The phrase "being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph" appears in Luke 3:23, which is part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ and the Christmas story.
Luke 3:23 - Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
In this short post, we will explore the significance of this statement, and what it means.
The Meaning Of "As Was Supposed The Son Of Joseph"
Context in Luke's Gospel
This phrase is found in the introduction to the genealogy of Jesus. The exact phrase “being (as was supposed) the son of” is unique and only found in Luke 3:23. Luke carefully presents the lineage and origin of Jesus to establish His connection to humanity and His legal right to the Davidic line, and yet His virgin birth which is necessary to His claim as the Messiah.
Key Meaning of "(as was supposed)"
First, the phrase acknowledges that people commonly assumed Jesus was the biological son of Joseph because Joseph was His legal father and raised Him. Here are three examples from scripture of people assuming Jesus is Joseph's (biological) son.
John 6:42 - They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?’ We see in this verse the common assumption among people that Joseph was Jesus' biological father, based on their familiarity of Jesus' family.
Matthew 13:55 - Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? Again, people identify Jesus as Joseph’s son, revealing how He was perceived in His earthly life.
Luke 4:22 - And all were speaking well of Him, and were amazed at the gracious words that were coming from His lips; and they were saying, ‘Is this not Joseph's son?’ This verse highlights the amazement of the people of Nazareth, who had difficulty reconciling Jesus’ wisdom and power with their assumption about His earthly parentage.
Secondly, it also subtly points to the truth of the virgin birth. Jesus was not Joseph's biological son but was conceived by the Holy Spirit, as described earlier in Luke 1:34-35 - And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy—the Son of God.
Thirdly, this parenthetical phrase emphasizes the distinction between the public perception (that Joseph was biological father of Christ) and the divine reality of Jesus' origin being a supernatural activity.
Why This Phrase Is Important
It reinforces the dual nature of Jesus: fully human through Mary and fully divine as the Son of God.
It highlights the humility of Jesus' earthly life, where He was seen as an ordinary carpenter's son, despite His divine purpose and calling.
In summary, "as was supposed" gently corrects the assumption that Jesus' relationship to Joseph was biological, affirming the miraculous nature of His birth and His identity as the Son of God.
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