We are not separate from each other. Some influential modern theologians contend that the Gospels do not communicate the historical truth of Jesus but only pass on the wishful thinking or prejudices of early Christians. Moses spoke with his God Both of them lived as man {Matthew 20:28} and served as PROPHETS! For that matter, why don’t we call his name “Wonderful Counselor” or “Mighty God” or “Prince of Peace”? God the Father is a title given to God in various religions, most prominently in Christianity.In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the third person, God the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Therefore the things I speak, just as the Father has told me [them], so I speak [them].” Jehovah was his father. . Jesus would state "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house? Because Jesus is just like his Father, what you read will also help you come to know Jehovah better. Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life, must be the center, the criteria and the model for our daily lives. Is it theologically and historically correct to call Joseph the father of Jesus? John 14:10-11 . Matt. Matthew 1:19-20Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Do not fear, says the angel, to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 6. The disciples knew him as a man, they did not know him as God. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. His actions toward Mary, his fiance, revealed that he was a kind and sensitive man. First, Luke informs us that when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple to be circumcised, “his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him” (Luke 2:33). . Jesus is qualified to be the faithful witness concerning God's will. First, Jesus isn’t merely God. Jesus… . He was described in the Bible as a righteous man. That’s important for those who live on this sin-cursed planet. The answer is both yes and no. Isaiah 9:6 clearly calls him the Father. Here your father and I in mental distress have been looking for you.” Jesus made it clear. Joseph willingly obeyed God, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. In John 8:26, Jesus said, "...and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him" (cf. Keep the thoug Joseph is the father of Jesus through adoption, by the choice of God, and by marriage to Mary. I am not going to forsake you like orphans. Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus, the man entrusted to raise the Son of God. The Holy Spirit bore witness of Him (John 15:26). They are two distinct witnesses (John5:31,32,37). 16 And if I do judge, my judgment is true: because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. . Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible.If you truly believe and trust … We pray to do the Father’s will on earth as it is in heaven and we ask him to provide for our needs. 15 You can learn a lot about Jesus, his life, and his qualities by reading the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. By the way, the New American Standard translation in v. 18 is accurate; in the Greek, the literal wording is, "the only-begotten God"—another straightforward proof of Christ's deity. In his Summa Theologiae, Thomas writes, “According to Augustine (De Consensu Evangelistarum ii), Joseph is called the father of Christ just as ‘he is called the husband of Mary, without fleshly mingling, by the mere bond of marriage: being thereby united to him much more closely than if he were adopted from another family. Scripture and the earliest Tradition of the Christian faith are clear. Despite the scandal of those who deny the Virgin Birth, we should not deny Joseph his proper place and title as Jesus’ father. Jesus had to be man so He could die. Enjoy the Complete Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus, The Ultimate List of Christmas Bible Verses to Celebrate Jesus' Birth, Chronology of the Birth and Life of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Nazareth: Lessons from a Carpenter, Profile of Jesus Christ, the Central Figure in Christianity, Meet Methuselah: The Oldest Man Who Ever Lived, Meet Nathanael in the Bible, the 'True Israelite', Who Is the Suffering Servant? He obeyed God in the face of severe humiliation. . . Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. A Muslim might argue "Being a father implies having sex", and therfore Allah cannot be the father. Without question, Joseph's leading quality was his righteousness. Neither Trinitarian nor anti-Trinitarian concerns are being discussed in Isaiah 9:6. Such is the law of Love. Then said Jesus, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.'" No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). To be “one,” however, does not mean to be literally one Person. A typical Jew in Jesus' time had only one name, sometimes followed by the phrase "son of [father's name]", or the individual's hometown. As to his deity, Jesus Christ is God the Father. This care helped prepare Jesus for his earthly ministry. Father, you entrusted to Saint Joseph what you held most precious: the child Jesus and his Mother, in order to protect them from the dangers and threats … We know that he passed on the carpentry trade to his son and raised him in the Jewish traditions and spiritual observances. Jesus Christ was eternally in the bosom of the Father, somehow distinct from God yet at the same time identical to Him. MuttleyLaff: "No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only He has seen the Father." However Jesus testified that God the Father was with Him in a mystical way. