Imagine what you would think if someone you had grown up with came to your town and claimed he was there to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Of course you would dismiss him; the notion is outrageous. But thats what happened in Nazareth. Jesus, the son of a local carpenter, came and announced one Sabbath day that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 61.

He claimed to be the Messiah when he said, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. It seemed outrageouseven blasphemous, because he claimed to be God (which was true). No ordinary human being had the right to make that kind of claim. No wonder the elders of his town were so upset that they were ready to put him to death! (See Luke 4:28-30.)

As we spend time this Advent thinking about what Jesus’ birth, it’s important to remember that even before his last days on earth He wasn’t universally loved during His time on this earth. It’s a sobering fact that the savior of Humanity was almost stoned by the people he grew up with.

Does the fact that Jesus experienced heartache and hatred change your perception of Him? How does hearing the story of Jesus’ nearly being stoned make you feel?