Jesus Of Nazareth
| Title: | Jesus Of Nazareth |
|---|---|
| Bible Book: | Luke 4 : 16-30 |
| Author: | Franklin L. Kirksey |
| Subject: | Jesus |
| Objective: | The greatest question in history is related to the true nature of Jesus of Nazareth. A number of books have been written in the last few years claiming to reveal the “historical Jesus,” or, the “real Jesus.” Dr. Franklin Kirksey shares a message revealing the “biblical Jesus.” Indeed, this is the historical and real Jesus of Nazareth! |
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Introduction
Richard Whately (1787-1863), a renowned English logician and theologian wrote a pamphlet titled “Historic Doubts Relative to Napoleon Buonaparte” available online from http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18087 .
“Whately’s text represents a masterful feat in the art of casting doubt on something that almost everybody considers as an indubitable fact.
Whately’s argumentation is similar to the reasoning of present-day Holocaust deniers. The analogy is compelling, considering that Napoleon was still alive on St. Helena when the pamphlet was written in 1819, and that today many first-hand witnesses of the Holocaust still live in the midst of our societies. . . .Richard Whately had a different axe to grind than refuting Napoleon’s existence. But he did a jolly good job of demonstrating Napoleon’s non-existence nevertheless. . . .
Whately’s purpose was hardly to prove the non-existence of Napoleon Bonaparte. His pamphlet is rather an argument of sorts in a theological debate that was going on in England at the time. David Hume’s (1711-1776) philosophical skepticism had carried over to theology and in the early 1800’s a book, Historic Doubts Relative to Jesus of Nazareth, was published, featuring a ‘refutation’ of the historical existence of Jesus. Richard Whately’s intention with his ‘proof’ of the non-existence of Napoleon’ was simply to demonstrate the absurdity of skeptical argumentation in absurdum.” 1
By the way Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) stated, “I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”2
I. His Rearing In Nazareth (Luke 2:52)
We have little biblical record of the rearing of Jesus, in fact, Bible scholars refer to this time in our Lord’s earthly life as “the silent years in Nazareth”. Extra-biblical materials known as “apocryphal writings”, state that as a child Jesus made clay pigeons to fly, but according to the account of John chapter 2, His first miracle took place at the wedding in nearby Cana of Galilee. However, we read in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom (mentally) and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and men (socially).” Nazareth was the hometown of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. His Return To Nazareth (Luke 4:16a)
John Howard Payne (1791-1852) penned these words set to music in 1923, “Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” Thomas Clayton Wolfe (1900-1938) wrote a novel published posthumously in 1940, titled You Can’t Go Home Again.
Dr. R. E. O. [Reginald Ernest Oscar] White (1914- ), former principal of Baptist Theological College, Glasgow, Scotland, explains, “FLATTERY and threats are equally perilous to the conscientious preacher. At Nazareth Jesus met both. True, it was His hometown, and a prophet in his own country expects suspicion and envy.”3
Luke writes, “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. . .” (Luke 4:16a)
Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem and taken to live in Egypt until the death of Herod, Mary and Joseph reared Him in Nazareth.
Dr. Thomas Goodwin (1600-1679) states, “God had only one Son and He made Him a minister.” Jesus began His earthly ministry at the age of 30, but throughout His earthly life, Jesus was aware of His heavenly mission. For example, we find Him in the Temple at the age of twelve asking, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)
About 19 years later, Jesus stands up in the synagogue on the Sabbath day to read the Scriptures from Isaiah 61:1,2a.
Although Jesus likely began His ministry a year earlier, here we see the introduction to His earthly ministry and His heavenly mission. Dr. R. E. O. White refers to this passage as the “Nazareth Manifesto”.4
A. His Primary Message (Luke 4:21)
Dr. A. B. [Alexander Balmain] Bruce (1831-1899) refers to this passage as “Luke’s ‘frontispiece’ to all our Lord’s preaching.” Dr. Bruce explains, “The frontispiece in a book is often taken from an advanced page, from which certain words are quoted to illustrate the picture, the number of the page from which the quotation is made being added for the guidance of the reader.”
