Is Jesus’s Earthly Father Under-Appreciated? by Myra Kahn Adams for Town Hall
Author’s Note: Interested readers can find all previous volumes of this series here. News Flash: The first 56 volumes are compiled into a book titled “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible.”
Thanks for joining us as we continue discussing topics relevant to the Advent Season culminating in the “advent” (arrival) of Yeshua — a Jewish infant with the anglicized name of Jesus. Last week we examined the conception and birth story of John the Baptist (Vol. 90), and today, we study Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, who many believe is under-appreciated.
Since there are no direct Biblical quotes attributed to Joseph, we don’t know his personality, which helps explain why he is often overlooked. Primarily, Joseph is known as Mary’s husband and Jesus’s earthly father. However, he should always be commended and remembered for his obedience to God’s instructions via an “angel of the Lord” at four critical junctures in the life of Jesus.
Now is your chance to support Gospel News Network.
We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
In the New Testament, we first read Joseph’s name in the first chapter of Matthew — the NT’s first book named for its author — one of Jesus’s 12 apostles. According to my NIV Study Bible (and widely accepted) was that “Matthew’s main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah.”
To “prove” his case, Matthew begins his book detailing “The Genealogy of Jesus” —starting with “Abraham was the father of Issac….” (Matthew 1:2). Fourteen verses later, Matthew writes, “..and Jacob [not the patriarch Jacob] the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ ” (Matthew 1:16).
That genealogy speaks volumes about who Joseph was and why he was chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus.
Descended from King David, Joseph was Jewish “royalty” — as was Jesus through Mary. However, Joseph was the only male in Matthew’s genealogy who did not “father” the next generation. Instead, Joseph is recorded as “the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born…” In ancient times, men were never referred to as the “husband” of their wife, proving Joseph was unique and anointed for a greater mission.
