Joseph, the Earthly Father of Jesus

God’s Introduction

The Word of God specifies several godly men who were given the name “Joseph.” We consider Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was elevated by God from the pit to the palace in Egypt (Gen. 37-50; Heb. 11:22). We also think about Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus and provided a new tomb for the body of our Lord (Matt. 27:57-60). While Bible students are familiar with these two men named, “Joseph,” perhaps a man who is overlooked is Joseph, the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus. Joseph is mentioned in the Gospel Accounts and is introduced as the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Matt. 1:16, 18-20, 24; 2:13, 19; Luke 1:27; 2:4, 16, 33, 43; 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42) (Mark does not mention him). From God’s introduction of Joseph, we learn that he was “of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 1:27; 2:4), yet Joseph had nothing to do with the physical origin of Jesus. The Bible teaches us that before Joseph and Mary “came together,” Mary was “with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:20). Joseph was a just man who honored God, loved his wife, and led his family with dignity and integrity.

Joseph’s Identification

Concerning the identification and attributes of Joseph, Terry Hightower observed: “To oversee the conduct of Joseph is to see a beautiful example of godly wisdom, obedience, and tender consideration for others” (Hightower, 454). Joseph is identified as a man who was selfless. He practiced self-discipline by not rushing to conclusions i.e, thinking Mary was unfaithful which could have enticed him to divorce her or have her stoned (Lev. 20:10). Furthermore, he didn’t try to “pass on” his name, but named the child “Jesus” as God had said (Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12). He is identified as a man who was sacrificial. He displayed “agape” love for Mary as that kind of love “believes all things” (1 Cor. 13:4). His heart “safely trusted” Mary and the Word of God (Prov. 31:11). He is identified as a man who was submissive. He submitted to God because he was a “just” man (Prov. 3:5-6; Matt. 1:20, 24) and also submitted to the government which led to a fulfillment of Micah’s prophesy (Luke 2:4-7; Matt. 22:21; 17:27; Rom. 13:l-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; cf. Mic. 5:2; John 7:40-42)

Our Impression

While there are several impressions we could glean from the life of Joseph, we want to

highlight three in particular:

#1. Joseph paints a picture of what is means to have integrity (Matt. 1:19). He didn’t want to make Mary a “public example,” thus he handled the situation with incredible patience and displayed great character.

#2. Joseph points to the importance of having accountability. He recognized his responsibility to listen to God and obey whatever He said to do. When God told him to “go,” he “went” showing an unwavering faith in God (Matt. 1:24; 2:13-14, 19-21).

#3. Joseph portrays the value of having humility. “Joseph humbly served God, without acclaim or fanfare, and obeyed Him without question, or delay. He manifested a wonderful example of a good, simple, honest, man; a hard working husband and father, who was faithful in his life, in his worship, and in his home...No wonder God selected him to be the legal father of His Son” (Liddell, 65)

Works Cited

Hightower, Terry M. The Twenty-Fifth Annual Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship: Great Lessons from New Testament Characters — JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY, A MAN OF ADMIRABLE OBEDIENCE. Memphis, TN. Editor. Curtis A. Cates. March 31st through April 4th, 1991. Pg. 454-466. Pdf version.

Liddell, Bobby. The Fortieth Annual Spiritual Sword Lectureship: Great Bible Portraits of the New Testament: PORTRAIT OF JOSEPH AND MARY. Getwell church of Christ. Memphis, TN. Editor. Gary Colley. October 18th through October 21st, 2015. Pg. 65. Print.