“Can Anything Good Come Out Of Nazareth?”

SERMON Title: Can Anything Good Come Out Of Nazareth?
SCRIPTURE: John 1:43-46 ESV

Introduction:
Today's Scripture comes from John 1:43-46:

"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'"

I was recently invited to a lunch with several people and Elder Yong was there. I had many conversations with Elder Yong and throughout our conversation, I found myself sharing trivia, little bits of knowledge that might seem unimportant or insignificant to others. We laughed about how I always seem to have these random nuggets of "useless" knowledge to share. I must admit that given a random time and place, these trivia bits of knowledge have useless, but I believe that everything has a time and place. I believe that there is no such thing as trivial knowledge. This curiosity for knowledge has served me well when I apply that same curiosity to God’s Word. I discovered something profound: even the smallest details, the seemingly trivial ones, have a purpose and significance in Scripture. The Bible isn’t just words on a page; it’s life itself. It’s God’s grand story, and every word has weight and meaning. And I discover the sovereign hand of God working in this world throughout human history.

Here's the first trivia that most of you probably know: the word Christmas comes from the Latin phrase Christus Missus Est, meaning Christ is sent. While we may not know the exact date of Jesus' birth, we celebrate this season to remember God’s promise fulfilled in the coming of Christ, the Savior of the world.

In today’s passage, Philip’s excitement is clear as he tells Nathanael about finding the Messiah. Yet Nathanael’s enthusiasm fades when he hears the name Nazareth. He asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" But why the skepticism? Here's some trivia for you: Nazareth wasn’t known for greatness. Historically, it was a small, insignificant agricultural village about 50 miles north of Jerusalem in Galilee. Archaeological digs have revealed no great monuments, no significant cultural landmarks, nothing to suggest that Nazareth was ever considered important by worldly standards. Some traditions say that the people of Nazareth were a rude and rough people, but if we look at people like Mary and Joseph who were good people, they can't all be that bad.

Even the Jewish leaders dismissed Nazareth. In John 7:52, they said, "Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." Ironically, they overlooked key prophets like Jonah, Hosea, and Nahum, who were also from the Galilean region. This oversight, whether intentional or accidental, reveals how deeply rooted their biases against the region were. These biases against the region didn't help Jesus' credibility with the Jewish leaders.

One of the biggest problems was that Nazareth isn't mentioned once in the Old Testament, so the mentality was that if the Messiah were to come from Nazareth, it should have been mentioned at least once in the Old Testament if it really is a place of importance. The problem with this idea is that Nazareth didn’t exist yet during the time of the Old Testament writers.

Here's some more trivia: It’s believed the town was founded between 160-140 BC during the Hasmonean dynasty. Tradition suggests that people from Bethlehem migrated north to build Nazareth, which explains why Joseph and Mary had to return to Bethlehem for the Roman census—they were of David’s lineage.

Prophecy plays a crucial role in identifying the Messiah. Isaiah 11:1 says, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." Similarly, Jeremiah 23:5 declares, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely."

Here’s where an interesting biblical detail emerges. The Hebrew word for branch is Naytzer, the same root word for Nazareth. Isn’t it amazing how God sovereignly aligned even the town’s name with prophecy? The very name Nazareth ties directly to the Messianic prophecies about the Branch. It’s as if God intentionally placed a divine clue within the very geography of Israel. Even more, Naytzer comes from Nawtzer, meaning watchman or keeper. Tradition tells us Nazareth might have been built as a watchtower against northern invaders.

This brings us to Psalm 121, a passage that beautifully reflects this theme:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore."

Think about this: the name of the town where Jesus grew up literally means Branch and carries the idea of a watchman or guardian. What better place for the Savior, the Guardian of our salvation, to grow up than a town whose very name reflects His mission? Even before His birth, God sovereignly placed His miraculous message in the very geography of Israel.

Jesus humbled Himself by coming to us—not in royalty or wealth, but in a manger in Bethlehem and growing up in an overlooked town like Nazareth. But from that place came the greatest good—the manifestation of God’s love.

So, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Yes! The greatest good, our Savior, came from Nazareth.

Perhaps you have areas in your life that feel insignificant, like a dead end. Maybe you feel like nothing good can come from your circumstances. But God has a way of bringing greatness from the most overlooked places.

This Christmas, let’s remember: Christ was sent into the world, and now we too are sent into the world. And to anyone who questions Jesus, Philip’s words still echo today: "Come and see!"