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These two prophecies deserve a little explanation. The first was that Jesus was to be despised. In Jesus’ day, being called a Nazarene was an insult. Nazareth was barely a dot on the map of Israel with a bad reputation. It was not even mentioned in the Talmud’s record of the sixty-three prominent towns and villages of Galilee, a very small area. As this was the case, it is little wonder that when Jesus announced the beginning of his ministry here in Nazareth, few took Him very seriously. Luke 4:16-30 tells how His own townsmen rejected Him, and in the gospel of John, we see one man’s reaction to Jesus’ home town: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46)
In explanation of the latter prophecy, the Israelites of this time, as well as now, believe that the term “Branch of Jessie” refers to the Messiah. The Hebrew word for branch has the same root as the name of the town of Nazareth, notzrim. Jesus being known as a Nazarene was God’s way of clearly announcing that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. For more on this subject, see Capernaum.
At that time, Nazareth was a very small village with fewer that 24 families. Today, however, Nazareth is a bustling town of 58,000 people, most of whom are Christian or Muslim. The site was originally settled in the Middle Bronze Age, and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, including around the times of the Jewish Revolt in the first century AD, the Byzantine era around 300 AD, and during the Crusader period in the 1200s AD. Throughout the whole time, Nazareth has remained an agricultural community.
The Basilica of the Annunciation commemorates the event of the announcement to Mary. Contained within are mosaics, sculptures, and other art forms depicting Mary and the Christ child, all donated by different countries.
Walk with God at Nazareth
Can you put yourselves in the shoes of Mary as she hears Gabriel's announcement to her that she will bear the Son of God? Think of what his words meant to this young Jewish woman, likely still a teenager, from a most humble town and family. Can you imagine how you would have reacted?
When Gabriel told Mary that she, a virgin, was to give birth to the Messiah, her reaction was: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." She accepted with incredible faith and simplicity.
Have you ever thought about what she might have said instead? For instance:
What will I tell my friends and relatives? No one will believe that I have not slept with some man. What will happen to my reputation?
What will I tell Joseph? He probably won't want to marry me now. In fact, he could have me stoned to death if he wants to. Gabriel, what will I tell Joseph?
And if Joseph doesn't marry me, what will I do to support this baby and myself? I will be an outcast.
Why don't you, Gabriel, tell everyone else what you have told me? Then maybe they will believe me if they hear it from you.
Wouldn't you have asked some of those questions or made some other requests of Gabriel? I'm sure I would have. But not Mary. Her immediate, unquestioning response is "be it done to me according to your words." She had an accepting heart.
Mary didn't try to see exactly how everything was going to work out before she accepted. She didn't let her imagination run wild with all the "what ifs" or "whys", as many of us tend to do. She kept it all very simple. She accepted God's will without question.
Do you keep your heart simple? Or do you waste emotions and time and effort in complicating the issues? Do you get all tied up in knots, trying to see every possibility and make sure you know every step of the way before you do anything? You may need to ask God to give you a simple, accepting heart like Mary.
-From “A Christian Working Woman” program in Dec of 2001
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