Joseph had already decided to end his engagement quietly when a dream changed his mind. By morning, he had a different decision to make: whether to take Mary into his home and raise the child she was expecting. That choice is where Joseph’s story comes into focus.
Joseph of Nazareth, also known as Saint Joseph, was Mary’s husband and the man who raised Jesus. Matthew introduces Joseph as a descendant of King David and addresses him as “son of David” in the account of the angel’s visit. In Christian belief, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Joseph’s role was to welcome him into his family and care for him as his earthly father.
The Gospels record no spoken words from Joseph. Instead, Matthew shows him making decisions when his family’s future is uncertain. Luke gives us a glimpse of him in a different setting: making the journey to Jerusalem for Passover and searching for Jesus when he goes missing. Together, the accounts tell us more about what Joseph did than about what he thought or said.
In Matthew’s account, Joseph and Mary are betrothed when he learns she is pregnant. Matthew describes him as a righteous man who does not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so he plans to end the betrothal quietly. An angel appears to him in a dream and tells him to take Mary as his wife and name her child Jesus.
“Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.” (Matthew 1:20, excerpt, KJV)
Joseph takes Mary into his home and later gives the child the name he was told to give him. Luke’s Gospel gives the birth story a different focus: Joseph travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary, and Jesus is born while they are there. Luke explains Joseph’s journey by connecting him to the house of David, whose city was Bethlehem.
The Bible does not say how old Joseph was when he married Mary. Some later Christian traditions portray him as an older widower. One early example is the Protoevangelium of James, a text outside the New Testament that describes Joseph as an older man who already had children. That tradition helps explain why some depictions show him with gray hair, but it does not establish his age.
According to Matthew 2, an angel warns Joseph in a dream that King Herod intends to kill the child. Joseph leaves by night with Mary and Jesus and takes refuge in Egypt. Matthew does not describe their route or name the place where they stayed.
“Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13, excerpt, KJV)
After Herod’s death, Joseph is told he can return. But when he learns that Herod’s son Archelaus is ruling Judea, he is afraid to settle there. He goes to Galilee instead, and the family makes its home in Nazareth. The episode is often called the Flight into Egypt, meaning the family’s escape to safety.
Joseph is traditionally described as a carpenter. In Matthew 13:55, people in Jesus’ hometown ask whether he is the carpenter’s son. The Greek word behind the translation, tekton, can mean a carpenter, builder, or craftsman. The verse gives us a clue about Joseph’s trade, though it does not tell us what he made or which materials he worked with.
The distinction is useful in Nazareth, where a church commemorates Joseph and local tradition associates the site with his workshop. The Gospel gives us the reference to his trade; the site’s connection to his workshop comes from tradition.
The last Gospel episode that clearly shows Joseph taking part in the family’s life is the visit to Jerusalem when Jesus is twelve. Luke says Jesus stays behind after Passover. Mary and Joseph search for him and find him in the Temple, listening to the teachers and asking questions (Luke 2:41–52).
The New Testament does not say when Joseph died, how he died, or where he was buried. Joseph does not appear as an active figure in the accounts of Jesus’ public ministry. Some readers infer that he died before it began, but the Gospels do not confirm that timeline.
In Nazareth, visit St. Joseph’s Church near the Basilica of the Annunciation. The church honors Joseph, and the spaces beneath it are associated in local tradition with his workshop. Visiting the two churches together gives you a sense of how Nazareth remembers Mary and Joseph and their place in the story of Jesus.
Our 2-Day Tour to the Christian Galilee includes both St. Joseph’s Church and the Church of the Annunciation. The itinerary also takes you to Cana and sites around the Sea of Galilee, including Capernaum and the Church of the Multiplication.
Planning a visit to Nazareth? Browse our Galilee tours or contact us to find a tour that fits your plans or ask about including St. Joseph’s Church in a private itinerary.
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