Day 4- Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King

 Jesus of Nazareth is a title used in the gospels somewhat derisively at first. In Mark 1: a unclean spirit cries from an possessed man. It is interesting that even an unclean spirit had to declare him as holy.

   "Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God."

     Nazareth was not an important town in Jesus' day. To be from this small, unimportant place gives a sense that he did not come to earth to be honored. He was simple and his birth was simple. His earthly parents, though having royal ancestry, were of no importance in Israel.  Nathanael, a friend of disciple Philip remarked, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" 

It was foretold by Isaiah that a great light would be seen by people who walk in darkness in the land of Zebulun. That land of Zebulun in the time when Jesus lived was Nazareth.

" The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Isaiah 9:2

In the end, Pilate would write the words "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS as a title on his cross. It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin so anyone could read it and understand. Pilate meant to demean him but he answered to this title when in John 18:5 authorities came looking for him.

"Jesus said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he." 

Jesus of Nazareth,

Savior, and King.

Triumphant over death, life thou didst bring.

              

There are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series.