As you continue in your Bible reading, I hope you are paying close attention to the geography that is being given. These are real places that we could go to today!

Last class, we saw that Capernaum was where the Lord took up a residence. It also was a place where He did a lot of preaching and miracles. In addition to Capernaum, Jesus also spent a lot of time in Nazareth.  This town is closely associated with Jesus in the gospels.

Facts about Nazareth

  • It sits 80 miles north of Bethlehem. It is 15 miles from the western shore of Galilee. It is 60 miles from the city of Jerusalem. Since it sits on a mountaintop, from it, you can see Megiddo and Mount Carmel.
  • It is never mentioned in the Old Testament.
  • It was considered insignificant in the time of Jesus (John 1:46). Nathaniel was aware of Nazareth’s bad reputation.
  • Nazareth has over 75,000 people today. Unlike in the time of Jesus, today, it is the largest city of the northern district of Israel.
  • The majority of people are either Jewish or Muslim.
  • There are some Catholics.
  • The only Church of Christ in Israel is in Nazareth.
  • Because of its size today, few archaeological discoveries have been made in Nazareth over the past few decades.
  • The Lord was raised in Nazareth here (Matthew 2:19-23). He took up carpentry here (Mark 6:3). He lived with a big family here (Mark 6:3). He had brothers and sisters.
  • From here, He came to John to be baptized in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9).
  • The demons He casts out knew He was from here (Mark 1:23-24).
  • Jesus was rejected twice in Nazareth. The first time Jesus was rejected in Nazareth took place in Luke 4:14-30. After revealing their hard hearts and talking about God’s past blessings on the Gentiles, the people of Nazareth tried to throw Him off a cliff! We can read about the second occurrence in Mark 6:1-6.

Lessons from Nazareth

  • Getting mad at the truth doesn’t change it. Instead of rejecting it, we need to believe and obey it (John 8:32).
  • Jesus does not force people to serve Him (Joshua 24:15). This has been the will of God since the beginning.
  • God’s will can never be changed! It was not the will of God that Jesus die at that time, and in this way!

Conclusion:

The Lord is not just Jesus of Nazareth. He is also Jesus, the Son of God!