We saw references to Jesus’ Father Joseph in 2022 Israel.
Mary, Jesus, and God the Father were all over the place.
Joseph, as usual, remained in the background.
Walking through the family’s Nazareth hometown, however, we saw that Joseph had not been forgotten in his hometown.
Signs of Jesus’ father Joseph and Mary in present-day Nazareth
The major tourist site in Nazareth is the Church of the Annunciation.
In the 18th century, the Catholic Church built an altar over what is believed to be where Gabriel appeared to Mary–or her family home.
But why there?
The Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, converted to Christianity and, in 326 AD, traveled to Palestine to find significant sites.
Constantine gave her funds, and she sought to commemorate the place where Jesus and his family lived. While there, she built basilicas–or shrines–on the sites.
One of those places was in Nazareth–the Basilica of the Annunciation of Mary.
The residents of Nazareth, 300 years after Jesus lived there, told her where the events happened.
What was their logic?
Jesus’ family’s life in Nazareth before his birth
2033 years ago, Nazareth was not a large town.
Sitting on a hill overlooking the southern end of the Jezreel Valley (aka, the site of Armageddon), Nazareth was a small town whose residents probably were related to each other.
(Which is why some people believe Mary and Joseph probably were cousins).
Everyone would have known each other.
When visitors began arriving to seek information, folks would have known where Mary lived.
Hence, they would have pointed to the “likely” spot of Mary’s family home and Joseph’s workshop.
(“Likely” means give or take 100 yards!)
Hence, the specific spots pointed out at Nazareth’s Church of the Annunciation.
Joseph’s Workshop
After stepping out of the Church of the Annunciation, we followed a path up the hill.
To my surprise, we arrived at a much smaller church: the Church of St. Joseph. The plaque out front identified it as the site of Jesus’ father Joseph’s workshop.
Who knew?
In the photo at the top, you can see how shiny Joseph’s knees are on the statue. People touched them as they knelt to pray.
We walked down a narrow set of stairs to an area under the church. There, we viewed what was supposedly Joseph’s workshop.
The mosaic above helped us picture what the workshop might have been like 2000 years ago.
Today, it looks like this:
(You get used to seeing dirt and stones pronounced something significant!)
Was this spot really Joseph’s workshop?
Who knows?
It’s close to Mary’s family’s home–or at least according to what Nazarites told Helena 1700 years ago.
Jesus’ father Joseph– the man himself
What do we know from the Scriptures about Jesus’ father?
Joseph never spoke a word in the Gospel stories.
The Bible tells us about Mary talking.
But Joseph?
We only see his actions.
Despite Mary’s curious story, he accepted the angel’s direction, and his Nazareth life turned extraordinary.
He acted immediately when another angel told him to leave Bethlehem for Egypt.
Another angel in a dream shook him awake and sent the family back to Israel–but not Bethlehem.
Joseph took Mary and Jesus back to Nazareth, where he lived for the rest of his life.
What happened to the boy he raised?
Jesus loved his mother and cared for her. He put up with frustrating brothers and went on to save the world.
Who can doubt but that his father, Joseph, the man, would have been proud?
Tweetables
Jesus’ father, Joseph of Nazareth: actions spoke louder than words. Click to Tweet
Interested in Another Look at the Advent Stories? Available in the Free Resources.
Joseph’s Lullaby–by Mercy Me–is a Christmas carol about him.
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?