Sabbath
He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty works done by His Hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.
4 And Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
5 And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His Hands on a few sick people and Healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief.
And He went about among the villages teaching.
The Scriptures are bold.
There is no spin, no propaganda. Jesus has trouble going to do good works among the people who knew Him as a child, teen and adult. We understand in Scriptures, in Nazareth, Jesus is seen to be from a good, loving family. And not exactly blending in. Scriptures boldly say Nazareth isn't a ray of sunlight to the Living Grace upon Grace of the Ministry of Jesus Christ.
And like Zacchaeaus
In Luke 19, in the Sycamore tree, the Son of God, it matters more what He Sees. Not watchful, watchtower, Nazareth.
Nazareth saw Mary betrothed and unmarried, pregnant
Mary heading off to Bethlehem with the son of David, Joseph. Nazareth knew Mary and Joseph then went to the Temple to present their son and off to live in Egypt. Of course, they knew. Gabriel and Zachariah and Elizabeth would have been such a wonder. Shepherds know Shepherds. Tribe marries Tribe. Temple wonders discussed from rural Priest Zachariah to rural Priest Nazareth.
Nazareth,
Joseph returned with Mary and Jesus, eventually, to live in Nazareth. God saw something in Nazareth. We cannot in faith believe God chose Mary and Joseph, but the surroundings were something He just tossed in. Planned by God. Nazareth.
John jumps in right away.
Nazareth. Surely, what could come of Nazareth, Nathanael asks, laughing. And John makes the comment eternal. Jesus takes the moment and Nazareth is included, very well. In fact, so well, Acts records The Christ of God has a brand new title, "Jesus Christ of Nazareth."
Nazareth stands above the prophetic teachings of Jesus when He mentions, Bethsaida, Chorazin and His Beloved Capernaum. Not bad for the people who decided to Throw Jesus Christ Over and into the Abyss. He merely walked away. We are left to decide how He would do this Sign. No Sign was Given in explanation. Interesting. Jesus always is. Our Jesus.
Paul Harvey would have something to say, About the Rest of the Story.
We learn about Jesus' biological family, traveling Husbands and Wives to explain their Jesus and His Salvation. And then we have vivid, accurate, believed and true, well written, known and quoted Bishop of Caesarea, Eusebius, (b. 260 AD, d. May 30, 339 AD, age 74 to 79. The average age of death 30 years in this era.) So many famous men quoted Eusebius, his writings are well known, when his papyrus of his own isn't found. Eusebius explains the extreme and horrible torture sent by Emperor Diocletian, to send his little nephew, future Constantine I, to torture the nephews of Jesus and their families to renounce Jesus as false. And what occurs In Nazareth? Where the family of Jesus chose to live after traveling the world. The descendants of Jesus chose death instead of dishonor. Jesus Christ was upheld.
John's 1st Chapter, reveals Nazareth has warmth. Even when Jesus jests with Nathanael.
Just as the grave under the Vatican has the 62-year-old Peter, crucified upside down, the bones show Peter was cut by the ankles off the cross. Buried in the foreigner's graveyard, where pilgrims would put a huge Rock stone to cover Peter's grave. Jesus's Rock.
Jesus in Caesarea:
We find Nazareth saw the birth of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ. In extreme sacrifice. Jesus told of the Church in Roman Caesarea. The future Bishop of Caesarea would report the circumstances of Constantine's reason to proclaim Jesus Christ Alive and Christianity miraculously arrived. Jesus alive and knowing The Father. Eusebius was a boy when he saw Constantine. On the road with his soldiers. Marching by. Turned out to be marching from Rome to Nazareth.
An amazing cloud of witnesses. Recorded for us. The Bible in our hands is a miracle of God.
An Amazing Cloud of Witnesses
What does the Dead Sea Scroll tell us of Jesus?
The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them
These miracles are told scattered here and there through Isaiah. Matthew, Disciple of Jesus, tells us they are pulled together and displayed clearly. A cataclysm of miracles. Seen with extreme power of God Himself.
The Essenes received visitors. And the Essenes wrote analysis of Bible accounts
and their own understanding.
In the Essenes writings is The Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521), has a list of miracles very similar to Luke 7:21–22, even though it was written approximately 150 years before Luke’s Gospel. And Matthew's.
How are such mighty works done by His Hands?
The city of Nazareth asked a question. And the persistence of Jesus is an important aspect of our Jesus and His Gospels. This is a defining question today regarding the Life of Jesus. Jesus had options. John 12 records the Jewish Dispersion in Greece wanted Jesus to escape Herod and come with them to Greece. Jesus declined, even, to meet them. Jesus asked in the Garden of Gethsemane to allow God to change His Plans. And Jesus bowed to His Father's Will. Jesus knew He could call 12 Legions of Angels. More than the 1.5 stationed in Judea and Syria of the Roman garrisoned army.
How are such mighty works done by His Hands?
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said,
“With man it is impossible, but not with God.
For all things
are possible
with God."
Matthew 17:20
“Truly I tell you,
if you have faith
as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain,
'Move from here to there,'
and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing
you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Proverbs 3:13
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding
1 Corinthians 4:20
For the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk
but in power.
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy
and empty deceit, according to human tradition,
according to the elemental spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ.
Romans 12:9,10
Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil;
hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Abba, Father,
Abba,
In Your Word today,
the House of Jesus Christ
takes a beating in Nazareth.
The winds of mankind in Nazareth
are blowing fiercely.
Today, Texas faces Hurricane Beryl.
The Gulf Coast of Texas.
As much as mankind studies,
we do not tame the wind.
Mankind doesn't even do
perfectly to predict the wind.
We ask of You
in the Name of Jesus Christ
for Your Mercy
and Protection.
We pray from Your Word:
Psalm 57
Be merciful to us, O God, be merciful to us,
for in You
my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of Your Wings
I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God
Who fulfills His Purpose for me.
Dwell in us, please, Father.
Dwell in those we Love.
Help us to seek You first.
In Jesus Christ, we will finish well.
To see
to bring
to be
more daily
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
on earth
as in Heaven
In Jesus Christ is
Our Love, Joy and Hope.
Bless those working for
Post Pandemic Healing
and
Care
with Faith, Hope and
LOVE.
Thank You for Jesus.
To You, our Father, be the Glory
Our God is an Awesome God!
Amen and Alleluia
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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