“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 2:23
The writing of Matthew, the gospel writing, is particularly filled with the quotations from the Old Testament showing how the birth and life of Jesus Christ are the fulfillment of those prophecies. It seems that there are nearly twenty references to the old writings of the prophets within the first three chapters of the evangelist.
Why would that be important? Since God is the one who verbally inspired the prophets preaching and writing, then He is greatly moved to declare to us that He will fulfill every jot and tittle of Scripture.
What is especially notable of the above verse in Matthew is probably referring to Isaiah 11:1;
“…And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots…”
where the stem or something insignificant, called out. Nazareth is not even named in the Old Testament so an insignificant town. Jesus coming from Nazareth called a Nazarene, seeming so insignificant, but becoming the “Branch” of our salvation.
A reading of Isaiah 53 might bring this together a bit, especially verse two…
“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
Jesus, being called, “The Nazarene” was a distinct fulfillment of the prophets which foretell His coming, the Messiah, the Christ. His birth, His life, His death, burial, and resurrection were all foretold by the Old Testament prophecies, and came to pass just as they were written and spoken.
Believer, we can rest assured that, just as all Scripture concerning His first coming were fulfilled; then, we can trust that those concerning His return, His second coming will also be fulfilled. Are you ready?
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