If there is any clear lesson to learn from our text, it would be that significance comes from God. When Nathaniel heard that the Saviour had risen out of Nazareth, he wondered if anything could come from that city. What could be responsive for the negative bias expressed by Nathaniel? Nazareth was a part of the greater Galilee region. It probably had a great population of non-Jewish settlers as there was a reference to “Galilee of the Gentiles.” In John 7:52, the officers of the high priest and the Pharisees contested that Nazareth had never produced a prophet. This could have been another reason why it was dismissed. It could not boast of any rich prophetic history. Finally, when Peter and John were arraigned before the elders, they saw them as uneducated, ignorant men. Certainly, Nazareth could not pass for a center of learning.

Sometimes, behind our frailty is tucked God’s priceless heritage. You may be disregarded now; you may have even been written off…God knows exactly what to do to turn your seemingly ordinary life to something of envy.

In God’s wisdom and election, Jesus had his early years in that derided city. Not only that, Nazareth became the base for His early ministry, so much so that He was known as Jesus of Nazareth.  The presence of Jesus made an otherwise insignificant region the envy of the world. Till this present moment, tourists from all over the world beat a path to Israel. Of course, Nazareth is one of the choice destinations for any visitor to Israel. Sometimes, behind our frailty is tucked God’s priceless heritage. You may be disregarded now; you may have even been written off. But never forget that God delights in raising the poor out of the dunghill. God knows exactly what to do to turn your seemingly ordinary life to something of envy.