In brief
Joseph of Nazareth is the son of Jacob according to Matthew’s genealogy, a descendant of David and the husband of Mary. Engaged to Mary, he learns that she is pregnant. An angel explains in a dream that the child is from the Holy Spirit, and Joseph obeys by taking her home. He names the child Jesus, takes him to Egypt to protect him from Herod, then settles in Nazareth. He is remembered as a quiet man who obeys God without a word.
What does the name Joseph of Nazareth mean?
The name Joseph corresponds to the Hebrew Yosef, generally understood as “he adds” or “may God add.” The Bible does not explain the name of Joseph of Nazareth, but it ties that of the Joseph of Genesis to a wish of Rachel (Genesis 30:24). Nazareth is the town where he settles with his family.
The story of Joseph of Nazareth
A Descendant of David
Matthew 1:1-17Matthew’s genealogy connects Jesus to Abraham and David. It ends with these words: “Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Joseph is therefore from the royal line, but the text stresses that Jesus is born of Mary. Joseph appears as the husband who gives the child his place in David’s family.
The Dream and the Obedience
Matthew 1:18-25Mary is engaged to Joseph, and she is pregnant before they come together. Joseph, a righteous man, plans to break the engagement quietly. An angel appears to him in a dream and explains that the child is from the Holy Spirit. When he wakes, Joseph does what the angel commanded: he takes his wife home and names the child Jesus.
The Birth in Bethlehem
Luke 2:1-7A census ordered by the emperor requires Joseph to leave Nazareth for Bethlehem, the city of David, because he belongs to the house and family of David. He registers there with Mary, his fiancée, who is pregnant. While they are there, Mary gives birth to her firstborn son, wraps him in cloths and lays him in a feeding trough, because there is no room in the inn.
The Flight to Egypt
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph again in a dream: he must take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, because Herod is searching for the child to destroy him. Joseph gets up and leaves by night. After Herod’s death, a new command in a dream brings him back to Israel, and he settles in Nazareth, in Galilee.
In Jerusalem for the Passover
Luke 2:39-52After presenting Jesus at the temple according to the law, Joseph and Mary return to Nazareth. Every year they go to Jerusalem for the Passover. When Jesus is twelve, he stays behind in the city without their knowing. They search for him anxiously and find him after three days in the temple, sitting among the teachers.
What Joseph of Nazareth teaches us
- Joseph is called a righteous man: he seeks to act with integrity and without humiliating anyone, even in the middle of a painful situation.
- God speaks to those who listen, and Joseph immediately obeys what the angel tells him in a dream.
- Obeying God sometimes means changing plans: Joseph leaves by night for Egypt to protect the child.
- Quiet roles matter: Joseph speaks no words in the Gospels, yet he protects and raises Jesus.
- God reassures those who doubt: when the angel tells him not to be afraid, Joseph responds with an act of faith.
Key verses
“Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself.” Joseph obeys without delay, and the text records no argument.
Joseph gives the child his name: “He named him Jesus.” By naming Jesus, he welcomes him as his legal son and places him in the house of David, as the prophecies suggested.
“He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.” He acts without delay to protect Jesus from the danger that Herod represents.
Sermons about Joseph of Nazareth
- Joseph's Dilemma: God's Unexpected AnswerA message on Matthew 1:18-25: Joseph, engaged to Mary, faces a dilemma with no satisfying way out, and God opens a door that no one had imagined.
- Joseph and the Angel's Dream: 4 Lessons for Your AdventFour lessons drawn from the meeting between Joseph and the angel in a dream, to live through the season of Advent.
- Christmas Like Joseph: Welcoming Jesus When Doubt Creeps InA Christmas message on welcoming Jesus as Joseph did, even when doubt creeps in.
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Joseph to raise Jesus?
The Bible gives two elements: Joseph is a descendant of David, which places Jesus in the royal house, and he is called a righteous man (Matthew 1:16, 19). The text stresses above all his immediate obedience to the angel’s words received in a dream.
What does the name Joseph mean?
Joseph corresponds to the Hebrew Yosef, generally understood as “he adds” or “may God add.” The Bible gives no explanation of this name for Joseph of Nazareth, but it ties that of the Joseph of Genesis to a wish of Rachel (Genesis 30:24).
Where can I find Joseph of Nazareth’s story in the Bible?
It is found mainly in Matthew 1 and 2, which tell of the dream, the flight to Egypt and the move to Nazareth, and in Luke 2, which reports the birth in Bethlehem and the episode in the temple. He should not be confused with Joseph, son of Jacob, in Genesis.