Mr 1:9
- Mr 1:9 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Why is the mention of Nazareth of Galilee important to the fulfillment of prophecy? The predominant belief was that the 'good work' of the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. [1] Nathaniel could not believe the Messiah could come from there. [2]
Nazareth is believed to come from the Hebrew netser נצר meaning a "shoot" or "sprout". Some believe from notserah נצר meaning "one guarding". Perhaps it comes from nazar נזר , the root for the word "Nazarite" and "crown" or "separate".
But the Greeks, interpret things backwards. Reading Nathaniel's words they presume that Nazareth had a stigma on it for some reason: Backwoods, Boondocks, Hicksville, Trailer Park territory, Home of the rednecks, Illiterate, Backwards, Behind the times, Dead end.
Mark was concerned with telling how Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Nazareth is not mentioned in the OT. Mark must have a riddle in mind.
Galilee was home to Jews and Gentiles. The name means "circuit" but also is the rod portion of a door hinge. A rod represents God's authority as a judge.
Samson
Is one of the judges who was a Nazarite. His name means "like the sun" which represents the holiness of God. The hair of the Nazarite represents his righteousness.
Consider his birth:
An angel declares to the barren woman she would conceive and bear a child [3] as a prophecy of the declaration to Mary. [4] [5]
References
- ↑ Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.
- ↑ Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
- ↑ Jud 13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
- ↑ Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- ↑ Lu 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
