On the Footsteps of Jesus in Nazareth (Israel – My Life’s Adventure)

Norina lives and studies in Jerusalem since September 2023. In her contributions to the series ‘Israel – My Life’s Adventure’, she invites you to share in the diverse experiences and challenging thoughts of this remarkable time. On a trip to the Galilee in May 2024 with her parents, she visited the Christian Village Nazareth, which gives an insight into the way of life of people at the time of Jesus. During the tour the Bible seemed to come to life before their eyes.

Travelling 2.000 years back into the past

The contrast could not be greater: narrow, labyrinthine streets crammed with cars winding up and down the hill, a mosaic of different houses that show no sign of urban planning, garbage on every street corner – and then this small farm. It is an archaeologically accurate reconstruction of the way of life 2,000 years ago. Nazareth Village is located directly below a large hospital and framed by tall concrete buildings with balconies that invite you to observe the small enclave.

While we listen intently to our guide Nathaniel, the surroundings completely fade away. We are in a village that comes very close to the Nazareth in which Jesus grew up. In fact, the tour not only actively draws parallels to Jesus’ teachings and the prophecies of thousands of years ago, but the way our guide narrates and leads us around the site alone, vividly illustrate some of Jesus’ characteristics.

The Shepherd and His sheep

Right at the beginning of the tour, Nathaniel asks us to stay close together as a group, as if we had known each other all our lives. After all, the site is obviously not adapted to our modern safety standards and we have a schedule to keep. We are just as seemingly thrown together as Jesus’ disciples, come from a diversity of countries and have never spoken a word to each other before. Nathaniel radiates a calm, humorous authority with which he patiently keeps us together. He asks us to follow him and not to leave the path. Over time, it becomes increasingly clear that it is worth staying near him so as not to miss anything he has to say. Staying with the group becomes more valuable than doing our own thing.

Pedagogically staged, one of the first stations leads us to the shepherd Abraham (see Jesus, the Good Shepherd: John 10:1-30). During Jesus’ lifetime, it was common practice to keep sheep and goats in a flock, as they have similar needs. However, the difference in nature of these animals is curiously demonstrated to us visitors as we approach the small flock which contains both lambs and kids. The former immediately seek refuge with their mothers in the pen when we join them, while the latter cannot resist exploring the area further. As a result, the kids remain separated from their mother for as long as we stand at the gate as a group. Every shepherd knows the difference: sheep are very obedient, while goats are much more independent and preoccupied with themselves.

Once a year, the time came when the flock was divided into the twogroups of species. Jesus referred to this when He spoke of judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). He will put the sheep that have unceasingly followed His voice on one side and the goats that were determined to go their own way on the other.

The Shoot coming from the tribe of Jesse

Before that, Nathaniel points out a process in nature that makes me rethink my understanding of prophecy. As befits such a place, there are olive trees everywhere, symbols of hope. Olive trees are extremely robust plants that can even be moved to another place and take root there again. Even in dry years, they bear at least a little fruit and storms cannot harm them so quickly. They can easily live for 1,000 years.

Our guide draws our attention to small sprouts next to the oldest tree on the farm. These are not new plants, but shoots from the old tree that are connected to the same root system. In Hebrew, this sprout is called Nezer (נצר), from which the village name Nazareth may have been derived. Nathaniel thus takes us back to the prophecy of Isaiah (11:1-10), in which the offspring will come forth from the tribe of Jesse, on whom the Spirit of God will rest and who will bring His kingdom of peace; Jesus, the Nazarene.

Now I understand that God’s prophecies are not predictions in a predestined world. Rather, they are God’s proofs that He will perform His Word in due time as He has announced it. Things do not simply happen according to a predetermined timeline. God is still active, interacting with His creation and acting according to the Word He has set for Himself.

The most precious oil

A little later, we are taken to an oil press, which in Hebrew is called Gat Shemanim (גת_שמנים – literally: press of oils). Here, the olives are first crushed by a heavy stone, then filled into special baskets. After this their precious oil is extracted in a three-stage pressing process.

On the night of His betrayal by one of His closest friends, Jesus had prayed three times on the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane surrounded by these trees of hope, bowing to the will of God (Matthew 26:36-46).

Afterwards, His body was destroyed beyond recognition and He died the death of an outlaw. A rich, secret disciple took care of the burial and laid Jesus in His own family tomb (Matthew 27:57-60), which Jesus’ family could never have afforded (“But with a rich man He was in His death,” Isaiah 53:9), a very costly service to Jesus that was repaid after only three days when He rose again.

Like green shoots at the true vine

Above one such burial site, which we can admire on the grounds (see cover picture), there is a vineyard that was discovered during excavations at this very spot. In the shade of the vine roofs, we meet Simon, a winegrower, who explains to us how the vines have to be radically pruned every year so that they produce good fruit. Only one main branch is allowed from a plant. And solely the fresh, green shoots bear fruit in the current year. The main stem is only there to feed the young shoots.

This is how Jesus’ teaching about the vine comes to life (John 15:1-8): We can only bear fruit as long as we remain on the vine, in Jesus. And God, the Father, is the vinedresser who takes care of the health of the branches and cuts off the bad shoots. Jesus lets us bear the fruit. Through us, He brings His good gifts into the world. In doing so, He provides us with everything we need as long as we remain with Him.

The Anointed One and the Mystery of Salvation

Our last stop takes us to the synagogue in Nazareth, where Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah (1:1-2a) and then sat down to teach (Luke 4:16-30). Where at the beginning there was still fascination with Jesus’ authority and charisma, later all that remained was sheer anger. The people of Nazareth wanted to drive Jesus to the edge of the cliff and throw him off. What had so upset the people Jesus had grown up with?

With the reading from the scroll of Isaiah, Jesus had revealed himself as the Anointed One, the Messiah. While some of the listeners had initially been quite willing to believe Him, Jesus’ subsequent teaching contradicted every image that people had formed of the coming Messiah. They were expecting a warrior who would free them from the oppression of the Romans and bring Israel to its rightful place as a prominent people among the nations. The Messiah was to prove to all the world that Israel was God’s Chosen People.

Jesus, meanwhile, referred to miracle stories from the Bible in which Gentiles were saved; the poor widow whose oil and meal had no end (1 Kings 17:8-16), and the enemy centurion Naaman who was cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14). Both happened through Israelite prophets. Contrary to the understanding of the Jews of the time, Jesus remained faithful to God’s plan for the people of Israel.

When God set Abraham apart to create his Chosen People, He announced: “I will bless you and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2-3). God’s understanding of His Chosen People is not that this group of people will be better and more honored and powerful, but that all the nations of the world will be blessed through them. This teaching made the people of Nazareth so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus. But His time had not yet come and He passed through their midst. This was probably the last time Jesus was in his childhood home.

Living with Jesus today

Our group of visitors also leaves the recreated village with these words and returns to the present. The visit includes other inspiring encounters and places that are worth discovering. Here in Israel, the Bible comes alive and many of Jesus’ sayings become comprehensible to me.

My deepest concern for us, the community of believers, is this: that we do not try to squeeze the Messiah into our expectations, but allow ourselves to be challenged, transformed and blessed by Him so that we can carry His Good News to the whole world.