In the first verse of the first gospel as it appears in our New Testament, Matthew calls Jesus Christ “the son of David” as if it were a sort of preface to the genealogy he is about to write, and perhaps, a preface to Matthew’s entire testimony of the Savior. Following this preface is the line of royal descent from Joseph, Mary’s husband, back to David, King of Israel (Cf. Matthew 1:1-16).  Because Joseph is listed as a descendant of David, Joseph can also be called a son of David.

Joseph treated Jesus as if He were his own son, and by those who knew not of His divine origin Jesus was presumed to be “the son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23), or “the carpenter’s Son” (Matthew 13:55).  It may be said, then, that Jesus is the adopted son of Joseph.  However, Joseph was not Jesus’ literal Father.  As James E. Talmage explained,

“That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the “Son of the Highest” (Jesus the Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret, 1922. 82).

Hence Christ is called the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh; he had a mortal mother and an immortal Father.  Therefore, in order for Jesus to be a literal descendant (and therefore a son) of David, Mary must also have been of Davidic descent.  Talmage explained further that:

“A personal genealogy of Joseph was essentially that of Mary also, for they were cousins. Joseph is named as son of Jacob by Matthew, and as son of Heli by Luke; but Jacob and Heli were brothers, and it appears that one of the two was the father of Joseph and the other the father of Mary and therefore father-in-law to Joseph.  That Mary was of Davidic descent is plainly set forth in many scriptures; for since Jesus was to be born of Mary, yet was not begotten by Joseph, who was the reputed, and, according to the law of the Jews, the legal father, the blood of David’s posterity was given to the body of Jesus through Mary alone” (Jesus the Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret, 1922.  87).

Jesus is therefore a son of David.  But because the title “son of David” recognizes the genealogy of Jesus Christ means it must have a deeper meaning.  In order to find out what this deeper meaning is, the title itself must be defined.

David was the great king of ancient Israel.  His reign “was the most brilliant of Israelitish history, for (1) he united the tribes into one nation, (2) he secured undisputed possession of the country, (3) the whole government rested upon a religious basis, and the will of God was the law of Israel (Bible Dictionary: David).  Because David was king of Israel, his descendents, under the patriarchal order, were entitled to the throne.  However,

“At the time of the Savior’s birth, Israel was ruled by alien monarchs. The rights of the royal Davidic family were unrecognized; and the ruler of the Jews was an appointee of Rome. Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Ibid. 88).

Finally, perhaps the analysis can go one step further if we distinguish “son of David” with a lowercase ‘s’ from “Son of David” with a capital ‘S.’  The lowercase ‘s’ version denotes any son or descendant of David.  Absalom, Amnon, Solomon, and others are given this title (Cf. 2 Samuel 13:1, 2 Chronicles 1:1).   But the title “Son of David” with a capital ‘S’ is reserved for only one being that has ever walked the earth.  It is applied only to Jesus of Nazareth, usually when asked to perform a miracle.  Hence, by addressing “Jesus as Son of David” one “demonstrates . . . belief that He was the Messiah of Israel” (Ibid. 335).

Messiah is an Aramaic word that means “the anointed” (Bible Dictionary: Messiah).  In Old Testament times, kings were anointed to their offices, as were priests, high priests, and prophets (Cf. 1 Samuel 10:1, Exodus 40:15, Leviticus 21:10, 1 Kings 19:16).  It is, therefore, fitting that Jesus is called Messiah—the Anointed One—for He is Prophet, Priest, and King.  David was anointed when he became king of Israel, and he, as heretofore quoted, “united the tribes into one nation, . . . secured undisputed possession of the country, . . .  and [made] the will of God . . . the law of Israel” (Bible Dictionary: David).  David, in a sense, delivered Israel.  It is therefore also fitting that the Anointed One—the Messiah—“denotes the King and Deliverer whose coming the Jews were eagerly expecting” (Bible Dictionary: Messiah).  The Jews were “eagerly expecting” that Deliverer because the Old Testament is full of references, types, shadows, and prophecies of the coming of One who would unite Israel once and for all, give them the law of God to live by, and deliver unto them their nation.  This Deliverer was and is Jesus the Christ, the Son of David.

