This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to study in Israel for five weeks.

One of the major takeaways I gained from my time in the Land was a renewed appreciation for the critical role that geography plays in understanding the biblical text. One of my professors would often say that, “The Land is a character in the Bible that we often forget to notice” and this idea has added so much depth and richness to the way I currently read and teach Scripture. As we traced the life and ministry of Jesus through the lens of geography, I couldn’t help but think about FRCS and the mission and vision we are striving towards. So, I would love to share a little glimpse of what I have been processing these past few weeks.

Jesus grew up in the tiny, insignificant town of Nazareth. In John 1:46, Nathanael says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” and his question reveals something about the reality of that town in Jesus’ time. The larger region around Nazareth (called the Jezreel Valley) is a region defined by international trade routes which link together large cities built upon rich and fertile farmland. In the ancient world, it would be ideal to live anywhere along these international routes, benefitting from the constant flow of traffic, trade, culture, and new ideas passing through. However, in efforts to avoid the influence of the Roman Empire in the land, a faithful and devout Jewish community builds the town of Nazareth. Nazareth was a tiny town of less than 200 people (a guess made by scholars due to the very small archaeological footprint left by this community), tucked away in a mountain range, and built on some of the worst and least productive rock/soil type that the land of Israel has to offer. There is no geographic advantage to this location (it actually would be quite inconvenient to live there) other than the fact that it was hidden from the influence of Rome. Nazareth was a safe haven for devout Jewish people who desired to quietly live out their faith without the pressure and influence of the culture around them.

It is in little Nazareth, a quiet, faithful, withdrawn Jewish town too small, insignificant, and “off the beaten path” to be mentioned anywhere besides the Gospels, that Jesus grew up. For most of His life, Jesus lived here, faithfully learning the trade of His father and participating in the ordinary life of His community.

In all these quiet, hidden years, Jesus was ultimately preparing to push into the “crossroads of the earth” to begin His public ministry.

When it is time for Jesus to begin His public ministry, He leaves Nazareth and heads towards Capernaum—a lucrative fishing town alongside the Sea of Galilee which sat at the “crossroads” of many major routes in the area. Influenced by both Jewish and Roman thought, culture, and religion, Jesus’ move to Capernaum is strategic. Not only does this geographic movement from Nazareth (in the tribal allotment of Zebulun) to Capernaum (in the tribal allotment of Naphtali) fulfill a prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2 which talks about how in Zebulun and Naphtali, the “Galilee of the Gentiles,” a people once living in darkness will see a great light, but it also shows that this Messiah has come for all people (not just the Jewish people!) Jesus refused to stay in His withdrawn, safe, tucked away town of Nazareth—rather, He placed Himself at a crossroads, so that all the world may see and know Him.

There are two main thoughts or applications that I want to share with you:

1. The three most common reactions of God’s people to the larger culture (not only under the influence of the Roman Empire but throughout history) have been to: confront, withdraw, or assimilate. Yet it is clear from His life and ministry that Jesus took a radically different approach. He did not promote an ethic of violent resistance, He did not hide away in the quiet town of Nazareth His whole life, and He did not simply accommodate to the Roman Empire. Rather, He faithfully engaged culture—calling out and bringing redemption to all broken things and all broken people. Yet, Jesus also knew the power of silence and solitude—the power of being with the Father in quiet places. It was this intentional time of prayer and abiding in the Lord that enabled Jesus to faithfully engage with the people and culture of His day. I wonder what it would look like for us today to be people of faithful engagement—existing at the “crossroads of Capernaum” but also being marked by deep solitude with the Lord in “the quiet of Nazareth.” I pray that every student at Front Range may learn what it means to influence and redeem the culture around them because they know how to withdraw to quiet places with the Lord and abide in Him alone.
2. Jesus was equipped in the quiet, faithful town of Nazareth for many years before beginning His public ministry. I know that I can often sound like Nathaniel in John 1:46 asking “can anything good come from these quiet and unseen moments?” and Jesus himself bids me “come and see.” I wonder what it would look like for us to be people who find significance and purpose in the quiet, ordinary, and hidden places, not just the exciting, monumental, “mountain top” moments that we so often long for.

So,

May our students be people who, in the ordinary rhythm of school days, are intentionally equipped to become culture makers who impact the world for Christ.

And may we all learn to find rest in the quiet and hidden places with our Lord, and only in this rest, find ourselves fully equipped to be people marked by faithful engagement with the world.