I just noticed something recently, that I had somehow previously missed. Joseph basically disappears from the bible after Jesus’s birth. I have no idea how I had missed this before.
They were in Bethlehem for a census for taxes. Tax collectors were hated then as now.
Read the second chapter of Luke concerning the episode of Jesus worrying his parents because he was missing in the temple.
The last mention of Joseph in any of the gospels is when Jesus was still a boy and they realize he’s missing when they are heading home from Jerusalem (he’s discussing Scripture and theology with the rabbis back in Jerusalem). The traditional assumption is that he passed away before Jesus began his 3 year ministry as he is never mentioned again.
Weird, huh. Joseph dropped completely out of sight, so it has been presumed since forever that he died in there somewhere.
And then some wealthy man -- a just man named Joseph -- appeared seemingly outta nowhere with enough clout to claim Jesus' body and bury it in his own new tomb.
It's a famous account that few would recognize. Something about a great deliverance..
Merry Christmas!
Luke Chapter 2: Joseph was present when the Lord Jesus was 12. Referred to not by name but as His parents.
It is believed that Joseph died sometime between that point and the time of Jesus' first recorded miracle in His 30's, which was turning water into wine. If you recall from that story, Mary was present and asked Jesus to help the wedding host with running out of wine, but no mention of Joseph.
Another clue of Joseph's absence, particularly a situation where if Joseph would have been expected to be present if he was still alive, is in Luke 4's story of Jesus reading of the scroll of Isaiah 61. Some people refer to this as Jesus' first sermon, and it may have been just that. But some people say, and take this with a grain of salt because it's full of supposition regarding tradition, that it was a custom at the time for a different family each Sabbath to read a portion of the Scriptures aloud there and it just so happened (obviously directed by God) to be Jesus' family's turn to read it on the day when the Scripture portion to be read was one of Isaiah's prophecies about the coming Messiah. The theory is that if Joseph had still been alive then the duty to read it would have fallen to him because he was the elder male of the family. That Jesus was the One to read it suggests that He was the elder living male of the family, thus Joseph would have passed by then.
The last mention of Joseph, husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, was during the temple visit in Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old. Towards the end of their visit, Joseph and Mary got separated from Jesus and were greatly troubled and in anguish. Three days later they finally found Him dialoguing with the religious leaders at the temple. Relieved yet regretful of the worry they suffered, Mary “said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:48, 49).
After being in the temple and understanding the nature of His life on earth, Jesus apparently became more aware of His relationship to His heavenly Father and His mission. It was appropriate then that His earthly “father” Joseph should fade from the gospel picture. The silence of the Scriptures concerning Joseph from this time forth suggests that he did not live to see the opening of Christ’s public ministry.
https://bibleask.org/happened-joseph-marys-husband
The last mention of Joseph is during Jesus Temple visit when Jesus was 12
But Joseph and Mary begat several children after Jesus was born, James being one
Read the 2 genealogies in Mat 1 and Luke 3 and compare. Notice in Matthew that the seed line goes through David to Solomon and goes on till Jeconiah. This same man was called by 2 other names in Scripture. He was also called "Coniah" and "Jehoichin". In Jeremiah 22:30 God was angry with this same man and cursed him. God pronounced that NONE of his descendants would prosper. Being in the line of Jesus would be a problem for him by blood.
Now look at Luke 3:23. We see that Joseph was declared to be the son of Heli. Matthew 1:16 declares Joseph was born of Jacob. God would not recognize Joseph as anything legal in the line of Jesus as he came through Jeconiah who was cursed. So how would Joseph be said to come from Heli, who was actually Mary's father?
Zelophehad is mentioned in Numbers 36 dealing with the problem of a man that was in line to inherit property in the Promised Land but only had daughters and no sons to pass it on to. Moses consulted God and God told him to make a statute found in Numbers 36:6-13. It says that the women can marry who they want as long as they marry within their fathers tribe. When they marry this way, their husbands would be adopted and could hold property for the woman. Joseph would have been cursed according to his relationship to Jechoniah, but when he married Mary, Joseph became legally the son of Heli and could inherit property for her. Joseph couldn't be the blood donor to Jesus due to the curse, but he was the legal father and husband to Mary by adoption. The Holy Spirit supplied the male DNA and Mary provided the egg for Jesus and it could be traced to the line of David on both sides both legally and biologically.
Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter. We know this from the account of when Jesus began teaching in His hometown of Nazareth and His neighbors wondered at His abilities.
Matthew 13:54–55 says, "Coming to his hometown [Jesus] taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?'"
In Mark's Gospel, a bit of different language appears to describe this same encounter: "'Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him" (Mark 6:3).
The word in both accounts that is translated "carpenter," could also mean builder or handyman. So it is possible that "carpenters" were the type of people you called when something needed to be fixed, whether made of wood, stone, or some other material. It is also possible a "carpenter" functioned as a type of civil engineer, possibly even designing bridges or other structures. We don't know for sure that Jesus was trained as a carpenter by Joseph, but it was common practice at that time and at that place.
How amazing to think that Jesus—the creator of the universe, our Savior and Lord, the Word of God, the Son of God—was taught to build things with the very materials He spoke into existence. How even more amazing that He is currently building His church (Matthew 16:18) and preparing a place for all who put their faith in Him (John 14:1–3).