Who is this carpenter from Nazareth, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Juda and Simon?

Jesus Christ is the man who was rejected by the people in his own hometown of Nazareth in Israel's Galillee district, where he had been brought up.

He was born in a manger in Bethlehem, Israel as many people know through the Christmas story. He lived in Egypt, Africa as an infant, but as the much-loved and much-hated superstar among men, He came to be known as Jesus of Nazareth.

Christ's kinsfolk, His earthly family after the flesh, still lived in Nazareth: a day's journey from Capernaum. The Israel-occupying Roman Empire ruled Galilee, through their local governor named Herod 3?

On one occassion, when Christ returned to Nazareth, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. Someone gave Him the Book of Isaiah. He read from chapter 61 verses 1 and 2:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." (Luke 4:18)

He then said that the prophesy had now been fulfilled through Himself. He was mocked to scorn, laughed at and chased away.

People said:

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

On the day when the police officers sent by the Jewish chief priests and Pharisees swarmed on the disciples and the deity in thickness of night, the officers had lanters, torches and Judas Iscariot the betrayor disciple with them, to arrest Christ Jesus, as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He, knowing all things that should come upon Him, stepped up to the officers and asked them, "Who are you looking for?

They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. (John 18:5)

"I'm Jesus. Let my disciples go on their way," Christ told them. That's because it was prophesied that Jesus would lose no one placed under His care, including the elect of God, aka Christians and Messianic Jews.

When Jesus said, "Let my disciples go," before the officers could do anything, then Peter pulled a sword out and cut off the high priest's servant's ear, a man name Malchus.

Jesus reprimanded Peter and told him to put away the sword. Then Jesus healed Malchus' ear.

This was the last miracle Christ performed before He laid down His life and allowed Himself to be crucified, first being whipped to a bloody pulp by the Roman Empire's soldiers under Pontius Pilate.

After dying on the cross of crucifixion, He arose from the dead after three days - like He said He would.

After the resurrection, He showed Himself alive to over 500 people. He commissioned His 11 remaining disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world

So here we are today. From the tiny hamlet of Nazareth to no one in the world not having heard of the name Jesus.

There is power in the name. Demons believe and tremble at the very though of Christ Jesus.

There is power in the name.

Almighty God! That is who the carpenter from Nazareth is.

Long live the Gospel of Jesus Christ!