UNIVERSITY PRESS

Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.



Jesus Christ
The Passion

The Family of Jesus
by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.

Jesus ("Joshua") was the firstborn son of Joseph, a "carpenter." Jesus also had at least two sisters and four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13).

The name of Jesus ("Joshua") was fortuitous. "Joshua" was also he who led the Jewish people into the Promised land. It was Joshua whom God appointed as the successor to Moses.

"Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel." -Joshua 1.

Joshua was also a mighty warrior.

To the followers of Jesus, the name "Joshua" was thus of prophetic significance. Just as Joshua followed Moses, the law giver and the Greatest prophet, leading the people to the promised land, Jesus ("Joshua") would also lead them and then fulfill the promise of the New Covenant.

Some assume Jesus must have been born into humble circumstances because his father was a "carpenter." The term "Carpenter" however, may be misleading. A "carpenter" is also a builder, and the term may in fact refer to a contractor with a workforce that constructs dwellings for the people. The parents of Jesus may well have been aristocrats--which is exactly what we might expect of a man, Joseph, who traces his lineage to King David, and whose wife is the cousin of a high priest, Zacharias.

That this family was not impoverished, is also suggested by nature of their friends. For example, there is the "governor" who attends a wedding at which Mary, the mother of Jesus, appears to play hostess, and to which Jesus ("Joshua") is called.

This family, and Jesus himself, had in fact, numerous well-to-do friends and benefactors, including those who showered upon the family precious gifts long before Jesus began his ministry. Indeed, the aristocratic bloodline would explain why at his birth, Jesus was showered with gold and precious gifts: "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." -Matthew 2.

That this family frequently traveled about the country, including even taking a journey to Egypt where they dwelled for some time, certainly does not lend itself to a suggestion of impoverishment. Mary (Miriam), the mother of Jesus, also may well have been of Jewish priestly royalty or of noble birth. Her cousin was married to a high priest at the Temple, and yet another sister (also named Mary) was the wife of Cleophas (John 19). Cleophas (also spelled Cleopas) is a name associated with royalty, i.e. Cleopatra; and it is not uncommon for royal families to intermarry--in this case progeny from the royal houses of Egypt and Israel.

The family of Jesus also traveled to Egypt, and this is where they stayed for a number of years, possibily in the house of relatives, i.e. Cleophas:

"And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of theLord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." -Matthew 2

Then there are the extremely rich and wealthy friends and "disciples" of Jesus, including, Lazarus of Bethany, Joseph of Arimathaea, and Nicodemus, "a ruler of the Jews" (John 3:1). Nicodemus may have also been the "ruler of the feast" who attended a wedding seemingly hosted by Mary (John 2).

Mary, we are told, also had command over numerous servants and appears to have had an incredible amount of leisure time at her disposal. For a woman of that period, Mary had an uncommon freedom of movement, even traveling long distances, alone, to visit and stay with relatives in the Temple.

As detailed in the Gospel of Luke: "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth....And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house."

There is also the story of a huge wedding in Galilee, at which Mary appears to have played hostess--a wedding attended by a "governor" and numerous servants whom she commanded.

The family, in fact could trace its ancestry to the royal house of King David from whose blood line the Messiah would spring.

That Jesus was of royal blood is repeatedly stressed in the Gospels, and this is exactly what one would expect of He who is destined to become King of the Jews.

By contrast, there is no suggestion that his family was poor.

A king does not ascend to the throne dressed in rags.





Jesus Christ
The Passion

And the Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

ISBN 0-9749755-4-0

350 pages, $14.05


Jesus Christ
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CONTENTS

    Part I: Jesus Christ - The Passion

  • The Passion of Jesus: Death....

  • The Covenant With God...

  • The Last Times....

  • John the Baptist - Messenger of God...

  • Who and What Is the Messiah....

  • Is Jesus the Messiah....

  • The Messiah Must Die....

  • The Family of Jesus....

  • A Messiah is Born.....

  • Jesus Is Called to Marriage....

  • Born Again Into the Family of God.....

  • John the Baptist: Annointing the Messiah ....

  • The Annointing: Born Again....

  • The Spirit of Temptation....

  • The Messiah Begins His Mission ....

  • The Secret Messiah....

  • The Old and New Convenant...

  • The Harvest Is Plenteous. The Labourers Are Few...

  • Gentiles Receive The New Convenant ....

  • They Repented Not: The Message of Jesus Rejected....

  • The Murder of John the Baptist ...

  • Onward to Judah and Jerusalem....

  • The Kingdom of Heaven: The Disciples Doubt & Do Not Understand....

  • The Death and Ressurrection of Lazarus....

  • The Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem & the Temple of God....

  • Passover: Sacrifice of the Lamb of God...

  • Jesus Betrayed: The Last Supper...

  • The Arrest and Trial of Jesus Christ....

  • The Crucifixion...

  • The Death of Jesus...

  • The Destruction of Jerusalem...

  • The Anti-Christ....




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