What Was Jesus' Profession? 

What Was Jesus' Profession?

Before Jesus began his ministry, he worked as a "τέκτων", commonly translated as "carpenter" or "day laborer". As Mark writes about Jesus, "[i]s not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him," (Mark 6:3 KJV). In fact, Joseph— the Father of Jesus— was also a carpenter (Matthew 13:55).

Among the early church, we also have many writings speaking of his early acts. Justin writes that "when Jesus came to the Jordan, He was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter; and He appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He was deemed a carpenter (for He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making ploughs and yokes; by which He taught the symbols of righteousness and an active life)" (Dialogue with Trypho, Ch 88).

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Translated by Marcus Dods and George Reith. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/01286.htm.