The irony of Nazareth is that the embodied favor of God stood in their presence, but they would not receive him. He who was conceived, anointed, and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, proclaimed the good news of his coming explicitly, revealing his identity.
Author Archives: John Clayton
Preaching the Word, the Word Preached
For those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual and physical realities of Isaiah’s prophecy will be reconciled. In the new heavens and earth, there will be no poverty or captivity or blindness or oppression. For we will dwell with God as his people forever…
Tempted As We Are
As we proceed from the third chapter of Genesis through the rest of the Old Testament, we see evidence of God’s sovereign preservation of individuals, such as Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then a people, Israel, chosen by God with prophetic purpose to fulfill his promise. But we also see Satan’s sinister attempts to unravel the mystery, to destroy the woman’s offspring, to thwart God’s plan.
Remember the Days of Old
nd so, we remember the days of old to see God’s work in the lives of sinners like you and me. We remember the days of old to remember that God has always been at work in and through the leaders of his church. We remember the days of old to be encouraged by the saints who have gone before us, who by God’s grace have lived lives imitating Christ to the glory of God. We remember the days of old that we too may glorify God in our lives today.
Truly God and Truly Man
We can read through Jesus’ genealogy and find encouragement and inspiration from some of the names on the list, but there is only one who saves, only one who lives in us, only one to whom we may draw near, and he is at the top of the list.
How Deep the Father’s Love
In our passage today, he comes. But he comes not with the fanfare of a king but in the humility of a man among the people, Jesus of Nazareth.
Pointing to Christ
For those who had ears to hear, John called to repentance, but for those who would not, he promised judgement. To some the seismic message of the gospel was indeed good news, evidenced by the multitude of people who were repenting of their sins and being baptized. But others were merely present, not repenting but observing, neither hearing nor believing.
The Forerunner
Living as an ascetic, John waited in the wilderness, wearing a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt and eating locusts and wild honey.[3] Filled with the Holy Spirit since his mother’s womb, he knew his purpose but awaited the Word of the Lord.
Our Father’s Business
Though born in Bethlehem, Jesus did not grow up there. Though born King of the Jews,[2] he was not raised in Jerusalem. Instead, he was raised in the region of Galilee in the tiny town of Nazareth where, Luke tells us, he “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). He had an ordinary childhood, as ordinary as a sinless child could have.[3] So unremarkable were his years in Nazareth, years later he would be remembered only for his parents and siblings.[4]
Nunc Dimittis
The child Jesus was consecrated in the temple that day, and he would grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. He would mature to manhood that as fully God and fully man, he might live life righteously, die sacrificially, and resurrect victoriously that we too, like Simeon, may say one day, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,” for we have peace with God forever through faith in Jesus Christ. And for this gift of God’s grace let us give thanks and rejoice.
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 