I do a lot of reading in the course of a week: books, articles, blogs, news posts, magazines, etc. The reason I point this out is to cite some credibility in what I’m about to say – there is a lot of bad information produced on a daily basis in this world about Jesus. Sadly this bad information is not just coming from the skeptic crowd (atheists, agnostics, etc.); there are a number of religious (supposedly Christian) sources to which you can turn to find denials of Jesus’ very nature and affirmations of worldly concepts. Much of this information is beginning to really take hold in social opinion about who Jesus was and is thus we are constantly in need of providing a true Biblical and historical perspective of who Jesus is. With that in mind I preached this sermon several months ago…
Title: What Good Came From Nazareth?
Text: John 1:43-46
Main Point: Have you ever been prematurely critical of someone based on what is nothing more than arbitrary facts about their lives? Such is not only a great atrocity in view of God’s law of judgment (Matthew 7:1ff), but it is a violation of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). There was a time, though, when even Jesus was discriminated against unjustly because of his town of origin (John 1:43-46). Nazareth was not necessarily an extraordinarily wicked location, but was an obscure place and not even mentioned in the Old Testament. But this was the dwelling place of the Messiah, thus the question should be asked, “What good came from Nazareth?”
Discussion Points:
- Out Came a Good Teacher – If one were to poll any number of individuals and ask who in their lives made the most profound impact upon them, one of the most prominent answers would be someone of a teaching influence. We stake a lot of value in those willing to impart knowledge and wisdom in our lives. Jesus served in a number of roles, but one of His most prominent was as a teacher. Shortly after His baptism Jesus immediately began to teach (Matthew 4:17). From that point on His life was in a constant state of teaching activity. He was even known and addressed as a teacher (John 3:2). Jesus’ instructive ability is generally recognized the world over, even among those without any faith in His divine nature. But why? Because of the manner by which He taught and the subject matter (Matthew 7:28-29; James 1:25). Out of Nazareth Jesus came as a good teacher.
- Out Came a Good Savior – The Old Testament repeatedly mentions a Messiah to come who would serve as the sacrificial offering for mankind’s sins (Isaiah 53:7; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1). The requirement of such a sacrifice would be totally pure blood – blood unlike any ever shed before (Hebrews 10:1-4,9-10). Jesus serves as a Savior unlike any other because there is no other – He is the only chance we have. In that role He serves as a good Savior, completely sufficient for the task at hand.
- Out Came a Good Friend – What are the terms upon which we base true friendship? The world’s standards are many and varied, few of which have anything to do with true friendship. Solomon, though, speaks of a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). We all have friends of different degrees and at different levels but there is one Friend that stands heads and shoulders above all others – Jesus (John 15:12-14). Jesus is our Friend because of His loyalty and love, showing Himself friendly to the world. There is no better friend we could have than Jesus, our best Friend.
These are obviously very general points regarding Jesus’ identity. To dig much deeper would demand a series of lessons in either a sermon or Bible class setting. However, I believe they dispel many of the lies that are being told about Jesus. Let’s do all we can as true disciples to tell people the truth about the Christ.