Whenever nativity is included in a name, it acts to distinguish the name to other similar names in different geographical locations. Nativity gives a more precise approach to the subject in question removing doubts of the name coincidence. From the old prophesies, it was prophesied that there would be born a messiah whose lineage will be that of Ibrahim, Isaac, Joseph, and David. To make these prophecies accurate, the prophets categorically stated that the Messiah would be born in Israel in a rural village called Nazareth.
Messianic prophecies
After a decade of spreading the prophecies, a child was born and given the name Jesus. The rumors started spreading like wildfire. The Messiah is born to save the world just as the prophets had claimed. In the midst of the residents, some didn’t know what was intriguing about a son being born. As a matter of fact, 1000 children are born every day. It proved a hard task to the foreign land residents to understand the great news that a savior has been born out of the rural and humble village.
A decade in waiting is long enough to remember a myth that none believed. People had forgotten of the old prophecies about Jesus. For the few who kept it in their hearts, they had to formulate a way to let others understand what was surprising about this newborn. They came up with the terminology ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ to make people recall the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in a humble background in Nazareth.
Jesus born in Bethlehem
Nazareth was a neighboring village to Bethlehem. Individuals wonder why Jesus was referred to Jesus of Nazareth yet he was born in Bethlehem. Supposing your parents are of American nativity, but in the time of your birth, they had gone for a short trip to London. Will you be a London or American native? The Same case applies to Jesus.
Jesus was born of betrothed Virgin Mary and Joseph who was a carpenter. Mary resided in Nazareth, and it was at Nazareth that she received the Annunciation that she will conceive a son by the powers of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, Joseph, Jesus’ father, had a carpentry shop in the town. He was known as the best carpenter Nazareth could offer. Ideologically, Nazareth was where Joseph met Mary and is also the village where they had spent much of their early life.
After nine months of pain and waiting, Mary was finally in labor pains. The long awaited Messiah was a few days to be born! Unfortunately, Herod, the incumbent and ruthless king who thought that Messiah would take over his territorial empires, gave an order that all newly born should be killed immediately. The order was executed with immediate effect and saw a thousand newly born children lose their lives. Herod never understood the spiritual nature of the Messiah but only thought of Him with a political dominance point of view. Herod was shaken as the news had spread far and wide about the savior yet he was not yet born.
After days of continued manslaughter, Mary and Joseph, led by the Holy Spirit, flew to Bethlehem as the manslaughter had been targeted to Nazarites. The journey was tough; escaping various road blocks was not a joke. After some days, the couple arrived in Bethlehem, but they had to hustle for a place to sleep since all rooms were filled. This was a difficult period to Mary. No maternity, no middle women, no medication, no rooms, and to sum it up, no peace. After a thorough search for a bed, they lacked. The only option was a manger, and the proclaimed Messiah was born there surrounded by cows that provided warmth to the newborn.
After a few months, the Herod’s manslaughter order had been executed and after thinking that they had killed the Messiah, the exercise was halted. A time came when a census had to be carried out and required individuals to be at their native locations to be counted. The exercise forced Mary and Joseph back to Nazareth together with their son, Jesus. They settled again and brought Jesus up according to the Nazarite customs and traditions.
Jesus ministry
After being of age, Jesus started his ministry. His miracles spread and good news about his healing was in everybody’s’ lips. People would ask, who is this Jesus we are hearing about? The individuals who had witnessed his deeds would respond; he is Jesus of Nazareth the prophesied Messiah. The nativity of Jesus brought an express reminder that the Messiah prophesied of being born of a Virgin is already in the saving ministry.
Salvation story
God had promised to give the world a savior, and he had promised that he would come from Ibrahim’s lineage. To make his promise more precise, He had said that the Messiah would be born from a humble background. Nazareth was a humble village north of Galilee whose residents were taken for granted and always got treated as a village out of Jerusalem’s boundaries. The notion of the Messiah being born in a humble background aroused many thoughts as the residents understood that a king is born in a palace. This meant that Nazareth would be elevated to the level of a palace.
Nazareth received a new identity by being the native land of Jesus. Jesus brought value to the name and the town at large. The residents needed to identify the village with Jesus as the name Jesus would change the perspective through which individuals viewed the village. They wanted to own the name and wanted Nazareth to spread as far as the name Jesus would spread. That is why by the mention of Jesus, you automatically connect Nazareth and say it like Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The salvation story as depicted by the Bible revolves around Israel and Jerusalem. From the beginning, God brought life to the world by placing a man in the Garden of Eden. After the sin had entered the world, a conflict arose between God and man. However, God promised to bring a reconciliation formula through Jesus who would still be born in Jerusalem in Israel. The creation and salvation story revolves around Israel and Jerusalem. Nazareth, being in Israel, makes the redemption story more nativity-based.
