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Joseph, "father" of Jesus Christ
Since Joseph led a humble life as a carpenter, apparently the Jews weren't entirely certain of his lineage. This was also one of the reasons why God chose him to raise Jesus as his own biological son. Matthew 1 & Luke 3 give parallel lineages for Joseph. Some believe one book covers Mary's family line while the other stated that of Joseph. However, both are worded for Joseph. Matthew said a man named Jacob was Joseph's father while Luke listed Heli as his name. Both lineages derive from king David to fulfill the prophecy that the messiah of Israel would come from the line of Judah. Luke 2:4 does state that he was a descendant of king David.
Matthew 1:18-25:
18. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with
child through the Holy Spirit.
19. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
24. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
King Herod was warned of the prophesy and sent wise men to find the baby boy.
Matthew 2:12-25:
12. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.
Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is
going to search for the child to kill him."
14. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15. where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were
two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18. "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
19. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20. and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
21. So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,
he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23. and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Luke references to Joseph: Luke 1:27; Luke 2 verses 4,
16, 22 and 39;
Luke 3:23-31 and Luke 4:22.
Luke 2:21-23.39:
21. On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
22. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23. (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ),
...
39. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
Luke 3 mentioned 2 other men named Joseph in the lineage of Joseph (in addition to Joseph himself):
23. Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24. the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25. the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26. the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27. the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28. the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29. the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30. the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31. the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
The book of John had the last 2 mentions of Joseph in John 1:45 (see below) and
John 6:42.
45. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "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."
