Joseph; A Portrait Of The Messiah

Joseph: A Portrait Of The Messiah; Genesis 37

The Bible is all about the Messiah; from the beginning to the end; from Genesis to revelation, He is the main subject. In the O.T. we scores of prophecies foretelling the fact, manner, circumstances, and even the miraculous nature of His birth. Many prophecies spoke of His ministry. Others revealed how He would die. Still others pointed to His resurrection and His ascension.

When Jesus met the two on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, He gave them a Bible lesson; Luke 24:27… “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” So all the prophets, and all the scriptures were prophetic of Christ. Literally hundreds of messianic types and foreshadows were scattered throughout the O.T. But nowhere in the Bible is there a more compelling portrait of the Messiah than in the story of Joseph.

So let us examine the many parallels between Joseph & Jesus. They provide compelling evidence that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be.

I. Both Were Loved by their Fathers

A. Genesis 37:3… Jacob’s loved him dearly, no wonder he was grief stricken when he heard the news that Joseph had been attacked and killed by wild beasts – Genesis 37:34… I couldn’t imagine the pain & sorrow that he went through. No one could console him, because he loved Joseph…

B. Matthew 3:16-17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” How it must have grieved the heart of God to allow His only begotten Son to die.

But Jesus had the power to stop the crucifixion at any time, so why didn’t He? Why was He willing to endure the pain and suffering of the cross. Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Why did God allow Him to Die? John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…”

II. Both Were Shepherds

A. Genesis 37:2… Some of the most prominent characters in the O.T. were shepherds (Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and many more), they were not kings, or noblemen, they were simple hard working men.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent an angel and the heavenly host to announce the birth of the Messiah, but to whom were they sent? Not to kings, politicians, or the social elite, but to shepherds.

B. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd”. John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the Sheep.”

III. Both Were Sent BY Their Fathers TO Their Brothers

A. Genesis 37:12-13… Jacob said go, Joseph said “Here Am I” indicating his willingness.

But when He arrived his brothers were not there… So Joseph sought for them, once he found them they did not receive him as a brother. Instead they conspired to kill him. Why? Because of his claims of preeminence as revealed in his dreams Vs.19.

B. Now watch this, Jesus was also sent by His Father to His brethren. But when He arrived, His brothers, in a spiritual sense were not where they were supposed to be. Instead of being wholly consecrated unto the Lord, they had become corrupt and worldly.

So Jesus sought them – Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” But when He found them, they did not receive Him – John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

IN FACT they conspired to kill Him – Matthew 26:1-4, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.”

Why did they want to kill Him? Because of His claims of preeminence. He said He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and that one day the leaders of Israel would see Him “Sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

IV. Both Had Personal Robes that were Taken Away From Them