Joseph of Nazareth

Joseph of Nazareth a direct lineal descendant of King David, is best remembered as the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus Christ. In fact, the role he played in Jesus' life is one of the finest illustrations of the kind of unquestioning faith to which God often calls His chosen ones.

The Betrothal
We first hear of Joseph when he is betrothed to Mary, and discovers that she is already with child:

Joseph was actually a just man, at least by man's standards. Technically he had grounds to dissolve the engagement, but if he exercised them in the usual way, that would bring upon Mary a disgrace that Joseph did not want to see. But the Lord's messenger assured him that Mary was pregnant for good reason. Faced with that, Joseph did exactly as he was told.

The Birth of Christ
Toward the end of Mary's pregnancy, the Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Octavianus issued a decree to take a census of the entire Roman world. This compelled Joseph and Mary to travel from their home village of Nazareth to Bethlehem, the "family seat" of the Davidic line:

The word rendered "inn" is actually the Greek, which means an upper room or guest room, and not necessarily a public travel hostel. That Bethlehem would be packed with members of Joseph's clan would be a consequence not only of the census but also of its having taken place, as seems most probable, during the season of a major pilgrimage feast, probably the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Flight into Egypt
Shortly after Jesus was born, Joseph received warning to take the Child out of the reach of Herod the Great, who sought to destroy Him: