“Can anything good come from Nazareth? Asked Nathaniel, “Come and see”, said Philip. (John 1:46)
Nathaniel had asked this question after he had been given an authentic eye witness report about Jesus by Philip. Philip told Nathaniel, “ we have found the One Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.” Giving testimony about Christ is what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do when Jesus comes into our hearts. Because we are saved by the free grace of God, the Christian is to witness for Jesus wherever he goes and to everyone he meets. Evangelism is an on going activity.
Immediately after salvation, changes in the Christian`s life that take place are obvious. The joy of salvation leads us to rejoice in being with our Savior and to share the gospel with those who are still outside of God. Philip followed Christ’s example by freely giving his own gospel encounter to Nathaniel and inviting him to see for himself Jesus of Nazareth.. Perhaps Nathaniel had some misconceptions about the town of Nazareth. Did he have a preconceived idea about it? We are not sure. But the geographical location is not what matters the most. Whether we live in a town or in a countryside, what we do need is Jesus the Nazarene.
Nazareth is situated on the southern range of Lower Galilee, about ten miles from the plain of Esdraelon. Since Nazareth is located in a basin, you cannot see the surrounding countryside. But the moment you climb to the edge of this basin….what a view you have! (Unger`s Bible Dictionary, page 857)
The Son of God raised Nazareth to a higher level, not only because he lived there, but also, because of what He declared about Himself. For example, according to Paul`s testimony before the people, Jesus was revealed under the title of “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.” Acts 22:8.
If today we testify about the Savior to someone, we need to be able to prove that Jesus is the Messiah that is promised in the Old Testament. No one sees Jesus in His physical form, so His example should be seen in us. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He exhorted us to shine for Him. Let`s look in Matthew 5:16 to see what He said: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
