To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to spend 30 days in the Christmas story. I kept trying to change the name when I first knew that I was going to start this, but the Holy Spirit kept prompting me to stick with the original title He gave me. I had to trust that He would lead me through it all. And here we are on day 30 with one small section of scripture to discuss.
“When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ‘Get up!’ the angel said. ‘Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.’ So, Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and His mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So, the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’” Matthew 2:19-23 (NLT)
So, Herod dies, and the angel tells Joseph to head back home to Israel. It’s possible that Joseph thought to move to Jerusalem, which you’d think would be a good place for the Messiah to grow up and be educated. The temple, the religious leaders, and the priests were there. Once Joseph entered Israel, he heard of the new ruler and probably how cruel and wicked he was, like his father.
If you remember, Nazareth is the same village God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:26. I can imagine Joseph and Mary excited that they are able to come back to Israel, their home. They could have made their plans to go to Jerusalem, get Jesus in with one of the top Rabbis, and build their life there, waiting for Jesus to rule and reign one day. But once they get closer, they hear about Herod’s son. Suddenly, their plans could be taking Jesus right back into danger. God is not going to let them go too long without direction. I’m sure they were praying and asking for His help all along. Joseph has a dream warning him that his fears are well-founded. Did God tell Joseph in his dream to go to Nazareth, or did He just say not to go to Jerusalem, and then Joseph and Mary decided to go back to their hometown where family and friends would surely help them build a good life until Jesus’ time came? Whether God specifically told them to go or directed their hearts, their settling in Nazareth was God’s plan all along.
The village of Nazareth wasn’t just another little village. Charles Spurgeon says, “There is always some city or village or another whose inhabitants seem to be the butt of every joke and the object of scorn. The people of such places are thought to be low, uncultured, and not very smart. That is the kind of place Nazareth was.” Why would God the Father have Jesus grow up in this despised town? Was it just the beginning of the fulfillment of these words?
“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” Isaiah 53:3
“When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on Him.” Luke 2:39-40 (NLT)
We’ve come to the end of our exploration but are far from the end of all that could be examined and learned from this amazing Christmas story. I hope that, like myself, you’ve seen something new and grown in a deeper understanding of the message of Christ’s birth.
The overall truth is that the Word of God is living and offers new and amazing insights every time we take the time to read it and dig deeper for what He wants to show us. I encourage you to continue to explore God’s Word for yourself.
Merry Christmas!
Debbie's Perspective 
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