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Luke 2: 1, 3-7
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary... And the angel said unto her Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus."
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Luke 2: 1, 3-7
"Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled ... And Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to enrol himself with Mary, being great with child. And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." The Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrandt - 1646
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Luke 2: 8, 16
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night... And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
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The Wise Men
Matthew tells us that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, three wise men came to Jerusalem and later to Bethlehem seeking this new born king. We also know that they were guided by a wonderful new star that appeared in the sky.
We do not know just what countries they may have come from, probably small kingdoms on the other side of the great desert which separated their homes from the place where Jesus was born; but we do know that they came from the east, doubtless mounted on picturesque camels, whose padded hoofs could easily withstand the burning heat of desert lands.
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• The first king brought gold, doubtless for a crown with which to honor the new king.
• The second king brought frankincense, a very sweet, spicy perfume which, when it is burned, makes a spiral smoke that rises heavenward.
• The third king brought myrrh, a spice always used in the burial service in the East.
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The Flight into Egypt
Matthew 2: 13-15
"And when [the wise men] were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt; and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. "
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Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus on their way to Egypt, fleeing from Herod.
"The Flight into Egypt" by Vittore Carpaccio - Year 1500
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Joseph
All that is known about Joseph is found in the Gospels (primarily Matthew 1-2, but also in Luke 1-2). Joseph, descended from the royal line of David, was the husband of Mary. He saw to Jesus' education and taught him his trade of carpentry or building. Joseph's disappointment upon learning of Mary's pregnancy was said to be assuaged by an angelic vision, and he was the recipient of two more visions: one telling him to seek refuge in Egypt to escape Herod's persecution, and the second, to return to Palestine. Joseph bore the responsibilities of a father perfectly. A dream told him that King Herod planned to kill the infant Jesus. Joseph took Mary and Jesus away by night to Egypt and thus saved the life of the Savior. He kept the child hidden from Herod's son in case he, too, would have harmed Jesus.
Joseph was with Mary in the stable at Bethlehem when Jesus was born. He was looking after the mother and child when the shepherds and the Magi came to worship him. He took Mary and Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to God in the Temple. He shared Mary's anxieties for her son when Jesus was presumed lost, after their visit to the Temple when he was 12.
After this no more is heard of Joseph in the New Testament except in Luke 4:22, where he is named as the father of Jesus. He is not mentioned as being present at the crucifixion, a fact that persuaded many artists to portray him as an old man who had presumably died by the time Jesus was in his early thirties. The few Biblical particulars give an impression of a just, kind, dignified and level-headed man.
