Scrap of Paper: Jesus Married?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2012.

It was in the news recently that a scrap of paper was found that might suggest that Jesus had married.  Horse manure!

Jesus was on a mission from his father, God, to come to the earth and do what?  To make babies the normal way?  Certainly not!  

Jesus’ mission was to come down to earth from heaven, and be the savior, the Messiah, for the whole world—to make spiritual babies—to get people born again spiritually.

And that is what Jesus spent his time doing from the start of his ministry at about age thirty until he was crucified.  Preaching the gospel, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons.  

Jesus didn’t really have time to raise a family.  His step-father Joseph was a carpenter.  No doubt Jesus did some carpentry work.  But it is also known from the Bible that Jesus prayed a lot, sometimes rising up early in the morning to pray, and sometimes praying all night.

The years prior to Jesus’ ministry were not years of leisure.  He was preparing for his earthly ministry.  At age twelve he stayed behind in Jerusalem, in the temple talking with the doctors while Joseph and Mary were going from Jerusalem.  (Luke chapter 2)

One time his mother and half-brothers went to see Jesus.  Jesus was told, “Your mother and brothers are here.”  Jesus answered, “My mother and brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:20,21)

Jesus regarded his followers as his family, more so than his kinfolk.

The Bible tells us a great many things about Jesus.  Four whole books in the New Testament are narratives about the life of Jesus.  We are told Joseph’s genealogy and Mary’s genealogy.  We are told who Jesus’ disciples were, who his adversaries were, names of people he healed, names of people he talked with.  But there’s nothing about a wife and children.  Why?  Because there was no wife or children, except for spiritual children, born again from listening to Jesus, and believing his words.  

People who take seriously that scrap of paper are people who don’t take the Bible seriously.

In one place Jesus said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened ‘til it is accomplished.” (Luke 12:50)

Straitened means restricted.  Jesus was not at liberty to live a life of leisure.

In another place it says they didn’t even have enough leisure to eat.  

The notion that Jesus married is foolishness.  The Bible would have mentioned it if that were the case, and the Bible doesn’t.