Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Joseph the son of Jacob lived in Nazareth a small town in Galilee and worked as carpenter. A carpenter in times of Joseph was well respected in the town of Nazareth and in the surroundings. People needed his work and skill, he worked together with a stonemason building houses and synagogues and what was needed. Joseph as a carpenter made the roofs, the beams, the handles and much of the tools people needed. People depended on carpenters and they were highly respected and earned enough money to support a family.

with respect for their parents and society.

Nazareth a small town, maybe had only one carpenter, Joseph. Because he had learned the trade, he could have been about 30 years of age when he was ready to be betrothed to a girl and support a family. The father of Mary was Heli and the two fathers, Jacob and Heli came together and decided that Joseph and Mary would be a couple that could live in harmony and peace together and raise children with respect for their parents and society.

in Sepphoris Joseph found work

Jacob had to pay Heli money because the lack of labor when Mary left the house. Maybe Jacob the father of Joseph also worked as a carpenter and payed for Mary by carpenter work. Nazareth was a small village, however close, by about 5 miles away lay a town called Sepphoris the capital of Galilee by the time of Joseph. A trading center were people lived and worked and where caravans passed by, both from east and west and south. We can anticipate that in Sepphoris Joseph found work as a carpenter.

Being stoned to death

Mary could have been about 13 years of age, just a girl when she was found with child, she was 6 months pregnant. Mary did not tell anybody; however, people saw it, she had been away for 6 months in the mountain area visiting her relative Elizabeth and obviously she had become pregnant there. Joseph did not say anything either, the matter was clear, Mary had been unfaithful to him, and according to the tradition had to be punished, most likely by being stoned to death.

From their sins.

To save Mary from judgment Joseph prepared to send her away quietly to save her life when an angel visited him in a dream and told that Mary was pregnant by The Holy Spirit. In the times of Joseph, Jews in Galilee believed on YHWH God and knew the scripture which their parents taught them, also being read in the synagogue every week. An angel came to Joseph in a dream and said that Mary would give birth to a Son, and that Joseph should call Him Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.

Flesh and spirit

The angel told this awesome news to a carpenter, the greatest news in history of mankind. The angel said that Jesus means, “saving people from their own sins” not from the sin in the world or in some people, no, the sin in everyone, the sin in me and you. Not sinful actions or sinful thoughts no, the sin in mankind. We are born sinful, nice children are filled with sin. Jesus is at ware against the sin in all people and if being of Jesus you are too, and the weapon you have is a sharp sword that divides flesh and heart or flesh and spirit.

Enemies are everywhere

This sword is the “Word of God” and his name is Jesus and the battleground is your mind, if your mind or your way of thinking is filled with Jesus you are victorious. You win the battle that are going on in your mind and the body listen to you, however you have to keep on fighting because the enemies are everywhere, in friends in family and especially in tv-broadcasts. Remember, your faith comes by what you are listening to.

Spiritual code

The angel told Joseph that Mary had been made pregnant by The Holy Spirit, Joseph believed in God and knew the scripture told by his parents and read in the synagogue every week, so Joseph just accepted it and took Mary into his home as wife. I have studied the Bible in several languages and compared the translations to the basic texts in Hebrew in the OT and Greek in the NT and my conclusion is this. “The Word of God is given to mankind in a spiritual code, to grasp it we need spiritual help and Jesus told us in The Gospel of John that the helper to guide us is Gods Spirit also called The Holy Spirit.” And one of the keys is buried in 1 Corinthians chapter 14.

Questions

1. Do you know The Holy Spirit?
2. Do you stand up for Jesus?
3. Do we need Jesus every day?