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JESUS OF NAZARETH
SHARING THE GOSPEL IN CHRISTMAS
 ...And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14. The Son of God was born in
Bethlehem, lived in Nazareth, preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of the Lord in
Judea and Samaria to Jews and Gentiles, was crucified in Jerusalem where He
resurrected, and He will return to Zion at the end of times to gather His Church
and establish the Eternal Kingdom that He preached. The Gospel in Christmas
links the announcement of the birth of the Son of God made man with his death,
since He was born to die for us, but for glory in resurrection, our salvation
and ascension back to His Heavenly Throne from where He will return. Jesus of
Nazareth would be the name by which the Lord would be known amongst the first
Christians at the beginning of the Great Commission. We can see this throughout
the book of Acts of the Apostles.
...For this cause
I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I
should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice...John
18:37. Will you hear His voice today?
Nazareth is located between two relevant mounts: Carmel to the west and Tabor to
the east. The events that happen in these two mounts have a prophetic relevance
in the meaning of the Lord's ministry, since those events are part of the
character of the Messiah. If we remember the Texts in 1Kings 18:20, Mount Carmel
is where the prophet Elijah executed the four-hundred and fifty prophets of
Baal, which is the equivalent to the fall of Babylon, the false religion and the
antichrist society when one gets to know the Lord and the Bible and comes out of all that false doctrine and tradition against the Lord. Mount Tabor is where
the victory against the canaanites takes place, led by Barak, in times of
Deborah, Judges 4. ... The north
and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
Psalm 89:12. In one of these mounts is where the Transfiguration happened; some
historians identify it in Hermon and others in Tabor.
Nazareth, in the spiritual and allegorical level includes all
of us in our life. It represents every city, town, village where there is a
person who receives the Lord along their life. Just like Jesus, the spiritual
maturity of a disciple of the Master is Nazareth. It represents the state that
we, disciples of Jesus Christ, are in whilst our growth and training has not
been completed to accomplish the ministry that the Lord has entrusted us with.
Let us remember that Jesus started His ministry after being baptized by John in
the Jordan, once He had left Nazareth, and His ministry lasted for 3.5 years
until the Cross. When we are ready to definitely serve the Lord, ready to give
up our previous life, is when we leave Nazareth.
The title of Jesus of Nazareth would be so relevant for the
Lord that it became his identification in the cause of His crucifiction, written
on the sign of the Cross of Pontius Pilate: Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex
Ivdaeorvm. The epic film "Jesus of Nazareth" by Franco Zefirelli, with Robert
Powell in the leading role, will remain in history as the film about Jesus
Christ par excellence; there are many others but this film is undoubtedly
the most excellent work about His ministry, Gospel and Christmas.
We celebrate
Christmas with special presents and meals, but what we should celebrate in
Christmas is Christ's death, just like we should do throughout the year, since
Holy Supper is what we will have with the Lord when He comes in His Kingdom, and
this is what He asked us to celebrate in His remembrance. Therefore, while the
Lord shares with us this Christmas tradition which touches the heart of so many
millions of believers in the world, let us take advantage and bring the Gospel
of the Kingdom of the Lord through the message of Christmas, in a humble way,
like He gave us the example being born in a
manger. Pray for this work of
bringing the Gospel, since whoever does not receive Jesus Christ remains under
God's wrath, and God loves us in such a way that He will spare no effort to use
His judgments to soften the heart of those who do not believe to make them
receive Christmas in their hearts, and this work often begins through preaching
to those who reject Christ - an experience which those of us who have been
evangelizing for years have seen too many times in this world that is close to
its final days. If they receive Christ, they will start a new life of blessing,
but if they reject Him, a battle for their souls begins, a battle to death,
eternal death. It is worth fighting for love for our neighbour because when
those who have rejected the Lord actually convert, there is greater joy.
Following are some helpful notes and selected Bible Texts for you to share with
your neighbour. May God Bless and anoint you sending you on the Great
Commission this Christmas.
TEXTS ABOUT JESUS OR
JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH
THE ANGEL GABRIEL
ANNOUNCES THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH TO MARY
...26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her,
“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”29
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner
of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb
and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Highest; and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and
of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1.
JESUS GROWS UP IN
NAZARETH
39 So when they had performed all things according to the
law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own
city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2.
