DAILY TEXT, From today Tuesday-July-4-2023, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Tuesday July 4

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46).

Many people rejected Jesus in the first century. To them he was nothing more than the son of a humble carpenter. Furthermore, he was from Nazareth, a city that some might have considered insignificant. Even Nathanael, who became a disciple of Jesus, at first said: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He may have been thinking of the prophecy in Micah 5:2, where the Messiah was predicted to be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. The prophet Isaiah predicted that the enemies of Jesus would not be interested “in the details of his generation”, that is, in the life of the Messiah (Is. 53: 8; note). If they had bothered to check the facts, they would have known that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was a descendant of King David (Luke 2:4-7). So the birthplace of Jesus did fit the prophecy of Micah 5:2. So, what was the problem? That, since they did not have all the data, they reached hasty conclusions. They stumbled and rejected Jesus. w21.05 2, 3 pars. 4-6.

Why do many reject Jehovah's people?

Does the same happen today? Yes. In general, Jehovah's servants come from humble beginnings. Many see us as “common and uneducated” people (Acts 4:13). They believe that we cannot teach from the Bible because we have not attended reputable theological schools. Others claim that we are an American religion, although the reality is that only about 1 in 7 Jehovah's Witnesses live in the United States. Others have been told that Witnesses do not believe in Jesus. And, over the years, we have been called "communists," "American spies," and "extremists." Those who hear these stories and do not have the facts—or do not accept them—stumble and reject Jehovah's people.

According to Acts 17:11, what should you do if you want to be sure who God's servants are today?

What will help you not to stumble? Investigate the facts well. That is what he strove to do Lucas. When he was going to write the Gospel of it, he set out to investigate "everything exactly from the beginning." He wanted his readers to have “full assurance” of the things they had heard about Jesus (Luke 1:1-4). The same can be said of the Jews of the ancient city of Berea. The first time they heard the good news about Jesus, they searched the Hebrew Scriptures to confirm that what they were told was true (read Acts 17:11). Similarly, you need to check the facts. Compare what Jehovah's Witnesses teach you with what the Bible says. You may also want to study the modern history of Jehovah's Witnesses. If we investigate well, we will not get carried away by prejudice or gossip.

What happened when Jesus refused to show a sign from heaven?

In Jesus' day, it seemed to some that his amazing way of teaching was not enough; they wanted more. They demanded that he show them “some sign from heaven” to prove that he was the Messiah (Matt. 16:1). It is possible that this was asked of him because of a misinterpretation of Daniel 7:13, 14. But for Jehovah it was not yet the time for that prophecy to be fulfilled. What Jesus was teaching should have been enough to convince them that he was the Messiah. But since he refused to give them the sign they asked for, they stumbled and rejected him (Matt. 16:4).

How did Jesus fulfill what Isaiah foretold about the Messiah?

What does the Bible say? Referring to the Messiah, Isaiah prophesied: “he will not shout or raise his voice, he will not make his voice heard in the street” (Is. 42: 1, 2). Jesus performed his ministry without drawing attention to himself. He did not set about building impressive temples, wear special religious garments, or demand that he be addressed by bombastic religious titles. While on trial, he refused to perform any miracles to impress King Herod even though his life was in danger (Luke 23:8-11). Sure, during his ministry he did some miracles, but for him the most important thing was always to preach the good news. He told his disciples, “That is why I have come” (Mark 1:38).

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