He was called a Nazarene. On the surface this means that Jesus came from the city Nazareth. That town was a sorry collection of hovels in the hill country of Galilee. The Jews despised Galilee and said, “Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” (John 7:52). Nazareth was the epitome of the region: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” asked Nathaniel (1:46). 

Nazarene was a contemptuous sobriquet by which the Jews dismissed Christ. The name expressed their loathing and valuation of Christ. On the surface the label was designed to give some cover to the name-caller so that he did not appear so evil. The name was merely a reference to Jesus’ town of origin. But behind it stood deep hatred: Jesus was worth nothing and was nothing to the Jews. He was worthy only of death. Finally, in mockery his enemies hung the epithet on his cross. Surely, the Son of man came despised and rejected of men.

He was not in fact a Nazarene in the sense of his origin. As to Jesus’ divine nature, he has no beginning and no end. He is the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, to whom belong honor and glory forever and ever. As the mediator he is first in the eternal counsel of God as the elect, the head and king of the church. In time he was begotten by the Holy Ghost in the virgin Mary, a Bethlehemite, and born in the city of David. Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of man, the Son of God, the Lion of Judah’s tribe, the Captain of Jehovah’s host, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, the Word made flesh, Wonderful, Counselor, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace.

And because he was all those things, God called Jesus a Nazarene. The prophets had said that long ago, so God said it. Man called Jesus a Nazarene to express contempt of him, but God called Jesus a Nazarene because the sinner must be dismissed. Man—all he is, all his thoughts, and everything he does—can be summarized in a single word: sinner. And the sinner is to be dismissed. Not only in time, so that he loses his place and name in the world, but also eternally in hell. When man dismisses you, he makes your life in the world difficult, but when God dismisses a man, in hatred God curses that man’s whole life, so that everything serves his destruction in hell. Man despised Jesus’ lowly appearance from the manger to the cross because man will not become nothing before God, confess his sins, and acknowledge that on account of his sins he deserves nothing in this world or in the world to come.

For such men Jesus made himself of no reputation. He became nothing in the world and went to hell in the world on the cross because that is what sin deserves. Not for his own sin, but for the sins of his people, he was called a Nazarene and became one. He became obedient unto the bitter and shameful death of the cross to accomplish his people’s salvation. Worthless to men he is, but precious to God. 

And if you have Jesus in you, partake of his salvation, and speak his word in the world, you will be labeled with many false labels. Blessed are you when men revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsely. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.