Jesus would live in Nazareth with His official father, Joseph
of Nazareth, from whom He would learn to be a carpenter, going round the
villages in Samaria and Judea working and fixing houses and furniture.
The Carpenter is a bible
study that shows us the spiritual and symbolic virtues of this profession chosen
by the Father so that Jesus of Nazareth would learn the virtues of the wood to
work the log, the Cross of Calvary.
JESUS IS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE
JORDAN RIVER WHEN HE LEFT NAZARETH
9 It came to pass in those days that
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the
Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You
are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1.
THE PROPHECY ABOUT GALILEE: NAZARETH
OF GALILEE WHERE THE MESSIAH WOULD COME FROM.
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child
and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young
Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother,
and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was
reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And
being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a
Nazarene.” Matthew 2.
The name and the
history of Nazareth or Netzer would have the relevance that the prophecies would
grant Galilee of the Gentiles, where the Messiah was to come from. It is
absolutely essential for the Jewish people to know that the Messiah was from
Nazareth, as it is stated in the Bible prophecy. However, if we try to look for
the prophecy in the O.T. it does not exist as such and we have to go deep into
hebrew knowledge. Does this mean that Matthew is wrong? I immediately started
looking for the origin and the history of the name of Nazareth and therein was
the key. The word netzer in hebrew is the same root as Netzeret. Netzer or neser
means branch and the prophecy in Isaiah 11:1 says: ...And there shall come forth a
rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2And the
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord... and if we continue reading, we find the whole description of the Messiah
and most of the prophecy about Him. What Matthew does, whilst addresing the
Jewish people specially, is to relate to the Messiah calling Him nazarene, or
inhabitant of Netzer or coming from the branch or netzer.
As always, the Bible answers itself, therefore every time you do not understand
something, or you do not find the reply, continue studying because you will find
it. The Bible is Word of God in its original Texts, the issue is that many times
we make the questions according to our mind, the time we live in and our
knowledge, this is why we make the mistake, since the Lord is the source of holy
knowledge. Nazareth, in Jesus' times, was a small village of no relevance, which
is why Nathanael said: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip
said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46. Jews who want to look for excuses not to
receive Jesus, Yahshua, as the Messiah use this prophecy to say that He was that
branch, but with derogatory connotations and linking Him to negative characters,
therefore they have no excuse. However, the deeper they go into this, the more details they find about the election of Nazareth. Nazareth exists since year 900
b.C. and would be re-established again after the deportation to Babylon around
year 200 b.C. The Lord, in His humbleness, lived in what was possibly the most
humble village in the whole area, rejecting the riches of the world, as He would
later teach.
JESUS DECLARES
HIMSELF THE MESSIAH IN THE SYNAGOGUE IN NAZARETH
16 So He came to Nazareth, where
He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was
handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book,
He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”20
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the
eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say
to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4.
PETER'S FIRST
MIRACLE, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look
at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from
them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I
give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise
up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up,
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up,
stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising
God. Acts 3.
PAUL EXPLAINS HIS
CONVERSION TO JESUS OF NAZARETH
6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus
at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell
to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I
am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who
were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid,[a] but they did not hear the
voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the
Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all
things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the
glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came
into Damascus. Acts 22.
JESUS CHRIST
FULFILLS THE PROPHECIES OF CHRISTMAS
“Behold, the virgin shall
be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,” which is
translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 from Isaiah 7:14.
But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a
Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. Matthew 2:6 from Micah 5:2.
A voice was heard in Ramah,
lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. Matthew 2:18 from Jeremiah
31:15 about the slaughter of the martyr children of Jesus.
Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand! ... The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the
way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight. Matthew 3:2-3 from Daniel 2:44 and Isaiah 40:3.
And when eight days were
completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, which is
Yahshua. Yah is the root of the name of God, and Shua is Yah's Salvation.
Emmanuel "God with us" was Jesus Christ who was coming to the world. God's
Salvation amongst us, like the angel of the Lord had announced: Yah-Shua, Son of,
coming from Yah.Weh. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Baruj Haba BeShem Adonai.