Joseph: Witness of Birth of Christ

The birth of Jesus Christ is a miraculous and beautiful story. Our joys where born when He was born. Jesus Christ is definitely the Author of our Salvation!  For those who don’t know Him, we invite you to read, study, hear His word, see His life, and engage in a relationship with Him through prayer to the Father in His name. He is real. He is not just a wise man who lived in the Meridian of time. He is the Son of God.  The birth of  Christ is the beginning of His mortal mission, but not the beginning of His life or plan of happiness. He lived in the realms above, as we did, in the presence of God before coming to earth.

Regarding the birth of Christ, according to Joseph McKonkie, we have no scriptural record of any words spoken by Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. Despite the lack of words, Joseph’s testimony as to Jesus Christ‘s divine sonship is most eloquent. He was, as we are told, a “just man,” meaning that he lived the law of Moses with exactness and honor. We know that he dreamed dreams and entertained angels. Further, we know that he was faithful in keeping the law of Moses, so he faithfully heeded each divine direction that was given to him. Surely his unquestioning obedience is evidence of belief.

It included taking Mary, who carried another’s child as his wife, and knowing “her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son,” naming Him Jesus, fleeing by night with Mary and the holy child to Egypt, remaining in Egypt until directed to return, and then living in Galilee rather than Judea upon their return (see Matthew 1:19-21, 25; 2:13-23). Each action witnessed anew Joseph’s conviction that this child was indeed the Hope of Israel, the Son of God.

Sperry Symposium Classics, Joseph Fielding McConkie, 2006, Brigham Young University & Deseret Book, 112.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the birth of Christ at the official site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”).

The birth of Christ is a grand event in Christianity.

Request your free copy of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and a Companion to the Bible.

At the beginning of Jesus Christ‘s ministry, Joseph, his adopted father, had probably already passed away. Because the average life expectancy was low and occupational accidents high, this conclusion seems rather natural. Perhaps Joseph’s death may also have been recent; those who knew Jesus Christ also knew Joseph or knew of him (John 1:45; 6:42).

This tradition is strengthened by the fact that Luke records an event from the life of Joseph when Jesus was twelve years old but then never mentions him again as living (Luke 2:43-48). Mark, who records events from Jesus’ life only after his baptism, never mentions Joseph. Those who knew Jesus’ Christ‘s family were familiar with his mother, brothers, and sisters but do not seem to be acquainted with his father other than recognizing his occupation (John 7:3, 5; Acts 1:14; Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Based on the best textual evidence, Jesus’ younger half-brothers were named Jacob, Joseph (Joses), Simon, and Judah, indicating that Joseph and Mary named one of their sons after Joseph.

The New Testament preserves two references to Joseph’s occupation, both calling him a tekt?n (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Tekt?n has been interpreted in various ways since New Testament times, including the generally accepted terms “carpenter” or “builder.” He may have built household furniture or homes working specifically with lintels and joists (the main wood components in a first-century house). Later traditions describe his employment as “making plows and yokes” for oxen (Didache 88:8). Another tradition prefers interpreting the word for carpenter as a homebuilder (Gospel of James 9:3). Some modern scholars point out the tekt?n can also mean a stonemason. In a small village like Nazareth, we could expect Joseph to use his talents in various ways to support his family, including working with wood and stone.

Christian art has usually depicted Joseph as older, sometimes significantly older, than Mary. This fanciful tradition likely stems from a late-second-century apocryphal work knows as the Protoevangelium of James 9.2, which reports that Joseph was already an old man when he married Mary. According to the legend, Joseph had already raised a family in his youth, and after losing his first wife, he decided to marry a young woman under a Nazarite vow. This legend was widely known among church leaders of the second and third centuries, with references to it being made by Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and Justin. The details of this story cannot, however, be verified historically; yet its influence can still be felt today in Christian art.