THE RETURN TO NAZARETH

Flight to Egypt by Giotto di Bondone, 1302-03

 (Sometime Later After 4 BC)

Matthew 2:19-23 and Luke 2:39b; 1:80; 2:40

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.”

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus [Herod Archelaus, 23 BC – Circa 18 AD. Ruled 4 BC – 6AD] did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go toward that place: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside.

There is as usual some historic debate over the rule by Herod Archelaus. He is said to have ruled from 4 BC through 6 AD. There are historians who say he ruled for a period while his father Herod the Great was still alive. There is also support for the idea that Herod the Great did not die until 1 BC, rather than in 4 BC. Herod the Great had two of his son murdered, and he may have planned the same fate for Archelaus, but something changed this ending. At any rate, Herod the Great had named his son Herod Antipas, from wife number four, Malthace, to succeed him. He then executed another son, Antipater III from his wife Doris in 4 BC and changed his will again, naming Herod Archelaus to the kingship. It is quite possible that Herod the Great gave over rule in the final days of his terrible illness to Archelaus before he actually died.  Herod Archelaus had a reign filled with constant turmoil and riot.

Herod the Great had Judas and Matthias, two teachers, along with their students burned alive for removing Roman Eagles from the Temple entrance as idols. This resulted in Archelaus facing angry mobs demanding rehabilitation of the teachers’ reputations. He had three thousand of these Jews executed during Passover.

Archelaus then went to Rome to have himself crowned king and while there men, a robber named Judas, a slave named Simon and a shepherd named Athronges led a number of riots. These three men may have been presenting themselves as the Messiah. Remember, the Jews were expecting the Messiah around this time and there were a number of people who made claim on the title before Jesus. Archelaus’ own army was unable to successfully quell these uprising and Rome had to step in and Two thousand people were crucified as a result.

Archelaus’ was so unpopular that he accomplished some unity between the Jews and the Samaritans who jointly petitioned Rome for his being de-throned. Augustus acceded to this in 6 AD and Herod Antipas was made the King.  Archelaus ended up banished to Gaul and died sometime before 18 AD.

No wonder Joseph hesitated to return to Bethlehem from Egypt. He was once again warned in a dream not to go there, but to take the family to Nazareth in Galilee.

They returned into the parts of Galilee and he came to and dwelled in their own city, a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene”.

Note this states “the prophets”, not “a specific prophet”. What is being said is that various prophets predicted Jesus would be despised or considered common. A Nazarene was a person looked down on, a prejudice of the time. Look to Nathanael’s question in John 1:46 (NIV): “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?) But don’t look for the quote in any particular prophet. However, keep in mind the Gospel writers, as well as the religious scholars of that day did have interpretations about the Scriptures (Old Testament books) and this reference could be to such prophetic passages as Isaiah 4:2: In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. (NIV)

The name Nazareth can be translated as Town of the Branch. Jesus as the Son of God was the Branch of God.  (Do not confuse Nazarene with Nazirite, who was someone that had taken a special vow to God, such as Samson.)

It is not clear how long Jesus was kept in Egypt, but he is described as a young child here. “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.”

JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

JJOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci, 1513-16

Judea spring of 26 A.D.

Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:1-6, Luke 3:1-6 and John 1:6-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar [Tiberius Claudius Nero born November 16, 42 BC – Died March 16, 37 AD, age 77], Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, [AD 26-36 Died AD39], Herod [Antipas] being tetrarch of Galilee [BC 4-AD 39 Died AD39], and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, [BC 4-AD 34 Died AD34], and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene [AD 29 – see Note 1]. Annas [AD 6-15, President Sanhedrin AD15-66] and [Joseph, son of Annas, see note 2]and Caiaphas [AD18-37] being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Note 1.  An inscription was found on a temple from the time of Tiberius (the Roman emperor from 14 - 37 AD), which named Lysanias as the Tetrarch of Abila near Damascus, just as Luke has written.

The temple inscription reads:

Huper tes ton kurion Se[baston] soterias kai tou sum[pantos] auton oikou, Numphaios Ae[tou] Lusianiou tetrarchou apele[utheors] ten odon ktisas k.t.l

Translation:

"For the salvation of the August lords and of all their household, Nymphaeus, freedman of Eagle Lysanias tetrarch established this street and other things."

The reference to August lords is a joint title given only to the emperor Tiberius (son of Augustus) and his mother Livia (widow of Augustus). This reference establishes the date of the inscription to between A.D. 14 and 29. The year 14 was the year of Tiberius' accession and the year 29 was the year of Livia's death.

