Key Verse – Matthew 1:19-20 “So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

We don’t know much about Joseph, only a few verses in the gospels that tell us that he was from the lineage of David and that he too was visited by an angel who convinced him to move forward with his marriage to Mary. Other than that, the only thing we really know about this man is that he was a carpenter by trade and he was visited by an angel several more times in dreams in Jesus’ younger years and that he obeyed those instructions as well. Scripture doesn’t mention Joseph after that. 

Think and journal about:

• Why do you think so little is known about Joseph?
• If you think about it, Joseph is somewhat of a background character in this whole story. What are some of the feelings you think Joseph wrestled with? As Jesus’ Father? As Mary’s husband? As a Jewish man?

Deep dive scripture: Matthew 1:19-25, 2:13-23