Is Yeshua the son of Yoseph (Joseph)? The question arises because of the theological opinions that Christianity has about the extraordinary birth of Yeshua the Nazarene recorded in the books called Matthew and Luke.
These theological opinions, which have been planted in the mind of believers, claim that Yeshua has no biological father. Christianity further states that Yoseph is the adoptive father of Yeshua. These are theological opinions and they do not reflect what is recorded in the books mentioned; on the contrary, they contradict Scripture. Yeshua is called the son of Yoseph and Yoseph is called his father in various verses as we shall see.
The following verse not only connects Yeshua to Abraham but also to king Dawid (David), the king of *Yisrael.
*[The word Yisra’el is used in reference to the children of the Eternal in past and present times; it is also a spiritual dimension and does not refer to the modern-day nation called Israel]
Matthew 1:1 [The Scriptures - TS]
The book of the genealogy of יהושע{Yehoshua} Messiah, Son of Dawid, Son of Abraham
Clearly this verse tells us that Yeshua is a descendant of king Dawid. The following question then arises, is he a descendant of king Dawid through his father’s line or through his mother’s line, or both?
The text itself gives us the answer
Mathew 1:20 [TS] “Yoseph, son of Dawid, do not be afraid to take Miryam as your wife
And in Luke we find the same information about Yoseph
Luke 1:27 [HRB] ...Joseph of the house of David...
This information is confirmed later on in Luke 2
Luke 2:4 [TS]
And Yoseph also went up...to the city of Dawid...because he was of the house and lineage of Dawid...
Evidently, according to the text in Matthew and in Luke, the husband of Miryam, Yoseph, is a descendant of Dawid as Yeshua is. Miryam is not called a descendant of Dawid in neither Matthew nor Luke. Yeshua is a descendant of Dawid because Yoseph, the husband of Miryam is a descendant of Dawid.
Let us not forget that, in Hebrew culture, the rights to the kingdom are not transferred by adoption in the same way that the rights to the Aaronic priesthood are not transmitted by adoption but by bloodline.
This is the reason why the Eternal will give him the throne of king Dawid
Luke 1:32 [hrb]
And YAHWEH Elohim will give Him{Yeshua} the throne of His father David
If Yoseph is identified as a descendant of Dawid and not Miryam in both Matthew and Luke then it follows that Yeshua is a descendant of the House of Dawid through Yoseph which implies that Yoseph is his father.
If Yeshua was not the biological son of Yoseph, what would be the point in repeatedly identifying Yeshua as a descendant of Dawid. What would the point be in recording Yeshua in the genealogy of Yoseph if he was not his father?
In the last book of Scripture we find the following statements about Yeshua
Revelation 5:5 [TS]
...{Yeshua}the Root of Dawid
And
Revelation 22:16
I{Yeshua} am the Root and the Offspring of Dawid
Going back to Luke where it is recorded that Miryam scolds Yeshua when at a young age he stayed in the temple in Yerushalayim while his parents were on the way home
Luke 2:48 [TS] Son, why have You done this to us? See, Your father and I have been anxiously seeking You.
Miryam identifies Yoseph as the father of Yeshua. Clearly, Yoseph is the father of Yeshua.
In the book of Matthew verse 13 we find the people of Natzareth saying
Matthew 13:55 [TS]
“Is this not the son of the *carpenter? Is not His mother called Miryam? And His brothers Yaʽaqob and Yoseph and Shimʽon and Yehudah?
*(For more information see WAS YESHUA THE SON OF A CARPENTER?, THE BIRTH OF YESHUA and A LAMB BORN IN BETHLEHEM )
The same event recorded in Luke 4 says
Luke 4:22 [TS] Is this not the son of Yoseph?
If Yeshua was not the son of Yoseph (as Christian theology claims), why would the authors of Matthew and Luke say that he was?
And why would his mother and the people of Natzareth do the same? And furthermore, if this were not true , why did Yeshua not correct his mother and the people of Natzareth to clarify the situation?
In the book of John we also see the following
John 6:22 [TS] “Is not this יהושע{Yehoshua}, the son of Yoseph, whose father and mother we know?
And the same book of John confirms it where one of his disciples says that Yeshua is the son of Yoseph
John 1:45 [TS]
Philip found Nethane’l and said to him, “We have found Him whom Mosheh wrote of in the Torah, and the prophets: יהושע of Natsareth – the son of Yoseph.”
According to the Nazarene texts that Christianity calls the New Testament, Yeshua is identified in various occasions as the son of Yoseph and Yoseph was identified as his father. Therefore, Yeshua qualifies to sit on the throne of David. If this were not the case, he would be deemed unfit to assume the role of Messiah.
Source: Avdiel Ben-Oved
Translated by Nazarene Notes