A Little Bible Q & A For Your Day

Dear Brother:  My father brought up a question that puzzles us: What happened to Joseph, husband of Mary?  We don’t find anything about him after the birth of Jesus.

The Answer:

When Jesus was a baby, Joseph was told by the angel of God, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt" (Matt. 2:13).  When Jesus was presented at the temple, Joseph was there (Luke 2:22).  Later in that chapter, we read of the event when Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem by "his parents" (v. 41) at the age of twelve.  Joseph was still around at that time.  But that is the last time we read of Joseph in the Scriptures.

Many suppose that Joseph was much older than Mary, and that he died before Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty (Luke 3:23).  In any case, we read no more about Joseph in the Scriptures after Jesus was twelve.  And it seems very strange, if he were still alive during Jesus' ministry, that Joseph was never mentioned.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers and sisters, are mentioned a number of times, but not Joseph. Indications are that Joseph was dead by that time, or he would have been named with some of the events in the life of Jesus.  But that is still only assumption.  We just don't know what happened to Joseph.

I hope this helps.

Have a great weekend.

Mitch Robison

Enon Church of Christ

1366 Enon Road

Webb, AL 36376

[email protected]