Friday, May 28, 2021

Jesus of Nazareth

 “Is not this the carpenter [Ouch houtos estin ho tektōṉ], the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him” (Mark 6:3, cf. Matthew 13:55)! 

Jesus of Nazareth was a “tektōṉ” – this ancient word, from Homer originally meant an artisan in timber, but in our Lord’s day, also an artificer of iron and stone as well  not a trade for the meek and mild! The “Son of David,” in all probability, was like unto his namesake David:

Saul, “from his shoulders and upward,” higher than any of the children of Israel, armed David with his armour and sword but David put them off – not because they were too large but that he “had not proved them.” Choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, David engaged the giant Saul should have engaged in a dual to the death (cf. Samuel 17:38-39) !

In as much as Jesus of Nazareth the “Son of David” was “in all points tempted… yet without sin” (cf. Hebrews 4:15). He must have experienced the temptations affiliated with a large and muscular frame!

After the Holy Spirit descended as a dove upon Jesus in the Jordan, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted after forty days and nights of fasting:

“Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (Luke 4:14-15).

But then, “He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he… sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (cf. Luke 4:16-21)! 

After teaching in all the other synagogues of Galilee, He was glorified of all — Yet, in Nazareth, after hearing the prophetic word of Isaiah concerning himself, all they had to say was “Is not this Joseph’s son?”  “And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57). 

“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way” (Luke 4:28-30). 

Jesus of Nazareth “could there do no mighty [miraculous] work, “save laid his hands upon a few sick,” “because of their unbelief” (cf. Mark 6:5 & Matthew 13:58).

Therefore, passing through the midst of the unbelieving lynch mob was not a consequence of the supernatural, but rather our Lord’s stature, shear physical strength, and passion to fulfill the will of the Father “to seek and to save that which was lost” (cf. Luke 19:10)!

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