6 Things You Didn’t Know About Joseph in the Bible

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We often focus on the fact that Mary, a virgin, was chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother, but often overlook Joseph, who was also was chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly father. The Bible tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, that Joseph was a righteous man. His actions towards his fiancée, Mary, revealed that he was a kind and sensitive man. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel not only confused, but also disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. He not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning. While Joseph’s initial reaction was to break off the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness and respect. He didn’t want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph to verify Mary’s story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God’s will. Joseph willingly obeyed God, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. This move speaks volumes about his character and his faith. What other facts do we know about Joseph in the Bible? Here are six things you may not know.

From Nazareth in Galilee

Joseph’s hometown was Nazareth in Galilee. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come from Nazareth about 600 years before the village existed. In the 8th century, before Christ’s birth, Isaiah prophesied that “a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). The word “branch” in Hebrew is netzer, the same root word from which the name “Nazareth” comes. Some historians have suggested that Nazareth was named as “the town of the branch,” meaning “the place where the Branch of David lives.” In the New Testament, Matthew connects Nazareth with the prophecy in Isaiah 11:1: “And came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’” (Matthew 2:23).

Not Much is Revealed About Him

The Bible does not reveal much detail about Joseph’s role as a father to Jesus Christ, but we know from Matthew, chapter one, that he was an excellent earthly example of integrity and righteousness. He was also a man of strong beliefs. He not only strived to do what was right but also to do it the right way. When his betrothed Mary came to him with the news of her pregnancy, he knew the child could not be his, but he wanted to do the right thing anyway. When he received the message from God, he stood by Mary and Jesus, and raised him as is own. Joseph is last mentioned in Scripture when Jesus was 12 years old. We know that he passed on the carpentry trade to his son and raised Him in the Jewish traditions and spiritual observances.

A Skilled Carpenter or Craftsman

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As Jesus’ earthly father, he was the man entrusted to raise the Son of God. Joseph was also a carpenter or skilled craftsman. There is evidence in Scripture that, before He began His earthly ministry, Jesus was employed as a carpenter. Because Joseph was also a carpenter, this means that Jesus was likely His father’s apprentice. People called Jesus a carpenter (Mark 6:3), and He was known as a carpenter’s son (Matthew 13:55). It might sound crazy that God incarnate was taught to build things by a human man, but it seems that in this, as in all other aspects of His earthly life, Jesus submitted Himself to the humility of being human. The Bible tells us, “Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient…” (Philippians 2:6-8).

He Had Other Children

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The Gospel of Mark 6:3 and the Gospel of Matthew 13:55-56 state that James, Joses (or Joseph), Jude, and Simon were the brothers of Jesus, the son of Mary. The same verses also mention unnamed sisters of Jesus. Another verse in the Epistle to the Galatians 1:19 mentions seeing James, “the Lord’s brother,” and none other of the apostles except Peter, when Paul went to Jerusalem after his conversion. The “brothers of the Lord” are also mentioned, alongside, but separate from Cephas and the apostles in 1 Corinthians 9:5, in which it is mentioned that they had wives. Some scholars claim that Jesus’ relatives may have held positions of authority in the Jerusalem area until Trajan excluded Jews from the new city that he built on its ruins.

His Strengths

Joseph was a man of strong conviction who lived out his beliefs in his actions. He was described in the Bible as a righteous man. Even when personally wronged, he had the quality of being sensitive to someone else’s shame. He responded to God in obedience and he practiced self-control. He had courage because he ignored the accompanying rumors that came as a result of Mary’s condition and understood that God’s plan was more important than what others thought of him. He was sensitive to the Holy Spirit. This is evidenced in his acceptance of God’s guidance on more than one occasion. After the birth of Jesus an angel appeared to him, warning him of impending danger. Joseph immediately took Mary and Jesus to Egypt where they found safety until the threat passed. Joseph is a wonderful biblical example of integrity and godly character.

Joseph obeyed God in the face of severe humiliation. He did the right thing before God, in the right manner. When Joseph had no one else to guide and comfort him, he turned to God and found the strength and love he needed to get through the most difficult of circumstances. He was tried and tested by events in life that could have left him bitter or angry. Instead, he had a close relationship with God in which he remained steadfast, regardless of the undeserved adversities and trials he was forced to endure. God proved through him that social position is of little importance to God, bringing him from a meager standing to a role of great importance and example. We can learn a lot from Joseph’s integrity, obedience and faithfulness.

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