Therefore the 15th year of Tiberius is the year 29 A.D., and it lies within the reign of the August lords. This evidence supports Luke's reference that Lysanias was a tetrarch around the time of John the Baptist (29 A.D.).

Note 2.  Annas, who’s name means "The grace of Jehovah" was the son of Seth and appointed high priest of the Jews in 6 A.D in his 37th year. He was high priest from 6 to 15 A.D. but as long as he lived he was the virtual head of the priestly party in Jerusalem. He was chosen to the high priesthood by Quirinius, the imperial governor of Syria; obliged to give way to Ismael by Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judaea, in the beginning of Tiberius' reign, 14 A.D. Eleazar, the son of Annas, followed Ismael; then Simon; then Joseph Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas (John 18:13).

In the time of Christ high priests were appointed and removed at the command of the Roman governors. Although removed from office, Annas' power and influence was so great that five of his sons, as well as his son-in-law Caiaphas and his grandson Matthias, also became high priests. Years afterward he lost the high priesthood, but even then he was popularly considered as still in office and was called "high priest"; even after Pentecost his name appears first in the list of priestly leaders:

Acts 4:5-7 "And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. " 

In John 18:19, 22 the high priest is undoubtedly Annas, although in vs. 13 and 24 Caiaphas is mentioned as the high priest. Annas is referred to in connection with the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry, which took place "in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas" (Luke 3:2 ), as though father and son-in-law were joint holders of the office.

It seems clear that due to his ability and force of character he was virtually high priest, although Caiaphas had the title. When Jesus was arrested, He was first brought before Annas (John 18:13). It was apparently Annas who questioned Him about His disciples and His teaching, and who gave orders to one of the officers standing by to strike Jesus with his hand (18:19-22). After the questioning, he sent Jesus "bound" to Caiaphas.

John 18:19-24 "The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest." 

He was undoubtedly the ruling voice in the council that condemned Jesus, although nothing is said about his part in the proceedings that followed the preliminary questioning. He was present at the meeting of the Sanhedrin before which Peter and John defended themselves for preaching the Gospel of the Resurrection (Acts 4:6).

Annas is called "high priest," Caiaphas, John, and Alexander are called "of his kindred." He lived to old age, and he had five sons appointed as high priests.

Source: http://www.bible-history.com/HighPriests/NTHIGHPRIESTSAnnas.htm

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], saying, as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, as it is written in the prophets, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her 
that her hard service has been completed, 
that her sin has been paid for, 
that she has received from the LORD's hand 
double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare 
the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, 
and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 40: 1-5 (NIV)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 And John was clothed with his raiment of camel's hair, and with a leather girdle of a skin about his loins; and his meat he did eat locusts and wild honey.

And then there went out to him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem and all the whole Judean countryside, and all the region round about Jordan, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

IMPRISONING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

St. John the Baptist in the Prison by Juan Fernández de Navarrete, 1565-70

Machaerus in the Autumn of 27 A.D.

(Matthew 14:3-5, Mark 6:17-20 and Luke 3:19-20)

But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him [John the Baptist] for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, for Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife for he had married her.

This gets very convoluted. The Herod being spoken of here was Herod Antipas. He was the son of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias, was the daughter of Herod Antipas’ stepbrother, Aristobulus. To even further complicate the matter, Herodias had been married to Philip (or Herod-Philip), who was another stepbrother of Herod Antipas and who was the father of Salome. To even add more to this alphabet soup, Herod the Great had yet another son, by Cleopatra, named Heroal-Philip, who was the husband of Salome. Whew! (Source: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1915)

Whatever the actual tangle of links in this mess of a family, John the Baptist had been taking Herod to task for marrying Herodias and committing adultery. This didn’t sit well with Herodias and she nagged Herod into having John arrested.

Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison for John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.”

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him but she could not for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

Herodias wanted to go even further and have John executed, but Herod still believed John was a holy man and feared doing anything to him. When Herod finally reached the place where he would have agreed to kill John, he hesitated now because he was afraid what the people might do. 

In the meantime, John languished in prison.

This is rather in conflict with the portrayal of John’s imprisonment in “The History Channel

Series The Bible,” where John is depicted being slapped around by Herod and his prison guards. 

The Scripture tells us Herod actually visited John and listened to him. Herodias, however, would have John killed; yet Herod was not willing to do this. Although Herod Antipas ruled over Judea and Perea, he was not really of Jewish heritage. He was aware of Jewish tradition and beliefs and may have been curious, just as others were whether John was the Messiah. He was certainly curious about John and wanted to learn more. We will see this same type of curiosity and interest shown in the future when Jesus is arrested and brought before him.

At any rate, Herod resisted his wife’s will to have John killed and it took an act of opportunity on Herodias’ part to trick him into the act.