Coming Face To Face With Jesus Life At Nazarethe

From: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

How does it feel to walk around the very place where Jesus Christ spent his childhood days through his youthful days to the age where he migrated to Galilee and onward to Jerusalem to be crucified, buried and resurrected?
This was a question posted to me by a very friend I met at Nazareth when we visited the village as part of our ten days tour to the holy land to collect my views upon a visit to the place.
“I have read the story many times in the bible, watch the movie on Jesus life in the village many times but they have not appeared so real to me more than coming face to face with the real live situations on the ground” was my comment which made my tour guide friend Avie nodded his head.
Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood is situated in the Galilee hills overlooking the Jezreel valley.
It’s winding, cobbled lanes, churches, convents and monasteries and all the pervading sense of history vividly conjure up the story of 2000 years ago when Joseph, heeding the angels words ,”took the young child and his mother… and came and dwell in the city called Nazareth”.
Jesus spent his childhood here, though the gospel gives no description of these formative years.
Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament and only archaeological evidence points to a village inhabited during the first Temple period.
Its Jewish community was almost wiped out by the Romans during the Jewish revolt. Later, with the strengthening of the Roman Empire, the number of Christians grew.
From the fourth century, churches were built on the sites which were connected with Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Today, the population consists of Christians, represented by several denominations, Muslims and Jews. There are many churches, monasteries, convents, hostels and schools in Nazareth.
Yes the feeling was different when I together with 22 other Ghanaian Presbyterians and a Methodist from Toronto visited Nazareth the particular village where Jesus knew in his life 2000 years ago.
The exhibition of the old carpentry tools his father Joseph used in drilling holes in wood, joining pieces of wood to form chairs and tables, old type hack saw blade and how it is used in sawing wood as according to the bible Jesus learnt his father’s profession.
It was very interesting watching a Nazareth woman posing as Mary the mother of Jesus preparing garment strings from hair of sheep to weave garments that was used as attire back in those days 2000 years ago.
In fact it is very educating and informing as well as entertaining watching how life was lived during the days of Jesus Christ when he was a child at the Nazareth village seeing how oil lamps were lighted up and keep burning throughout the night.
How ceramic jars were used to fetch water, fire pots were kept burning with fire wood so as to be ready for cooking anytime preparing of food should take place.
You love using olive oil for cooking and as anointing oil or for your skin but you do not know the process use in extracting the oil from the olive fruits? Nazareth village is the right place for you to learn the whole process of extraction which is collecting of the fruits, crushing, pressing and extraction all done at Nazareth village.
What about red wine? You have been drinking the stuff but do not also know how the finished products come out but you want to know how is done? Please visit Nazareth village and you will be shown how is done.
Oh every Sunday school child is taught about shepherd and the flock but do not know how a shepherd dresses to appear a true shepherd. Even some of us adults can not describe how a shepherd looks like.
Shepherds are at the village keeping a flock to give you an idea as well as those who keep the donkeys for pilgrims and tourists to learn how Jesus rode at the back of a donkey to Jerusalem to be crucified.
Standing close to a giant statue of a Roman soldier with all the heavy quote of arms on make it real to you how strong and powerful Roman soldiers were when they arrested Jesus, molested, caned and crucified him as a wooding cross looking like the one used in crucifying Jesus hangs on the wall.

A nice looking tomb with a rolling stone hanging at the entrance of it attracts any pilgrim or tourist to go inside and have a feel of how it is and the process used in burying the dead 2000 years ago to be precise in Jesus’ time.

Nazareth the village Jesus knew truly presents Jesus childhood lifestyle to you so why don’t you plan to also visit Nazareth?

PICTURES TAKEN FROM NAZARETH VILLAGE.