DISGUISED COMMONER

Jesus - His looks, His trade, and even His name were so common His abilities confused a lot of people, especially the supposed Jewish religious leaders of the day.

Concerning His appearance not matching up to their ideals of the prophesied Messiah.

  • He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. - Isa. 53:2-3

Concerning His job not aligning with their expectation of their King and Savior.

  • Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. - Mark 6:3
Concerning His Name, although it was an everyday name then, He has been the only one to live up to His name.  Examples of others who had the name of Jesus in Scripture are found in -  
  • Colossians 4:11 -  "Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings." 
  • Acts 13:6 - "They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,"
In the gospels when the name 'Jesus' is used it is generally stressing our Lord's humanity. It was a very common name and so much so, that when our Lord was referred to by that name it was often distinguished with the user adding phrases like "from Nazareth" or "the Nazarene." In Matthew 21:11 the crowd answers the question of who He was by saying, "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee," and that because there were so many others who went by that name in the region.

Paul would frequently use the simple name "Jesus" because he was so often stressing His humanity. [See 1 Thessalonians 4:14 & 11 Corinthians 4:11-14] But because of His uniqueness, Paul the Apostle would also often add the divine title with that simple name making it, "Jesus Christ" or "Lord Jesus" which testifies to the fact that Jesus is the Christ and is, in fact, God Incarnate. The unique God/man. (http://vtmbottomline.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html)

Jesus was a common name and a common man as Jesus the Son of Man. His distinguishing mark(s) came as the Son of God.  He walked on water (Matt. 14:22-33), raised the dead (John 11:1-44), fed five thousand people from five loaves of bread and two fish (Matt. 14:13-21), healed many from a variety of ailments (John 21:25), stilled the wind and raging waters (Mark 4:35-41), and had authority over demons (Matthew 8:28-34).  All of this and more before He gave His life for whosoever will believe in Him and His sacrifice for the sins of everyone past, present, and future.  Now Jesus is not so common.  Now He is "Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel. The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven, Jesus Messiah, Lord of all (Chris Tomlin)".

Although He was plain in His looks; although He had a plain job; although there were many called Yeshua in the time of Yeshua Messiah, only one ever lived up to the meaning - Savior/Salvation.  As noted earlier, He was called Jesus of Nazareth and He secured my eternity with Him in Heaven through His death and resurrection.

"...Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:5-11



Comments

  1. Well said and a very good blog in all phases. I'll be reading with interest and appreciation.

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