When God chose who Jesus’ parents would be on earth, he settled for a very humble couple with a humble background, Mary and Joseph. During those times, there weren’t as many jobs as you can find in the modern world, and people had to involve themselves in something to sustain themselves. Jesus worked as a carpenter for many years before officially starting his ministry as the Messiah. This leads to people wondering, “why was Jesus a carpenter?”
Jesus was a carpenter mainly because his earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter. During the times of Jesus, sons could mostly end up working in the same field as their father, as it was easier for them to learn the skills. Additionally, some scholars imply that Jesus’ carpentry career had significance later in his life as the Messiah; therefore, it was important for him to do that growing up.
So, where in the bible does it say Jesus was a carpenter? When did Jesus become a carpenter? Did Jesus purposely choose to become a carpenter? Was there a significance of Jesus being a carpenter? What was it like for Jesus to be a carpenter? How long did Jesus work as a carpenter? Read on to know the answers to these questions and many more.
Where in the bible does it say Jesus was a carpenter?
There is only one instance in the bible in which Jesus is referred to as the carpenter in Mark 6:3. It was a time Jesus had begun his ministry and had gone back to his hometown together with his disciples. While there, the sabbath came, and Jesus went into the synagogue and started teaching.
People who knew him were, however, surprised by the things he was saying and even wondered where his wisdom came from. This is because they mainly knew him as a simple carpenter whose mother and sibling were also common people in the hometown. Mark 6:3 says, “isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.”
From the above scripture, the people in his hometown were shocked because Jesus lived almost all his life around them, and they knew what he did for a living. This also shows that before he baptized and started preaching, Jesus might have lived a very simple life and never hinted to his mates that he was the King and the Messiah they were waiting for.
When did Jesus become a carpenter?
It is impossible to know the exact ear when Jesus became a carpenter or how old he was at the start of his career. However, several scholars suggest that Jesus may have become a carpenter at twelve or thirteen. During ancients times, there were no schools that children were required to attend, and so once one hit a maturing age, they were enrolled in any skill that would see them have a career for boys, as the girls were taught more about the responsibilities of the house, and how to take care of their husbands. It is to be remembered that the Jews married at a relatively earlier age than modern times, leading them to mature early. It is safe to conclude that Jesus became a carpenter in the early teens of his life and was probably working as an apprentice of his earthly father, Joseph.
Did Jesus purposely choose to become a carpenter?
We cannot conclusively say that Jesus chose to become a carpenter out of his own will. We can, however, suggest that his father, God, chose his career path for him by choosing him n earthly father, who was a carpenter. Before he chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, God already knew that she had been betrothed and probably knew everything about her future husband, Joseph. With this, scholars imply that maybe God wanted him to be a carpenter to strengthen his physical body and know the basics of physical construction, as it would be of significance to his spiritual call.
Secondly, Jesus did not choose to become a carpenter but became one anyway because his father, Joseph, was already a carpenter. As already mentioned, it was rare for sons to partake in a different career path from what their fathers did, as they were required to start learning from their fathers as soon as they reached a certain age or maturity. Jesus could also have been a tax collector if his father had been one.
Was there a significance of Jesus being a carpenter?
Scholars have agreed that Jesus’ career was significant to his mission and what he had been sent on earth to do. To start with, bible scholars from got question ministries have suggested that the word carpenter means a lot more than the simple definition, and Jesus was probably involved in more than making furniture out of wood. The word carpenter used in the bible was derived from the Greek word ‘tekton,’ meaning an artisan, contractor, handyman, or even Mansory. With these, scholars have argued that there is a probability that Jesus’ work involved various things and that there is a chance he even worked on building projects.
The significance of Jesus being a carpenter is connected to how his life would end. He was crucified on a cross, something that needed the expertise of a carpenter to be made. This signified that he would later use something he was very familiar with, a wooden cross, to bring salvation to the people.
Jesus’ work as a carpenter is also linked to what he would later prophecy about the temple, suggesting that he was likely involved in building it too. In John 2:19, Jesus dared the Jews to destroy the temple, as he would rebuild it again. This was connected to his death, signifying his resurrection after death.
Jesus also prophesied that he would build a church, according to Mathew 16:18. Jesus would never have known about building anything if he was not a carpenter.
What was it like for Jesus to be a carpenter?
As mentioned above, Jesus’ carpentry involved more than making furniture from wood. Several scholars have suggested that there is a probability that Jesus was also involved in works that required using wood, stones, or even metals. Gallatay, a bible scholar, suggests several reasons Jesus could have been a stonemason. One, because most of the homes in Israel during the times of Jesus were constructed with stones and not wood because trees were scarce in the region. Bible scholars agree that Jesus was a man of many skills, not just the carpentry part that most people think.
How long did Jesus work as a carpenter?
Supposing he began his carpentry work at twelve years old, the bible tells us that he started his ministry when he was about thirty. When we get the difference, Jesus likely worked as a carpenter for about eighteen years. However, there is no evidence that backs this figure.
References
What evidence is there that Jesus was a carpenter?
Why did Christ choose to become a carpenter?
Jesus and the meaning of carpenter?
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
