Joseph Pictured Christ – Part 4

The similarities keep piling up.  God used the life of Joseph in many ways to foreshadow the life and work of Jesus Christ.  Here are some more ways that we see Christ in the Scriptures thru Joseph.

Joseph had one unsuccessful defender

Genesis 37:20  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Genesis 37:21  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Genesis 37:22  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Rueben is the only one that stood up and pleaded that they do not kill Joseph.  And Rueben’s intent is also interesting.  He wanted to release him.  His plan was to restore Joseph’s freedom.  But his brothers would not allow it.  He obviously could see their evil intent.  So he planned to come back later and get him out of the pit and release him.

Genesis 37:29  And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

Joseph’s one defender was not successful.

Jesus also had one unsuccessful defender

John 19:12  And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Pilate found no fault in Jesus.  He tried to get the people to accept His release but they would not have any part of that.  Pilate tried to get them to accept Jesus’ release by giving them the option to release either Barabbas who was a murder or Jesus who did nothing wrong.

Mark 15:7  And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

Mark 15:8  And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

Mark 15:9  But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

Mark 15:10  For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

Joseph’s brothers wanted him killed for envy and it was the same with Jesus.

Joseph was stripped of his garments and so was Jesus

Genesis 37:23  And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

Matthew 27:28  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

Joseph’s grief fell on hard hearts

Genesis 37:25  And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Picture the scene for a moment.  Joseph has done nothing wrong.  He was simply on an errand from his father to do his will.  No doubt he is troubled, crying unto them to listen to reason.  Joseph is in distress, going thru grief and what does his brothers do?  Do they sympathize?  Do they listen to what he says?  Do they show any care at all for what he is going thru?  No.  Not even a little bit.  Instead you find them sitting down to eat.  To fill their own bellies.

Now take a look at the scene with Jesus and the Jews.

Matthew 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there;

Matthew 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Matthew 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

You see people with the same hard hearts.  They are sitting down just like Joseph’s brothers.  And in case you don’t think they had any compassion for the grief that Jesus was going thru, just read the next verses.

Mark 15:29  And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

Mark 15:30  Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

Mark 15:31  Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

Mark 15:32  Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

They railed on Jesus, they mocked Him, and they reviled Him.

The grief that Joseph went thru fell on the hard hearts of his brethren.  That was just a slight foreshadowing of how it would be with Jesus.  Of course is was many times worse with Jesus.

What is even sadder to me, is that this attitude still goes on today.  There are many who look at what Jesus went thru for them, and it just falls on hard hearts.  They still rail on Him, and mock, and revile The Saviour.  He went thru that grief that they could be saved from an eternity in hell.  I pray that is not you.

I hope that His grief does not fall upon your hard heart.  Instead I hope that you will let His grief affect you.  Realize what He went thru to offer you salvation and accept it.

John 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

See more on Jesus in the Old Testament