Unknown. Unrecognized.

"... and in the hearts of men." 

HE WAS one man among a handful in a nation enslaved to Rome. Rome and the Roman conquests was big news; a young Jew preaching a new message was not. To the Jews, He was a rogue. Some outspoken fake who liked making a scene. In the scope of history, were we to search for Him, we wouldn’t find Him. It’s a non-event. Some tiny, almost nonexistent period of years, and a few people were affected. One man born amongst others. One man crucified like others. One man buried who supposedly rose from the dead. Who would even believe such? A king should be born in a palace, amongst courtiers and politicians. He should be crowned in honor in a tremendous public display. He’d be a statesman, a robed conqueror. Jesus of Nazareth was not.

“And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?” (Luke 4:22)

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3)

“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” (John 1:46)

“Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?” (John 7:41)

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Out of Galilee? Isn’t this Joseph’s son? He was just a kid raised on the soil of Judea, a youth trained as a carpenter by His father. A carpenter amongst carpenters. His own cousin, whom He called the greatest prophet, didn’t know Him by sight until the Spirit rested upon Him, and even then, those he spoke to couldn’t see it. Those from the temple who inquired of him didn’t see it. He was largely unrecognized. Despised. Hated.

“Jesus who?” they asked after He died. “Don’t speak in that name,” they said and threatened excommunication (Acts 4:18). The Bible even goes on to say only about 500 saw Him after He’d risen (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). What are these nameless faces amongst the millions that followed? Egypt we know. There, we see the evidence of what was a commanding culture. Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, are names we’ve heard of. We know what they did during their lifetimes, where they traveled, whose lands they conquered. But the Son of God, who was called the Great I Am, cannot be found now in any writings, except the Bible’s pages, and in the hearts of men.

How humble is the Father of all that He’d change mankind with such a forgotten event, in such a forgotten place? The eyes of all are drawn to the crowning of kings, to the electing of presidents, to the fall of world leaders. But nobody remembers the death of God. Nobody important.

The Romans didn’t know Him. The Jews didn’t recognize Him. The history books didn’t record Him. He created all things, the world was made by Him, yet they knew Him not.

Every eye will see Him, the Scripture says (Rervelation 1:7). But will they know Him? Or will they, like in so many events, write that off as a phenomenon and move on? “Was that a trumpet blast? I think not.” And “What happened to Suzy? She was here just yesterday?” For two will be walking in a field and one will be taken, the other left (Luke 17:36). In that moment, will that one who remains explain it all away? They’ve already made the most life-changing event, the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, something unimportant.

Fallen angels don’t remember heaven. Satan didn’t recognize Jesus during the temptation, although he’d stood before Him, as recorded in Job 1. And now men write Him off as a legend, something that couldn’t have happened because history can’t come up with it. Maybe that’s the point. He wants us to believe in spite of it, to avow He is Lord, although people and prophets say otherwise. Who’s heard of Isaiah in this day and age? One man from Israel’s storied past who said a few confusing words that some say talk about Jesus. To the world, Jesus is Caucasian, African, even, Latin. He’s painted as English, Arabic, and dozens of non-Jewish descents. In the past, men erased His heritage, though it was God’s point. They’d stomp the Jew right out of Him, because we’re all Christians now. But when we all get to heaven, we’ll see Him face-to-face and be surrounded by Jewish witnesses. David is a Jew. Solomon is a Jew. Isaiah is a Jew. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are Jews. The apostle Paul is Roman and a Jew. And then we’ll see the Father, who created all of us, in every culture, every dialogue, to worship our King who was born in a tiny stable in a town named Bethlehem. You can go there to visit now, but there’s nothing to see.

Minister Priscilla Shirer spoke these words at the supposed-tomb, and nothing has been more beautiful to me other than the Savior’s own voice. “Nothing to see here, folks,” she said. And then something like, I’ve never been more glad. Me too.

“He is the reconciling Remedy to the infection of selfishness and fear, and not just for our terminal condition: he is also the Remedy—freely available —to heal the entire world.” (1 John 2:2)

JESUSES:
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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com