Joseph gets left behind by many Bible students, so it would be good to shine some light on what we know of this wonderful man God saw fit to charge with the upbringing of His Son, Jesus.
The biblical information for this post was taken mostly from the first two chapters of Matthew and the second chapter of Luke. Points from elsewhere will be noted.
First let’s settle some confusion. According to Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, Joseph’s father’s name was Jacob. In Luke’s genealogy, his father is said to be Heli (Luke 3:23). The difference is because Matthew records Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, and Luke presents Jesus’ genealogy through Mary. The Jews consider a son in-law a son, so Joseph is said to be the son (in-law) of Heli in Luke.
Joseph was a good guy, a simple, honest, hard working, God fearing man, and an observant Jew. When he learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he could have held her up to public ridicule, but he didn’t. He had compassion on her since he knew her well. The betrothal he and Mary had entered into was a Jewish tradition where they would be committed to each other but would not consummate their marriage for a year when the actual marriage would take place. The commitment was as binding as marriage and even considered as such. That’s the reason he had the right to divorce her rather than just walk away.
This godly man had an angel come to him in dreams three times to direct his path concerning the life of Jesus and His protection. The angel came to Joseph to tell him Mary was pregnant of the Holy Spirit, so he shouldn’t divorce her. Later an angel told Joseph to leave Nazareth and go to Egypt because the young Jesus was in danger. He did that. The third time the angel came to him was to tell him Herod had died, so they could return to Israel. He did that too but didn’t move back to Bethlehem for fear Herod’s son, Archelaus, might find them.
Joseph was kind-hearted and sympathetic. He and Mary raised Jesus in a traditional observant Jewish home.
Other than the fact Joseph was a carpenter and had four sons and some daughters with Mary (Mark 6:3), we really don’t know much more about him. At least two of his sons became Christians, and they penned books of the Bible (James and Jude).
Joseph’s last appearance in the Bible is with Mary when Jesus was twelve and questioning/teaching the priests in Jerusalem. After this, Luke 2:51 says, they all returned to Nazareth, and Jesus was submissive to both Joseph and Mary as children are to be to their parents.
After this event, Scripture tells us nothing more about Joseph. The consensus of opinion is he died before Jesus began His earthly ministry. Otherwise, the reasoning goes, he should surely have been mentioned as attending the wedding at Canaan where Jesus performed His first miracle.
How did Joseph die, then? The Bible doesn’t tell us. It could have been an accident or disease, natural causes. We just don’t know.
The Catholic and Orthodox churches teach the eternal virginity of Mary and so believe Joseph was an old man when he married Mary, that he was appointed by God to care for the young Mary and her Child. He was not to be a husband to her and that he simply died of old age. Of course, you then have the issue of the four brothers of Jesus mentioned in Mark 6:3. The answer given by the Catholics and Orthodox is Joseph had these children before marrying Mary or they are cousins (the term for both cousins and brothers is the same in the Hebrew culture). Then you’re faced with Matthew 1:24 which strongly implies their marriage was consummated.
The idea Joseph was an old man would not have lived long enough or been able to work long enough to be well known as a carpenter in Nazareth. If he were just in his twenties when he married Mary, he would have been in his fifties when Jesus’ ministry began, not a young man in New Testament times.
Why is this important?
Joseph didn’t retreat from the awesome task God set before him. He seems to have taken it up readily and with Mary successfully raised and provided for the young Jesus. He kept the secret all those years. The people of Nazareth were surprised when Jesus taught with power and authority in the synagogue of Nazareth for the first time.
Joseph is a model for us all to listen to God’s direction, and do exactly what we are told. He was an average man who dedicated his life to obeying his God. He had a job to do, and he did it just as God wanted. Oh that we might apply that example in our lives.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 