Stations in the life of Jesus: (2) Nazareth - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

When they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
Luke 2:39.

Stations in the life of Jesus: (2) Nazareth
Nazareth is a town with some 75,000 inhabitants. It is estimated that in biblical times only 200 to 500 people lived there amid the hills to the west of the Lake of Genessaret.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary brought a sacrifice for Him in Jerusalem, then returned to their home town of Nazareth. There Jesus grew up with His half brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55; Luke 2:22-24:51).

In Nazareth Jesus was known as the "son of the carpenter". It is assumed that He practised that trade, until, at the age of about 30, He began His public ministry.

Religious people in Israel did not expect anything positive from the province of Galilee, especially an insignificant place like Nazareth. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" asked Nathanael, the pious Israelite, hearing of Jesus' origin (John 1:46). Moreover, the people of Nazareth also rejected Jesus, when He preached in their synagogue. They were "filled with wrath, thrust him out of the city and led him to the brow of the hill to throw him down over the cliff" (Luke 4:28.29). Jesus of Nazareth encountered a full measure of contempt and rejection and later the hatred of the Jewish high priests and scribes, who saw their influence threatened by the travelling preacher from Nazareth.

Until today Jesus of Nazareth has been rejected by those who will not admit their guilt before God and imagine they can get by without Jesus as their Saviour. But for those who believe on Him and follow Him, He is the way to God the Father (John 14:6).

(to be continued on Thursday)

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 2:10-18 · 2 Timothy 1:1-8