Matthew 2:19-23
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
An angel appears to Joseph...
King Herod dies and the search for the Messiah and King of the Jews ends...
Joseph takes Mary and Jesus back to Israel...A new king, Archelaus was now ruling...He was a son of Herod...Archelaus would not have authority over Galilee or the town of Nazareth...
The running from King Herod in Jesus' young life would now be stopping...Jesus would live in the town of Nazareth...He would fulfill the prophet's predictions, He will be called a Nazarene...
As one of the twelve disciples, Philip said this about Nazareth..."Nazareth!, Can anything good come from there?" (John 1:46)...We often see things with our eyes and hear things that influence us...A poor side of town, a family driving the older vehicle, one wearing clothes out of style, whatever one has been influenced in thinking, as something that is negative (towards another)... Nazareth had this connotation...Nazareth was held in low esteem...
Man has and sees different prejudices...God sees things differently...Man looks at things and judges the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)... God has no bias against Nazareth or other things that cause a bias towards an individual...God is constantly looking at our hearts and seeing us, in that light...
Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, return to Nazareth and start to grow in stature and wisdom...The people (of Nazareth) could have banded together in Nazareth, and had great support for its most famous One...Instead, Jesus would be rejected in Nazareth (Luke 4:28)...
Jesus would be referenced and tied to many locations...He was born in Bethlehem...Also, He was from the district of Galilee, therefore, He is a Galilean...He also lived in the town of Nazareth, making Him a Nazarene...
Jesus was the Son of God...He was God's Messenger...He was rejected, because He stirred passions and feelings with what He said...What He teaches is sometimes hard to understand...His teachings are hard to put into deeds and actions in our lives... Man wants to control his day to day life...Man is a sinner...Man finds it difficult to give up this control, and be obedient to Jesus...Our prejudices and our control become obstacles for allowing belief to come in our lives...