February 12, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ” (Matthew 4.17)

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. He went teaching in synagogues along the way. Everyone praised Him. News about Him spread through the whole countryside. He even went so far as Nazareth, where He had been brought up.” (Luke 4.14-16a)

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.” (Mark 1.14)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

I have already spoken about the only mention of Nazareth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John. It happened with the call of Nathanael to be a disciple. The invitation was extended by Philip. Philip was an extraordinary evangelist. He cannot wait to tell others about “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold. He is the son of Joseph, named Jesus of Nazareth.” (John 1.45) Nathanael’s response may have given us a clue about what he knew had happened in Nazareth concerning Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Mark do not give us any sense of such “happening” apart from Jesus living there since He was a boy. It is in the Gospel of Luke that we hear of the threat made against Jesus’ life. The threat was made because Jesus would not accommodate their desires for miracles and great works. Perhaps they desired a claim to fame saying “Jesus lived here” or “Jesus slept here” or “Jesus the Messiah was from Nazareth.” Of course, we know differently. Jesus most certainly lived there and slept there. He grew up there and apprenticed with His stepfather, Joseph. He must have returned there following His baptism waiting for the moment when the call to “fulfill all righteousness” would be realized in preaching, teaching, miracles and the deliverance of Israel from her enemies. Today’s reflection, however, is not about Luke’s Nazareth narrative; it is about John’s. What we hear from John’s remembrance is the declaration of Nathanael. It is a saying that had endured through oral tradition or just in the mind and heart of John himself for nearly seventy years. It continues to endure even now in the memory of Christ followers through the ages. For some, the question may still have meaning as it is repeated “Can anything good come from Nazareth?“

What if Nathanael had heard the rumors concerning the “happening” in Nazareth? What if he was simply talking about the city to the southwest of the Sea of Galilee? What we do know, geographically from John, is that Jesus was baptized near Bethany just north of the Dead Sea. Shortly after that, John tells the readers Jesus headed to Galilee (perhaps, by assumption, to Nazareth). What we do know is the call of Andrew, Simon Peter and Philip to follow Him as His disciples. Andrew brought Peter and Philip brought Nathanael. Since we are talking about fishermen, it is reasonable to believe that it happened near Bethsaida or Capernaum. Perhaps their call to discipleship happened on the way up the region of the Jordan River on His way back to Nazareth (again an assumption.) Following we have the story of the miracle at the wedding in Cana where Jesus and His mother (and maybe His half-siblings) along with the four disciples attended. Following that wedding event, they returned to Capernaum and stayed there for several days. The next venue was back in Jerusalem where Jesus cleared the temple courts. We do not hear that His family was with Him there. We do know that His four disciples were. It was during the season of Passover. After this, Jesus returns to where John has been doing his preaching and baptizing. It was in the region of Samaria. All of these places do not necessarily place Jesus in Nazareth. It lends itself to the thought that Nazareth was no longer a safe and welcome place for Jesus or His family. That we hear of Jesus and His family staying in Capernaum certainly raises the question of Jesus being “at home” there. His father had business in Capernaum and quite easily could have had a home along with his carpentry shop there. So, what is something we are able to learn from this?

As I reflect on the lack of mentioning Nazareth as the childhood home of Jesus within the gospel of John except in a negative connotation, it would speak to what we call today a “toxic environment.” We know of this history with Jesus and Nazareth on a certain day from the Gospel of Luke. With all that was said and done there, it is little wonder why Jesus and His family would have left town and moved to Capernaum. We do not hear of Joseph, His stepfather, in contemporary terms. It is an assumption based on critical textual information that they lived in a house known to them in Capernaum. Centuries later, Nazareth is revered as a holy site because of Mary and Jesus. Of course, it is far after the realization of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Fame makes the lens through which the past is viewed as a present reality more palpable. Such was not probably said in the early first century. By the same token, we know that Jesus often returns to Jerusalem and not just on high holy days. It is the center of transformation and change. It is the hub of Jewish history- past, present and future. The first call of Jesus to announce the gospel was to Jews whether they were in Judea, Samaria, Galilee or the desert wasteland to the east of Jordan. It was not limited to Jews only. Jesus answered the call to serve His Heavenly Father’s will where the Spirit would lead Him. This is the message for us as well. We know the quote from Matthew (13.5) “A prophet is not welcome in His own home” or “A prophet is without honor in his own country.” It was applied to Nazareth, but it was realized in Jerusalem. The question is not about rejection. Rather, the question is how will we respond to it. Will we go off quietly or will we remain firmly committed to our ministry as it has been given to us. If we are mighty ones of God and followers of Christ, then the answer is clear. We remain committed to the ministry as it has been given to us. We follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. I believe this is the reason why John focused so much on the spirituality of Jesus. He was not responding to the Gnostic Judaism or to the cultural gnosticism of the late first century as much as he was putting his faith in the Holy Spirit. During the hours following the “Last Supper,” Jesus speaks to the disciples in detailed application about the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was not just an empowering call nor an anointing for an office of service. It was the very breath which fueled the heart, mind, body and soul of the believer. Hear Nathanael’s question again, “What good can come from Nazareth?” Indeed, the good that came from Nazareth was Jesus the Christ whose life was lived under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It would be a life lived in conflict with the status quo and conventional wisdom. It would be a life lived in authentic righteousness so that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.