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."
When you use the title "Jesus of Nazareth," you are referring to both His name and His address, as you are when you use His title "Jesus of Galilee." Jesus came as a baby, so He had to be born somewhere—it was Bethlehem. Jesus was a child, so he had to grow up somewhere—it was Nazareth. He didn’t grow up in Jerusalem near the Temple, even though Jesus called the Temple “My Father's house” (John 2:16). Corrupt priests, who eventually bribed Judas to betray Jesus, might have tried to corrupt the boy Jesus if He had grown up there. Jesus grew up in a small, out-of-the-way town in Galilee. His main influences were His father and mother and the people of Nazareth. The word "Nazareth" comes from the Hebrew root Nazar, meaning “separated.” We know that Gentiles lived in the region because it was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1). But in this small town, Jesus was separated from outside influences, since the townspeople separated themselves from others. Nazareth was a perfect place for a Jewish boy to grow up and yet have a heart for all people and become “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
Lord, I praise You for perfectly guiding the childhood of Jesus so that He could become my Savior.
Jesus of Nazareth had a perfect childhood. Commit yourself to give your children or grandchildren the best possible conditions for them to grow "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
Jesus, I know You love the children of the world. Help me to fulfill Your passion by loving all children, teaching them Your truth, and leading them to salvation. Amen.
Go Deeper: Deuteronomy 6:1-15
The boyhood of Jesus prepared Him to be your Savior.
