The Nazarene

"Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:46 ESV)

As Matthew closes his nativity story, he ends with a perplexing statement: And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23).

Often puzzling to Bible readers, these words can be found nowhere in the Bible. You can search high and low, Old Testament, and New, and you will not find these words. How, then, would living in Nazareth fulfill prophecy? If you have noticed, Matthew sees the fulfillment of prophecy in two ways. First, literally, as in the prophet Micah and Jesus' place of birth. Secondly, fulfillment through patterns, such as the exodus from Egypt and Jesus' ministry.

Sinclair reminds us that the Jewish people loved to play on words and puns. It is possible Matthew was playing on the word “netser,” which means branch. We see this word in the prophetic words of Isaiah 11:1-2, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch (netser) from his roots shall bear fruit.  And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” Jesus came from the stump of the family line of Jesse, father of King David. He was the one whom the prophets foretold. Jesus was the Netser-One.

Yet there is another possibility. John’s gospel records the better-than-thou attitude of Nathaniel, who said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Some places have a bad reputation, such as Harlem in New York, Parts of Baltimore, Maryland, and others. They have a reputation for poverty, addiction, and crime. Labeling someone a Nazarene gave them a bad reputation from the start.

Was Matthew trying to trick into a search for these words in the Bible? Maybe he was reminding us the Messiah would not come from the ruling class, nor palaces, or power and wealth. In other words, he was like those he came to save but without the burden of sin.

Matthews’ story carries a consistent watermark on its pages: Jesus, born King, would become the Messiah crucified on Golgatha. The cross was the destiny of the newborn king. The Christmas story was headed right to the cross from the beginning. Therefore, as Sinclair noted and so aptly named his book, Christmas is the dawn of redeeming grace. 

Matthew’s Gospel ends with the Christ about to ascend to the Father, telling his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19). Matthew knew it was impossible for the Apostles to go to every country and nation, but his gospel could, and so he wrote it.

As we reflect on Matthew’s Gospel and the great journey, we cannot help but see the difficult journey that lies ahead for everyone. There is no greater important journey than the search for Christ. There is no greater fellowship than to bow before Immanuel. There is no other Savior than the Nazarene, the Galilean, our King. Our worship is the only gift he desires. What better gift than to give our sincere devotion and worship to our Lord ourselves?

Thank you, Sinclair Ferguson, for a beautifully stirring and thought-provoking Advent devotional. Thank you, my brothers and sisters, for sharing in his writings and the writings of God through His chosen prophets. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may God's peace and grace descend and remain upon you.

Sinclair Ferguson, The Dawn of Redeeming Grace”, The Goodbook Company, 2021.