CHAPTER TWO
The emergence of the Anointed One
When you think about it, the story of what happened in the first century, AD, is amazing. The man who was Mary and Joseph’s first born son named Joshua in Hebrew and Jesus in Greek, considered to be a bastard child because his mother was pregnant before she and Joseph “came together,” turned out to be the long awaited Messiah, promised actually from the fall in the garden of Eden, and then all through the Hebrew Scriptures! All of the elite men in Judaism had calculated the times, and were looking for the anointed one. All the time He was right before their eyes, doing all of the things the prophets had said He would do. They saw the miracles with their own eyes, yet could not bring themselves to accept this man from Galilee to be the anointed one of God!
John:_7:41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
John:_7:52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
It was this un-acceptance or unbelief that kept the people in Nazareth from experiencing the many miracles that other believing cities and towns did from Jesus’ ministry.
Matthew: 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Matthew: 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Matthew: 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Matthew: 13:57 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: 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Here is what I see in this picture. God in His infinite mercy, grace and wisdom maneuvered events to protect His Son. First from King Herod, two years after Jesus was born, while they were living in Bethlehem, (did Joseph keep his family there to avoid the gossip of the people in Nazareth?), The Kings of the East came and gave great gifts which Joseph and Mary used to supply their needs while they lived in Egypt, waiting for King Herod to die. Yet on their return, the angel of the lord denied their wish to go back to Bethlehem, and redirected them back to Nazareth, where Joseph knew the gossip would start up again. In retrospect, we see this plan as a great “cover” for Jesus. He was quite safe until his time to begin His ministry was to come into being.
God is so amazing! He has everything planned from the beginning of our lives to the end. He knows what the people of this fallen world are going to do before they do it, and He puts up barriers to stop them, then moves us so what was planned to harm us, actually protects and promotes us. When will we learn to just trust Him and instead of complaining? Rejoice always!
Another point of interest is that his friends could not, and did not believe Him to be the Messiah, Why? Because that would mean they were to dull of understanding to recognize Him earlier in their friendship. I am sure you have seen the same thing happen to someone you knew ,who one day after receiving Christ as Savior. and Lord of his or her life, did a 180 turn and became a new person, just like the Scripture said they would.
2 Corinthians: 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Pride kept them from humbling themselves and becoming like children so they could receive the good things God had stored up for them. Unfortunately, we make the same mistake sometimes! God forgive us!
Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Here is the crux of the matter.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God did the hard part, that which only He could do, then gave what He did, which was bringing mankind back into a personal relationship with Him, to all mankind. What must you and I do? All we must do to receive this free gift is submit to His Lordship and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.. Period. Pretty simple, isn’t it? Just don’t add any junk!