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). Jesus experienced human limitations; the Father has never been limited Some say that Jesus and the Father are simply different “modes” of the same God (modalism). Caller Question - Jesus tells us to carry our cross, is it important to know what our. To be “one,” however, does not mean to be literally one Person. The Bible does not reveal much detail about Joseph's role as father to Jesus Christ, but we know from Matthew, chapter one, that he was an excellent earthly example of integrity and righteousness. She will bear a son, the angel says, and you will call him Jesus. Those books are called the Gospels. Some have argued that this should be translated "Father of Eternity," but not one major translation translates it that way (see my article: Jesus is the most important person in the history of the world. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus said that one of the distinguishing marks of His true followers was that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23, emphasis added). Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt. Scripture and the earliest Tradition of the Christian faith are clear. He is the one who founded the Christian religion. "Meet Joseph - Earthly Father of Jesus." Jesus said he was the way to the Father; Jesus said he would do whatever we ask in his name; An article on the internet suggests, “If you feel down this week for any reason, because of some sickness, some disappointment, or some problem you face, do not be paralyzed by fears or feelings of helplessness. The Hebrew writer declared that God speaks in His Son (cf. Scripture states, through the authority of an angel, that he was her husband. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, where his pregnant mother and foster father had stopped over for the night, a few kilometres south of Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the Land of Israel. Jesus did not say He was the Father but rather He was the one who perfectly represented the Father. Had Jesus of Nazareth been a Roman or a Greek, certainly his contemporaries would have left behind statues in his honor. Even when personally wronged, he had the quality of being sensitive to someone else's shame. Jesus grew up in the more verdant north of the country, in Nazareth, in the province of Galilee. He did the right thing before God, in the right manner. “The same was in the beginning with God. Deuteronomy 18:15-18 compared to Act 3:22 Emusan: But the Father is in Jesus, can you see your lying mouth? That is why Jesus could say: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also.” Imagine God looking down to choose a man to raise his own son? Even within the Church, many of the poorly catechized would misunderstand the words to mean that Jesus was the result of sexual relations between Joseph and Mary. From Bishop Barron's "Faith Clips" DVD - http://www.wordonfire.org 1:20, 25). Fairchild, Mary. Joseph is known as Saint Joseph by the Catholic Church, as canonized by Pope Pius IX. All that a good father is, Jesus is to his people. They reject the possibility of miracles, so they necessarily reject the possibility of the Virgin Birth. (NIV), Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Cavalry. Jesus was really the product of a rape, and Joseph stepped up to the plate and helped. Those verses that say Jesus 'took' up his life. Jesus’ deity is why He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. Some people read into such verses that Jesus is the Father. (Matthew 4:1-11) Some of Jesus’ own family didn’t believe he was the Messiah and said that he was “out of his mind,” but Jesus kept doing God’s work. God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus. Matthew 16:13-20 Contemporary English Version (CEV) Who Is Jesus? Make that decision. Fr. 10:7). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen Him) - John 6:46 John 6:46 above, makes it very clear and leaves no room for confusion or doubt, that it is only Jesus who came from the Father, that has seen the Father. Implicit in this kind of assertion is the assumption of unitarianism. Sooner or later we will all find our own place in the graveyard. However, in His high-priestly prayer to His Father, Jesus describes an intimate, personal relationship that has existed throughout eternity (John 17:5, NCV). In addition to love and guidance, Joseph equipped Jesus with a worthwhile occupation so he could make his way in a hard land. Jesus will deliver you from sin’s addiction (Romans 6:22), renew your mind (Romans 12:2), and heal your hurts (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Larry M. Toschi, O.S.J., an expert on Joseph, concludes that “because of his true marriage to Mary, Jesus’ Mother, Joseph is truly Jesus’ father, though not in a natural, biological sense. Joseph was possibly the biological father of Jesus, but the Gospels deny it, claiming that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, making him more than a man. (2) He is the Son of God. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. 13:55)” (Joseph in the New Testament, Guardian of the Redeemer Books, 38). Joseph is last mentioned in Scripture when Jesus was 12 years old. However Jesus testified that God the Father was with Him in a mystical way. However, Jesus is unafraid and answers them further regarding his special relationship with God. . And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. Because he owns eternity, he can give us eternal life. In John 14:9-11 Jesus similarly says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”. They knew the way he looked at them, the way he smiled, the way he talked, the aspects of his personality. (i.e. 28 Jesus' healing scriptures taught us that Christ dwells within us. Scripture consistently testifies that Jesus is the second person of the blessed Trinity, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, and the blessed One who came to earth to reveal the Father to humankind (John1:1,14,18; cf.14:9–14). Second, when Mary and Joseph turned back to Jerusalem looking for Jesus and found him in the temple questioning the doctors of the law, Mary asked, “Son, why have you treated us so? No one lives forever. Jesus had to be man so He could die. John 12:50 Also, I know that his commandment means everlasting life. (Also see John 17:5 and Colossians 1:17.) Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020, learnreligions.com/joseph-earthly-father-of-jesus-701091. So what do these skeptical theologians have to do with Jesus and Joseph? Unlike the Father, He is truly God and truly man. Fairchild, Mary. Perhaps this noble quality made him God's choice for the Messiah's earthly father. The void of skepticism is then filled with inventive speculation. First, let’s look at the reasons against calling Joseph the father of Jesus. Thus, in the New Testament, Jesus is commonly referred to as "Jesus of Nazareth" (e.g., Mark 10:47). 13 When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, “What do people say about the Son of Man?” 14 The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah [] or Jeremiah or some other prophet.” 15 Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?” and died in 1 A.D. All of the information that is known about Joseph comes from the New Testament. Jesus’ deity is why He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. How can you come to know Jehovah better? Father Simon Says February 20th - Who Is Jesus - Relevant Radio . Some people read into such verses that Jesus is the Father. This is a direct challenge to those who neglect the Father. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. "Meet Joseph - Earthly Father of Jesus." Had Jesus of Nazareth been a Roman or a Greek, certainly his contemporaries would have left behind statues in his honor. The Bible tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, that Joseph was a righteous man. The God-revealed answer is that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the literal Son of the Supreme Being of all the universe. It is not easy to entrust your children to someone else. 27 The evil spirits fear his name; in his name his disciples perform miracles, for the Father grants all they ask in this name. https://www.learnreligions.com/joseph-earthly-father-of-jesus-701091 (accessed January 22, 2021). Think like Him. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus (Luke3:22) and seeks to glorify Jesus (John16:13–14). When Isaiah 9:6 says that Jesus’ name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, etc., it is not saying that Jesus is the eternal Father, but that he has the characteristics of God. . Scripture recognizes that Jesus is not born of Joseph’s seed, since in his concern about the origin of Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph is told that it is of the Holy Spirit. But, because he is also the Son then he is the Son by relation to the Father. Mercy always triumphs. We know that, although Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34f), his earthly, legal father was Joseph. In John 14:9-11 Jesus similarly says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”. When people hear the term “Son of God” many people assume that Jesus' biological father was God, or the Holy Spirit. The prophets prophesied about Him (Acts 10:43). “And while it is important for the Church to profess the virginal conception of Jesus, it is no less important to uphold Mary’s marriage to Joseph, because juridically Joseph’s fatherhood depends on it. What a marvelous man he must have been; what a wonderful father he proved to be; what an example for all fathers today. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. If Jesus is that God then Jesus is our father. As a physically strong man, Joseph was able to make the arduous journey from Palestine to Egypt, sparing Jesus from death by Herod's soldiers. The glorified Jesus (Father) also baptizes His disciples with the Holy Spirit and power. . 15 You judge according to the flesh: I judge not any man. They consider it blasphemy for him to view God as his Father, as if Jesus’ saying that Jehovah is his Father amounts to making himself equal to God. To call Jesus, “everlasting Father” seems to confuse the Father with the Son–a heresy for which you and I could have been burned at the stake in previous centuries. We’re here today, gone tomorrow. Jesus is our advocate with the Father (1John2:1). But God sent an angel to Joseph to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. Jesus urged us to think of God as our loving father and went a step further by calling him Abba, an Aramaic word roughly translated as "Daddy," to show us how intimate our relationship with him is. On many occasions, Jesus revealed that His teachings came directly from God. God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus. The Bible tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, that Joseph was a righteous man.His actions toward Mary, his fiance, revealed that he was a kind and sensitive man.When Mary told Joseph she … All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:2, 3, KJV). No matter what happened or what his enemies did to him, he was faithful to his Father. Thus Heli marries Jacob's wife and they give birth to Joseph, Jesus' father. If Jesus’ name is “Eternal Father,” then why don’t we call Jesus “Eternal Father”? Joseph was a man of strong conviction who lived out his beliefs in his actions. Each writer also follows the predictable path of rationalist reduction. In each case, Jesus explicitly calls the Father “my God.” Jehovah’s Witnesses conclude from these passages (and others like them) that Jesus cannot possibly be God. They might interpret the phrase “father of Jesus” as a denial of the Virgin Birth of our Lord. Meet Joseph - Earthly Father of Jesus. Deuteronomy 33:9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 434 Jesus' Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the "name which is above every name". . Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. In this skeptical environment, many people would misunderstand if they heard someone call Joseph the father of Jesus. Speak His language. Jesus is the only way to the Father. God entrusts our children, our parents, our siblings, our work, the earth and our possessions to us. 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