This was not the expected script.<\/p>\n
The time, of course, was right. Four grand empires had been prophesied (cf. Daniel 2, 7); Babylon and Medo-Persia were long gone, the age of the Greeks was over, and Rome was now in power.<\/p>\n
He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); it was expected that He would grow up in the land of his father David with a proper pedigree. Nevertheless, the Child was born to a teenage girl in a most controversial way and was raised in Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 1-2). Nazareth represented a backwater, worthy of ridicule and disdain (John 1:46). What prophet would come from Galilee (John 7:41,52)?<\/p>\n
He did not go to school, as far as we can tell, and did not study under a notable rabbi (cf. John 7:15). His teachings, however, were amazing. For three years He went about Galilee, Judea, Samaria, and the Transjordan proclaiming “the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 4:23). It was not, however, what was expected. In this Kingdom, the first would be last, and the last first (Matthew 19:30). The humble would be exalted; the exalted would be humbled (Matthew 23:12). It would not be a place to find, and yet it would be everywhere (cf. Luke 17:20-21). His teachings directly and intentionally turned the world upside down (cf. Luke 6:20-26). Around 34 years of age He went up to Jerusalem, heralded by many as the Messiah, only to be captured, mistreated, convicted, and crucified as a common criminal, while His followers scattered (cf. Matthew 21-27, etc.). While this had been the end of the story for so many “messiahs”, this story was not yet finished. It was claimed that on the third day He rose again by the power of God and received authority from on high (Matthew 28, Philippians 2:5-10).<\/p>\n
What did this Ruler then do? He sent out His twelve disciples to promote the message of His Kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2). They and their associates traversed the known world, preaching that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified for the sins of mankind and was made both Lord and Christ by God the Father (Colossians 1:6, Acts 2:36, I Corinthians 15:1-9).<\/p>\n
Who could believe such a story? The story is so fantastic, so unexpected, and so entirely contrary to received wisdom; it could not have come from the mind of man. Paul establishes the following in I Corinthians 1:18, 21-25:<\/p>\n
For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God…For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe. Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The story might be foolishness to the world, but we can be confident that God’s folly surpasses man’s wisdom. We have every reason to believe the Good News regarding Christ Jesus, and we encourage you to consider your lives and strive to be found pleasing to Him!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Ethan R. Longhenry This was not the expected script. The time, of course, was right. Four grand empires had been prophesied (cf. Daniel 2, 7); Babylon and Medo-Persia were long gone, the age of the Greeks was over, and Rome was now in power. He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2);…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[90,73,730],"class_list":["post-56273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-god","tag-jesus","tag-wisdom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10540,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-jesus-said-to-be-of-nazareth-if-he-was-born-in-bethlehem-and-who-was-the-serpent-in-the-garden\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":0},"title":"Why is Jesus said to be of Nazareth if he was born in Bethlehem and who was the serpent in the Garden?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 23, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi! My brother-in-law asked me, \"Why was Jesus called Jesus of Nazareth if he was born in Bethlehem?\" My answer was because he was only born in Bethlehem, but he was raised in Nazareth. Was I correct? He also feels that Jesus, in the form of a snake, tempted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70539,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-nazarene\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":1},"title":"The Nazarene","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson \"Where are you from?\" is often asked when people get acquainted. Where is Jesus from? Born in Bethlehem, He lived briefly in Egypt but spent His youth in Nazareth of Galilee. That's why He is often called the Nazarene. Mary and Joseph were Nazarenes before Jesus was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46527,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-jesus-and-his-family-refugees\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":2},"title":"Were Jesus and his family refugees?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm wondering if Jesus and his family were refugees of political violence, or are these web posts lies? I've seen comparisons to the Syrian refugees on the web. A Google search brought me to your site. Did they flee Bethlehem to Nazareth to escape? What is the best answer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1579,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/had-cornelius-heard-johns-teaching-and-perhaps-was-baptized-by-john\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":3},"title":"Had Cornelius heard John’s teaching and, perhaps, was baptized by John?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Would you please help me to understand why, in Acts 10:37, KJV, Peter says, \"That word, I say, ye know.\" It sounds as if Peter is aware that Cornelius, and maybe some of the others, had already heard the word, and been baptized with John's baptism. Although they were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47293,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-danger-of-doubt\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":4},"title":"The Danger of Doubt","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Larry Rouse \"If you were to die today, do you know where you will spend eternity?\" This is a question that others have asked me and one that I have asked others. John wrote so that \"you may know that you have eternal life\" (I John 5:13). Men today\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50990,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-the-gospels-not-historical-because-they-are-theological-documents\/","url_meta":{"origin":56273,"position":5},"title":"Are the gospels not historical because they are theological documents?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello. I just saw your study on Jesus being rejected at Nazareth after teaching in the synagogue. I am currently in a graduate-level course before I start my grad studies. I've been looking at your studies for quite some time since I became Christian, and I appreciate your loyalty\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56273\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}