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Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth?

Matthew uses Old Testament scripture in his Gospel, linking the old prophecies with His account of Jesus’ life as proof that Jesus was the Messiah. It’s why Matthew 2:23 is so interesting… ‘that he would be called a Nazarene’. There’s no direct scriptural prophecy stating Jesus would come from Nazareth. So why did Matthew write this?

Many scholars believe Matthew was referring to prophecies that speak of Jesus being despised (Psalm 22:6, Isaiah 49:7, 53:3). Nazareth was a town with a poor reputation. It was a lowly and common part of Galilee with a high gentile population far from Jerusalem. It was considered less sophisticated and heavily corrupted by gentile influence. All this would have played into the general dislike the people of Israel had for this ‘nothing’ town. Nathanael famously says, ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ (John 1:46). Both Jews and gentiles would have used the term ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ contemptuously to undermine Him. Surely the Messiah would not come from such a place, would He?

From the moment Jesus was conceived we see a plan unfolding that is not what anyone expected. Jesus chose to be born in a stable not a palace. He chose to grow up in Nazareth, not Jerusalem. His humble childhood reminds us that He came for everyone, the Jews, the gentiles, the rich, the poor, the respected and the outcast. He is as comfortable in the lowliest of places as He is in the palaces of kings. This was just the beginning. He is about to turn the entire world upside down.

Written by LUCY WEIL