19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child
and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's
life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to
the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea
in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a
dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 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)
It's interesting to see how much name-calling goes on in the Advent accounts. The Child is called Immanuel, Jesus, Almighty God, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Star, Branch, numerous others names, and... a Nazarene. As we see this last term picked up in the Gospels, it is not always a flattering adjective. Worse yet is the backstory behind it: Baby Jesus was not safe in Bethlehem of Judea. He was not a Nazarene by choice. But being one was important to His life and ministry. It was a name He willingly took on Himself, and He had a heart for Nazareth, even though they did not seem to have one for Him. But then, neither did His nation or this world. Take the time, read the names, consider what they say about Jesus, the greatness of His character, and the depths of His love for us.
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