The Carpenter's Son ...

Photo Courtesy of Roger Parrett

Is it really important to study the Jewish culture during the time of Jesus? 

Well....He is Jewish. 

Yet we wonder…What was His life really like? 

You may have seen traditional Sunday school material showing Joseph teaching 

Jesus basic carpentry skills. 

We don't know yet one thing is certain … the only wood and nails He worked with were the cross. 

Matthew 13:54-55 says

“He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, 

“Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power?  

Is not this the carpenter’s son? 

Is not his mother called Mary?”

(Jewish Annotated New Testament)

The Greek word for carpenter (tekton) is builder. 

Study of the land and the culture show that Nazareth didn't have many trees. 

It did however have a lot of rocks. 

In those days stones were taken and chiseled to build homes. 

Golgotha we know as the "place of the skull" so named because the stones that were taken from Golgotha for the Temple left impressions in the hillside which resembled a skull. 

Photo Courtesy of Art Hodges

There was even a rock quarry not far from Nazareth on the way to Sepphoris, where according to Josephus, Herod Antipus had a construction project going on which would eventually be called "The Jewel of Galilee”.

There are more references to stones in the Bible than wood. 

Jesus even says later in Matthew 21:42 

"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

You could go on for hours studying rocks and stones and find that Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone and we are lively stones. 

1 Peter 2:5

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

Was Jesus the son of a carpenter? 

We don't know for sure, but what we do know is that He is a builder and has been creating from the very foundation of the world.