Why did Nathaniel ask, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46)?

Response

In John 1:46, Nathanael poses the question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Initially seeming peculiar, this inquiry actually sheds light on the Jewish perspective of both Nazareth and the Galilee region.

Commencing from John 1:35, Jesus starts summoning His initial disciples, among them Nathanael. The day following Jesus’ baptism, He is alongside John the Baptist and John’s followers. John declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” «and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! », (John 1:36). Subsequent to this declaration, two of John’s disciples begin trailing Jesus. One of these disciples is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Andrew fetches Peter to join in following Jesus. Jesus then ventures into the Galilee region and summons Philip, who in turn encounters Nathanael. Philip announces to Nathanael, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” «Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. », (John 1:45). Nathanael’s doubtful reaction is captured in John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Nazareth, situated approximately 55 miles north of Jerusalem, was a city within the Galilee region. During Jesus’ era, the Jews held individuals from Nazareth in low regard. This sentiment is exemplified nowhere better than in Nathanael’s query, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

The disparaging view of Nazareth is crucial in comprehending Matthew’s assertion that Jesus “fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that He would be called a Nazarene” «and he came and dwelt in a ci

They called Nazareth home so that what the prophets said would come true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”, (Matthew 2:23). The Old Testament does not explicitly mention that Jesus would come from Nazareth, so what is Matthew referring to? Most likely, Matthew is pointing to prophecies about Christ that predict how others will scorn Him and mistreat Him—such as Psalm 22:6–7 and Isaiah 53:3.

Psalm 22:6–7 portrays Christ as “scorned by everyone, despised by the people” and how “they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” Isaiah 53:3 depicts Christ as “despised and rejected by mankind.” These passages could be the prophecies to which Matthew is alluding in his statement “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Nathanael’s sarcastic question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” anticipates the mockery Jesus would face from others cf: John 7:42. Nathanael poses this question because the Christ was expected to liberate Israel from oppression. The awaited Messiah was to be highly esteemed. So why would He come from a place like Nazareth?

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” The surprising answer is “yes.” God chose to have His Son, the Savior of the world, reside in Nazareth. “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). We see this theme frequently in Scripture: Joseph, Ruth, Gideon, and David all started in humble, scorned places, yet God selected and used them in remarkable ways.

Jesus was considered foolish, weak, lowly, and despised by the world’s standards (cf: John 19:1-5). To add to that, He was from Nazareth. Jesus exemplifies how God uses the seemingly weak (by human standards) to confound the wise (also by human standards) in order to bring glory to Himself.

Nathanael initially questions Jesus with skepticism: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” However, his attitude changes after conversing with Jesus. Nathanael acknowledges, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel” «Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. », (John 1:49).