And when the days of their
purification, according to the law of Moses, were completed, i.e.: forty days
later, they went from Bethlehem to the temple, to present their firstborn. In
the Temple they meet Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and
the Holy Spirit was upon him. And the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he
would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Anointed One. Anna, the
prophetess was also there, who spoke of the child to all those who looked for
redemption in Jerusalem. Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem, about 8 km,
therefore they could go to the Temple and back the same day.
The following event was
that the angel warned Joseph again to leave for Egypt in order to avoid Herod's
persecution, until his death. While they were in Egypt, the angel instructed
Joseph again to return, without going through Jerusalem, but returning to their
residence, Galilee, to Nazareth, because the prophecy says that the Messiah
would be in Galilee of the Gentiles, which is the land of Zabulun, next to the
land of Naphtali, and between them is Nazareth, thus He would be called a
Nazarene. The trip to Egypt fulfills another prophecy in Hosea 11:1.
This is the prophetic journey of Jesus,
Yahshua, as a child. They left Nazareth for Bethlehem, where He was born
according to the prophecy, they went to the Temple in Jerusalem, as established
in the Law, then to Egypt to preserve His life, and they returned to Nazareth
where they would live and then went back to Jerusalem to die on the Cross and
resurrect, and where He will return in Mount Zion. The prophetic journey starts
in Christmas, in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. It was all written in
the Bible, God's prophetic word.
THE
GOSPEL IN CHRISTMAS AND ALWAYS
Christmas is the start of God's work of salvation through His
Son Jesus Christ, Yahshua. Christmas is a call for the Church as a whole, and
every Christian in particular, specifically, even though every day of the year
we also carry the message of the "Glad Tidings of great joy" as the angel said, of the birth
of the Son of God and His work of eternal salvation so that everyone who
believes in Him can live in the paradise of His Eternal Kingdom. Christmas has
consolidated as the feast where we traditionally celebrate the birth of the
Lord, but additionally we must understand that Christmas is the day when Jesus
Christ, Yahshua, is born in our heart through faith, by the work of the Holy
Spirit through the love from the Father making us be born again (John 3:3) for
God's Kingdom. This is the Christmas we should try to preach every day in our
lives, asking all of those around us: Do you know the Lord? and then share the
Gospel of the Kingdom of the Lord.
The following Bible Texts summarise the work of the Lord and
its repercussion on us, which we must announce to our neighbour so that they may
also, through faith, enter the Door that gives access to the Kingdom of the
Lord. ...I am the door...Jesus of Nazareth.
...For this cause I was born,
and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice... John 18:37. Will you
hear His voice today?
...I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly... John 10:10. Yahshua, Jesus
Christ, already existed before creation because it was Him Who created the
Universe and heaven, the eternal region (Colossians 1:16-19), but He came so we
may have abundant spiritual life and eternal life when He comes.
...For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them...
Paul's letter to the Ephesians 2:8-10.
Jesus said to him, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor
knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will
not leave you orphans; I will come to you. But the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14.
...For there is one God and
one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a
ransom for all. Paul's first letter to Timothy 2:5.
Resurrection is
coming. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and
every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. Revelation
1:7.
CONCLUSION
Happy Christmas because our Lord has sent His
Son made man and has come from his eternal Kingdom to our finite world to save
us from sin and death, so we may be allowed to enter the Kingdom of the Lord for
Eternity through the faith in His work, if we receive Jesus Christ in our heart,
the child who fulfilled the prophecy: ... For unto us
a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will
be upon His shoulder. And His name will be
called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace... Isaiah 9:6.
Whoever
believes in the work of the Son of God on the Cross and lives sharing God's love
and keeps His Word will enter Paradise, the Lord's Kingdom: ... But as many
as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name ... John 1:12.
A child of God is made by faith, must be born again from the Spirit with a new
heart given by God, making us new creatures, as Jesus Christ confirms: ...
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3. Because: ...
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life ... John 3:16.
Jesus Christ came to the world because of His love for us:
... Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down
My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me,
but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This command I have received from My
Father. John 10.
It is Christmas, God loves you; this is the best gift ever.
Happy Christmas to everybody in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, who was born to
die for us resurrecting us for eternal life. Emmanuel "God with us" - Jesus
Christ - Yahshua "Yah's Salvation". Happy Christmas!
Hallelu-Yah! The Lord is coming. Maranatha!
© Carlos
Padilla, Christmas 2009
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