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.”

THE BOY JESUS AT THE TEMPLE

The Boy Jesus in Temple by Adriaen van der Werff, date unknown

(Jerusalem 8 A.D.)

Luke 1:; 2:40-52

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

We see again the dutifulness of Joseph and Mary. Their going to Jerusalem yearly for Passover is not akin to us going yearly to Easter service. As the crow flies, it is approximately 65 miles between Nazareth and Jerusalem. Today we would hop in the car, get on an interstate and be from one to the other in around an hour. We’d probably grumble about having to make that drive every year just to go to church with our parents on Easter. But in those times the journey wasn’t on a superhighway and the distance wasn’t straight. The distance would be more like ninety miles given you probably wouldn’t take the direct route through Samaria. Plus you didn’t have cars, trains and airplanes. You had to walk or ride a donkey or be pulled in a cart by some beast of burden.

It was a production and a hassle. You had to be dedicated to do it every Passover.

Some people find it strange that Joseph and Mary traveled a day before they realized they had left their son behind in the city. There is nothing odd about it. Passover was a giant festival in Jerusalem. It was crowded, confusing, and Joseph and Mary had obviously traveled with a large contingent of Pilgrims from Galilee. Their band was made up of family, friends and others they probably didn’t know, all traveling together for security on the journey. It is easy to believe your child is with someone else in such situations. Perhaps they last saw him with his Aunt or with a group of his friends and assumed he came along with them.

When our children were young, we use to take them to a place called Sesame Place. It was an amusement park aimed at children, more like a giant playground than a Disneyland, built on the themes of Sesame Street on TV. It was jammed with people. My wide had went ahead of me at one point and when we met up again our oldest daughter, then around eight years old, was missing. We had each though she was with the other. Obviously we panicked and went searching for her. Fortunately we located her quickly.

But Joseph and Mary didn’t find him quickly. Can you imagine the panic they must have felt? This was no amusement park. There was no security personal to contact, no public announcing systems to ask people to be on the look out for a lost child. They had no choice but to retrace their steps, a whole day’s worth, and then search for him in the big city. It took them three days, three long days.

And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amaze, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing.”

And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Wist [Knew] you not that I must be about my Father's business?”

And they understood not the saying that he spoke to them.

They found him in the temple amid the learned men. He was twelve years old. Now think somewhat, but not totally in terms of the Bar Mitzvah, which recognizes a Jewish boy’s passage from childhood to manhood on his thirteenth birthday. The ceremonial aspects of the Bar Mitzvah did not develop fully until the Middle Ages. However, much of the distinction of childhood to adulthood was in place by the First century. In the Ages of Man by Samuel ha’Katan (written circa 100 AD) it basically places the end of age 13, rather than it’s beginning, as the time of the commandments.  Many early Midrashs (interpretations) of the Torah and Talmud in the Mishna (circa 200 AD) further define 13 as the age of responsibility and bestow certain rights and duties of adulthood on the person along the lines of the Bar Mitzvah: reading from the Torah (Pentateuch- first five books of the Bible) and be part of the Minyan (a quorum of men required to be present for the practice of certain religious obligations), accountability under the Law of Moses, own property and marry. At this age the parents no longer are responsible or punishable for the child’s sin.

There are some who look at Jesus’ behavior here and wonder if this was a sin. Did he dishonor his parents? Was he irresponsible? No, because he was a child and this was done in innocence, not disobedience. He wasn’t running away from home, he was eager to learn “his Father’s business”. If there was sin involved it was on the part of Joseph and Mary for not keeping better account of their child. Note he went home and “was subject to them”. Like any child, he learned from this instance and his parents were probably a bit more diligent as well. Should we assume Jesus, as a child was different from other children in normal development? He probably got his good clothes dirty, probably came home late to dinner, probably whined about doing his chores occasionally. These lapses and maturing of childhood are not sin. What Jesus probably didn’t do as a child is steal, cheat, and lie or bully others, those types of things.

Notice, too, after this incident, he “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Not long after this instance he reached the age of accountability and he put away childish things.

(We tend to be amazed at Jesus being where he was, too, but not for the reason his parents and the doctors were. They were amazed at his knowledge. We are amazed at some little sixth grade kid being there and not told to go away or asked where are your folks. Remember, though, he was a bit more than a year from being acceptable taking part in such activity. We also have to remember marriage among teenagers in those days was fairly common. Some scholars believe Mary was only around 13 when Gabriel appeared to her. Boys of very young age were often accepted as men in that society.

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

I want to go back to Jesus conversation with his parents when they found him in the temple.

“Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing.”

And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Wist [Knew] you not that I must be about my Father's business?”

And they understood not the saying that he spoke to them.

We can see how upset they were, “sorrowing”. If you didn’t know where you child was for three days you would be sorrowing too. You might think he or she was gone forever from your life.

He asks, “Why? Didn’t you know I have to be about my father’s business?”

I think we simply see the mind of a child here, anxious to grow up. It is interesting that several years later, at a wedding in Cana, Jesus says to Mary, “Why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” At 12, he acted with the impulsion of a child; afterward, he waited on the will of God. Where here he questions his parents why he should not be doing his Father’s business, at Cana he explains it is not time yet, but he honors his mother by providing wine.

One wonders how much Mary and Joseph knew. They obviously knew Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, but did they understand his role as the Christ anymore than other Jews of the time? Mary pondered the things that happened at his birth, she and Joseph don’t quite understand what he is talking about at the temple and later we find passages that support the idea Mary did not yet understand this was a First Coming and what its end purpose was to be.

And the child [John the Baptist] grew, and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.

And the child [Jesus] grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.