Five Ways Joseph Foreshadows Christ

Only six more days until Christmas 2022. Is your shopping done? Are you hosting family this year or traveling? Have you ever considered all the ways Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, was a foreshadowing of God’s Only Begotten? Of course, Christ is the one and only Incarnate Son–fully God and fully man–but Joseph’s birth was also miraculous. Though not a virgin birth, Joseph’s mother Rachel was barren for 6-8 years while her sister Leah gave Jacob son after son after son.

“Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, ‘God has taken away my disgrace.’ She named him Joseph.” Genesis 30:22–24

I’ve spent nearly two years researching Joseph–Jacob’s favorite son from his favorite wife. As I dug deeply into the end of Joseph’s sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 40-47), I was struck anew by the ways his life became a blueprint for the coming Christ.

Jesus in Genesis?

I love that we find the first promise of Jesus Christ immediately after sin entered the Garden of Eden:

[God said to the serpent,] “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

God was saddened by Adam and Eve’s sin, but He wasn’t surprised by it. Even in that poignant moment, He already knew Satan would strike Jesus with a death blow on the Cross. But Jesus would crush Death through the resurrection.

Why is it important to notice the ways Joseph’s life–the favorite of Jacob’s twelve sons–foreshadows the Incarnate Christ born two thousand years later? Because recognizing that Jesus was God’s plan from Genesis to Revelation changes how we read the whole Bible. It makes the Old Testament relevant to us today and gives greater context to everything we read in the New Testament.

When we begin to search for Christ in every passage of Scripture, perhaps we’ll begin to look for Him in every moment of our day too. In every person we encounter in the day. In every circumstance–planned or unplanned. So let’s take a look at Joseph and find echoes of Jesus in his story.

#1 Joseph Was a Shepherd

Before Joseph was sold into slavery, he tended flocks with his brothers:

“Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers.” Genesis 37:2

Jesus was a carpenter by trade, but both He and His Heavenly Father have a soft spot in their hearts for shepherds.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is [Christ], the Lord.'” Luke 2:8–11

Christ even called himself the “Good Shepherd.”

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:11, 14–15

Our Good Shepherd guides us gently with His rod and staff beside still waters (Psalm 23:1-4)…

#2 Joseph Is Loved By His Father & Then Stripped of His Special Cloak

Jacob’s unhealthy favoritism resulted in an extravagant gift. Joseph’s multi-colored coat has been the centerpiece of all sorts of art: portraits, sculptures, even a successful Broadway play (and countless high school dramas)!

But that coat was stripped from Joseph before his brothers threw him into a cistern–just like Jesus was stripped of his specially woven tunic before being hung on the cross.

“When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, ‘They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.’ So this is what the soldiers did.” John 19:23–24

Have you recently had something stripped away? Perhaps something very precious to you? You’re not alone. Jesus knows your pain. He was humiliated for our transgressions, bruised for our sins. He suffered loss beyond anything we can imagine–yet remained loving and full of grace and forgiveness. Focus on the One who  is greater than ALL sin–greater even than the sins perpetrated against you.

#3 Joseph Is Betrayed & Unjustly Condemned

Neither Joseph’s brothers nor Jesus’s Jewish brethren believed the dreams, promises, and prophecies spoken about them.

“‘Here comes that dreamer!’ [Joseph’s brothers] said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.'” Genesis 37:19–20

“After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” John 7:1–5

Though neither Joseph’s brothers nor Jesus’s family actively killed them, their doubt and betrayals led to these righteous men’s condemnation. After Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar’s household, Joseph prospered for a time–as did Potiphar because of Elohim’s favor on Joseph. But when Potiphar’s Wife accused Joseph of attempted rape, he was unjustly condemned just as Jesus was unjustly condemned in Judea.

Those Christ was dying to save stood around Him to watch the suffering…

“The rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.'” Luke 23:35

#4 Joseph Is “Resurrected” To Save the World that Betrayed Him

Joseph had been in prison for YEARS when one morning someone came to the dungeon to fetch him. The king’s cupbearer, whom he’d interpreted a dream for 2 years earlier, had finally remembered to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. Joseph was taken to bathe, shave, and change his clothes before appearing in front of the king.

Was he bitter when Pharaoh told Joseph he’d been summoned to interpret more dreams? The king gave no indication Joseph would be rewarded. Joseph could have said, “Forget it! I owe you Egyptians nothing!” But he interpreted the dream and was given power to save not only Egypt, but also the brothers who betrayed him.

“When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.”  Genesis 41:56–57

And the Living Christ rose from the grave to forgive everyone whose sin put Him on that cross. UH-mazing…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16–17

When I’ve been wronged in some way, can I keep my eyes focused on God–above the injustice–and serve those who treated me unfairly?

#5 Joseph Leads His Brothers to Repentance Through Hardship

I always wondered why Joseph tricked his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy grain. Why put them in jail for three days? Why keep Simeon and send the rest back to Canaan, warning them not to return for more grain unless they brought Benjamin back with them the next time? When they DID return with Benjamin, why act so friendly until they left again and then trick them by hiding Joseph’s silver goblet in Ben’s saddle bag? Joseph then told them he used the cup for divination–WHAT?!?!?!–and threatened to make Benjamin a slave. YIKES!

Then one brother–Judah–steps up as the leader, broken and contrite, and makes a sacrificial offer that reveals a true change in his heart.

“Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’ Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.” Genesis 44:32–33

Joseph needed to see his brothers’ relationships play out before he could fully trust them with the father and little brother he adored.

Jesus Tests His Own

Sometimes Old Testament stories don’t make sense unless we read them through Christ’s blood-stained lens. Just like Joseph could have immediately revealed himself to his brothers and sold them grain, Jesus could have imbued hundreds of disciples with instant power, instant knowledge, and instant resources to spread His message.

But how long would those disciples have lasted when persecution began?

Both Joseph and Jesus proved that worthy relationships are refined through fire and strengthened through hard work. Why should we expect meaningful relationships to be easier or quicker?

Today’s Question:

• Can you think of other ways I didn’t mention that Joseph foreshadowed the Incarnation of Christ?
• Which of the ways I DID mention was most meaningful to you–or something you hadn’t considered?

Tweet-Ables:

• Sometimes Old Testament stories do not make sense unless we read them through the blood-stained life of Christ.
• Both Joseph and Jesus proved that worthy relationships are refined through fire and strengthened through hard work.