Dr. A. B. Bruce further explains, "It is a worthy frontispiece, in respect both of the grace and of the universality of the Gospel. In the first place, the text of Christ's discourse was a most gracious one; none more so could have been found within the range of Old Testament prophecy. It was made more gracious than in the original, by the omission of the reference to the day of vengeance, and by the addition of a clause to make the account of Messiah's blessed work as many-sided and complete as possible. Its graciousness was further enhanced by the lifting up of the whole ministry of Messiah from the political to the spiritual plane. The mission of the anointed one in the view of the prophet was to deliver Israel from Babylonish exile, and so inaugurate a new year of jubilee, bringing freedom to the captive, and vengeance on the head of the oppressor. The announcement of such deliverance was a veritable gospel, albeit a political one, good tidings, indeed, to the meek, from a most gracious covenant God mindful of His people in their downtrodden estate. But there is a worse bondage than that of Babylon, and a higher liberty than that which releases from an outward yoke. Christ had these in view when he quoted the prophetic oracle.
That is not indeed expressly indicated. The words as given are susceptible of either reference. But there are times when old words receive new and higher meanings, and there are times when old meanings demand new words. Such a time was that of Jesus. He came to fill old phrases with a deeper, wider sense, to make the oppressor signify not Rome but sin, and captivity enslavement by evil desires and habits; to make poverty mean more than the lack of outward goods, and a broken heart more than merely worldly disappointment. The new era which came in with Christ brought along with it two great changes in human thought. It proclaimed the importance of the individual man as a moral subject, and it placed happiness and misery within, not without; in the heart, not in outward possessions or position.” 5
Dr. Alexander Whyte (1836-1921) shares, “How I wish that we had His sermon as well as His text! What would I know give to be able to read His own sermon on this text to you to-night?” Dr. Whyte recalls, “Shorthand had been invented by Cicero just the century before. . .” 6
We read in Luke 4:16b-21, “He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. 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 has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Notice that after Jesus reads the text He unquestionably declares these things are written about Me.
It was C. S. [Clive Staples] Lewis (1898-1963) who shared what is called “The Jesus Trilemma”, where he states that Jesus Christ is either “Lord, Liar, or Lunatic.”
Also note that Jesus abruptly stops reading half way through Isaiah 61:2, emphasizing the principle of the year of Jubilee.
B. His Pristine Morals (Luke 4:16, 18-19)
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the term “pristine” as “belonging to the earliest period or state : original : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure : fresh and clean as or as if new”.7
General William Booth (1829-1912), the founder of the Salvation Army, said: "I consider that the chief dangers which will confront the twentieth century will be:
Religion without the Holy Spirit
Christianity without Christ,
Forgiveness without regeneration
Morality without God and
Heaven without hell."—Sawdust Trail
To attempt to have morality without God is the most dangerous thing in the world! It is devilish, deceptive and deadly. The Pharisees attempted to have “morality without God”. The apostle Paul, a former Pharisee, warns in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was” (2 Timothy 3:1-9).
We read in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me. . . because He has anointed Me. . . He has sent Me.”
C. His Princely Manner (Luke 4:22)
In Luke 4:22 we read, “So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
The people of Nazareth marveled at His princely manner. There was what we might call “the Nazareth Syndrome” also known as “Nobody has any faith in the hometown kid.” As we read in Mark 6:3-6, “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?’ So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.’ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”
III. His Response From Nazareth (Luke 4:22, 28-30)
A. Their Initial Response—Amazement
“So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22)
In John 1:43-51 we read, “The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’
And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
B. Their Final Response—Anger
Jesus continues His message as we read in Luke 4:23-27, “He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’” Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
“So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.”
John writes of Jesus in John 1:10-13, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Dr. Henry A. Ironside (1876-1951) shares the following in Charge That To My Account, “ I remember some years ago when that mighty man of God, Henry Varley (1835-1912) [a close personal friend of D. L. Moody], was in California having meetings in a large church. One night he said to me, ‘I want you to come downstairs with me; they are going to have a church meeting, and they have some applications for membership. I would like to get a line on them, see how careful they are about receiving people, for this will help me to know how to preach.’
The first man stood to his feet, and said something like this: ‘My friends, you all know me; my father and mother have been members of this church for years. I have often felt I should join the church, and so I made up my mind that if you would accept me, I would like to feel that I am a member of the church of my parents.’
A gentleman spoke up, and said, ‘May I ask the young man a question?’ and the minister said, ‘Well, if it is a proper one, you may.’
‘I would like to ask if you have ever been born again.’ The minister jumped to his feet and said, ‘I object; I do not want our brother to attempt to answer that question. That is downright impertinence; that matter is entirely between the individual and his God.’
And so they voted him in; but I remember that my Bible said, ‘Not of blood.’
