THE TRUTH THAT REMAINED CONCEALED

 

Herod died and Joseph thought it safe for him to return from Egypt to Judea. That would not be the case, as is written: 

But when he (Joseph) heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Mat 2:22)

 That Jesus shall be called a Nazarene is not in the canon of the Bible. Therefore, it may be in any of the lost writings of the sayings of the prophets, some of which are mentioned in the Bible. The exact word from the textus receptus is that Jesus would be “kaleo” a “nazoraios” — “proclaimed” a “Nazarite” which is “one separated” (Strong 1890).

But what if it is in the canon of the Bible? Where might it be found? 

²⁰ …The priest shall wave them (the Nazirite) as a wave offering before the Lord; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’ ²¹ “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.” (Num 6:20-21)

 Jesus was separated! From whom? The Judaeans. He was taken to Nazareth to keep Him apart from Archelaus, and perhaps to grow into manhood for His safety.

Herod Antipas had been “king designate” in the original will of Herod the Great, but just a short time before his death, Herod had designated his younger son, Archelaus as king. He appealed to Caesar to settle the inheritance and Archelaus was appointed king, or ethnarch of Judea proper. He was “king of the Jews” because Caesar declared him worthy.

Archelaus was king of the Jews from 4 B.C. to 6 A.D., then he was banished because the Jews abhorred him, so Caesar deposed him. Why is that so important? Calculate the age of Jesus > 6 B.C. to 6 A.D. He was twelve years old and by Jewish Law had become an adult.

The next we hear of Jesus is at twelve years old teaching wisdom in the Temple. Joseph and Mary found Jesus leading the teaching of the adults. He was accepted as an adult. He implored of Joseph and Mary, “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49). “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:51).

So, there we have it; Jesus was set apart from His infancy in Egypt to his maturity in Nazareth. The “Offering” had been set apart for the time when there was no king of the Jews. At twelve years old, Jesus was accepted as King of the Jews and the absence of Archelaus made Him “king designate” until Caesar would declare Him worthy.

Did “Caesar” ever do that? Well, in the absence of Octavian and Caligua on the island of Capri, and set apart from Rome, Pontius Pilate as prelate was the de facto “Caesar.” When Pilate said, “I find no fault in this Man,” (Luke 23:4), as acting “Caesar,” Pilate was declaring Jesus “worthy,” and washed his hands. As such, Pilate confirmed Jesus as King of kings (Caesar) and Lord of lords (God — the true “Pontificus Maximus”).

The priest would make unto a Nazirite, a wave offering and a heave offering. Do that right now. What did you just sketch? A wave was horizontal, and a heave was vertical; it describes the Cross. The Cross was what made Jesus the worthy sacrifice because He was both the wave offering on it and the heave offering.

The wave offering was for when an Israelite entered the land that God gave them (Lev 23:9). Jesus left Nazareth and came to Jerusalem in Judea. That was His own wave offering — Himself. The wave offering was to be a sheave of grain. Jesus was the “Bread of Life” that was set apart for the wave offering.

The heave offering comes from terumah — “lift up” and was to be offered after eating of the bread of the land (Exod 29:27). The breast was required to be sanctified, or set apart, to be heaved as a sacrifice to the Lord (Num 15:18-19).

Indeed, Jesus was a Nazarene (Christian) because the youth was set apart as the wave and heave offering. He was a Nazarite, not because he resided in Nazareth before coming to the city of Jerusalem, but because the Old Testament (Num 6:20-21) designated Him the perfect and pure offering. Jesus was set apart from two-years old until He was mature at twelve and was ready to be King of the Jews and the ultimate Sacrifice that would make Him worthy under the Law of Caesar.

Never gloss over scripture because those words are “THE WORD OF GOD.”

Jesus was a Nazarene, not because of a brief stay in Nazareth but because therein, the “Father’s business” was to separate Jesus from those who would harm Him until the sacrifice was ready. That He was ready to be King at the exact same time that Caesar deposed Archelaus was no accident.

Herod the Great, according to Josephus, had been king for three years before Caesar declared him worthy. For Jesus, He was King of the Jews but was declared worthy 21 years later by the decree of the acting Caesar. Pilate had written a sign and posted it above the head of Jesus. That did not satisfy the provocateurs: 

²⁰ Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. ²¹ Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:20-22)

 Pilate as prelate — the substitute “Caesar” — thought Jesus was worthy of the title, and thus Jesus was officially, by Roman Law, made “King of the Jews.” They killed their own king before He could make laws. He had made one Law, however, that must be obeyed, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10).

There was little love in Jerusalem that day. All had broken the Law but a few: perhaps the apostles, perhaps the repentant thief, His mother and the other Mary, the centurion who pierced Him, and perhaps both Pilate and his wife. They did not harm and therefore fulfilled the Law. All the others broke the Law of God!

Now you know why Jesus was called a “Nazarene” and where it was written.

(picture credit: Pinterest)