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It just kinda jumped out at me one day while I was reading through the gospel account of our Lord's reception in Nazareth -- "Isn't this Mary's son, the carpenter?" Why was Jesus identified by His relationship with Mary, when just about everyone else in the Bible is identified by the name of his father? I'm assuming you don't start a marriage by running off to spend three months with your cousin (Elizabeth). If I'm not assuming too much (hey, I'm not infallible!) -- then the earliest Jesus could have arrived would have been six months after the wedding. There's a folk saying, "The first baby can come at any time. All the rest take nine months." Still, everyone knows how long gestation normally takes.

Since Joseph is not mentioned in the Gospel narratives during the time of Christ's public ministry, although Mary is present on several occasions, it is likely that Joseph had died sometime prior to the beginning of His ministry. It is possible that the people of Nazareth identified Jesus with His mother, the surviving parent (humanly speaking). Since 30 years had passed since His incarnation, details about family history could well have blurred. Remember that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, over 100 miles south of Nazareth, spent some time there, and then fled to Egypt, where he lived for two years. By the time He and his parents returned to Nazareth, He would have been 3-4 years old.