What is the meaning of Matthew 13:55? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? • The townspeople of Nazareth identify Jesus by Joseph’s trade: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55; cf. Mark 6:3). • Scripture presents Joseph as a working man (Matthew 1–2), underscoring Jesus’ humble upbringing, fulfilling Isaiah 53:2—“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him.” • Their question reveals unbelief; they cannot reconcile ordinary origins with extraordinary wisdom and power (Matthew 13:54). Luke 4:22 and John 6:42 record the same stumbling. • Philippians 2:5-8 shows the wider truth: the Son “made Himself nothing… being made in human likeness.” His lowly background magnifies divine condescension. Isn’t His mother’s name Mary • Mary is mentioned matter-of-factly because everyone in Nazareth knew her. Yet Luke 1:26-38 reminds us she conceived by the Holy Spirit, fulfilling Isaiah 7:14. • Her life of obedience—pondering God’s work (Luke 2:19) and standing by the cross (John 19:25-27)—contrasts with the crowd’s skepticism. • The reference affirms Jesus’ real family ties and real humanity. While fully God, He is also “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? • The villagers list four brothers and, by implication (Matthew 13:56), sisters—ordinary relatives who once misunderstood Him (John 7:3-5). • Scripture treats these men as literal half-brothers: – James becomes a pillar of the Jerusalem church (Acts 1:14; Galatians 1:19). – Judas is likely author of the epistle of Jude. • Their later faith (1 Corinthians 15:7 records a post-resurrection appearance to James) highlights transforming grace: those slow to believe become leaders in Christ’s mission. • For the Nazarene crowd, however, familiarity bred contempt; their knowledge of His family blinded them to His divine identity (Matthew 13:57). summary Matthew 13:55 shows neighbors grappling with Jesus’ humble family background—Joseph the carpenter, Mary His mother, and four named brothers. Their question reveals a heart issue: valuing earthly familiarity over prophetic fulfillment. Scripture affirms both Jesus’ ordinary upbringing and His extraordinary nature, inviting us to move beyond skepticism to worship the incarnate Son who stepped into a carpenter’s home to bring the kingdom of heaven to ours. |
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