The second young man stood to his feet, and spoke somewhat as follows: ‘Well, friends, you know me. I haven’t always been what I ought to be but last New Year I made up my mind to turn over a new leaf, and try to do better. I think it would help me to join the church, and so I have applied for membership.’ And they voted him in.
My friend had found it did not pay to ask questions, so did not try it again. I remembered then that my Bible said, ‘Nor of the will of the flesh.’
The third young man arose, and with choice English accent said, ‘You know, my friends, I haven’t been in the habit of attending a church of this nomenclature. Over in England I attended the state church. When I was a little child, I was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury. But since coming to America, I have enjoyed coming down here, and thought I would like to join with you.’ So they voted him in.
But I remembered again that my Bible said, ‘Nor of the will of man.’
There were three of them. One of them thought he was a Christian because his parents were, the second because he had turned over a new leaf, and the third because he had been baptized by a great church dignitary.
There was one other man sitting there, older than these others, and I could see the marks which sin had left upon his brow. When he was introduced, he spoke with great fervency: ‘My friends, I do not need to say very much; you know my story. My dear wife and children have been members with you here for a number of years. You know what a life I have led; I have been a drunkard, a poor sinner; I alienated my wife and children from me so that they had to leave me. I was going down, down, down in my sins, and it seemed there was no power to stop me. About six months ago, I made up my mind there was no help for me, and started down Market Street toward the water front, intending to jump in and end it all; but as I got to Seventh and Market, the Salvation Army were having an open air meeting. I went over and they were singing of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.’
Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’
‘I listened.’ They sang it over and over, until they sang the words right into my soul, and I said: ‘I wonder if it is true if there is hope for a sinner like me’; and then I listened to one and another tell how they too had been lost in sin, and Jesus had saved them, and when someone invited any poor sinner to come and kneel with them at the old drum, I threw myself down, and cried, ‘O God, if there is hope for a sinner like me, save me tonight.’ Something happened that night; I trusted Christ; He took me in, He make me a new creature; I was born of God; and all has been different ever since; we have a happy home now’ – and then he burst into tears. Well they voted him in, but I could not help but wonder why he wanted to get into an ice-box like that.
There you have three ways by which you cannot become a child of God, and there is the way and the only way, by which you can become a child of God. This getting converted is a divine thing; it is a divine work—something that the Spirit of God does for the poor sinner who comes to Christ.”8
IV. Conclusion
According to a Wikipedia article, “Jesus of Nazareth, . . . also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the incarnation of God. Islam considers Jesus a prophet, and he is an important figure in several other religions.”9
Jesus Christ is not merely a son of God, He is the Son of God, “the only begotten Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16,18; 10:36,38; 14:8-11; 1 John 4:9)! Jesus Christ is uniquely fully God and fully man.
We read in 1 Timothy 2:3b and following about “God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1Timothy 2:3b-6a).
From John 19:17-22 we read, “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus Of Nazareth, The King Of The Jews. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
The central figure of history is Jesus of Nazareth!
If you do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord you can pray a prayer like this: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner, in thought, in word and in deed. I am a sinner by nature and a sinner by choice. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin and that he rose from the grave on the third day. I ask Jesus to take over my life and to be my Savior, my Lord, and my King. Thank you for giving me the forgiveness of my sin and everlasting life. Amen.
1. Available from: http://everything2.com/node/1770890 Accessed: 12/12/08
2. Available from: http://www.why-jesus.com/history.htm Accessed: 12/12/08
3. Reginald E. O. White, The Stranger of Galilee (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960), p. 52
4. Reginald E. O. White, The Stranger of Galilee (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960), p. 52
5. Alexander Balmain Bruce, D.D., The Galilean Gospel (New York: Macmillan & Co., 1882), pp.30-33 Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=PdQTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=luke's+frontispiece+bruce&source=web&ots=pjUyeoF6eS&sig=uv0U2-amoVoQY-rNh_4dBzGneOg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA1,M1 Accessed: 12/12/08
6. Alexander Whyte, The Walk, Conversation and Character of Jesus Christ our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1975), p. 116 [Reproduced from the edition issued in Edinburgh in 1905 ISBN: 0-8010-9568-9]
7. Available from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine Accessed: 12/14/08
8. H. A. Ironside, Charge That To My Account (Chicago: Moody Press, 1931), pp. 93-96
9. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus Accessed: 12/12/08
By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor
First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527
Author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice
http://www.webspawner.com/users/franklinlkirksey
Available on Amazon.com and WORDsearchbible.com
fkirksey@bellsouth.net (251) 626-6210 /
©December 14, 2008 All Rights Reserved
