SERIES: Jesus in the Life of…
Study 3: Joseph The Suffering Servant DATE: 03/02/2010
Joseph is one of the most striking types of Jesus in the Old Testament. In Jewish thought, the Messiah was pictured as the son of David, but also as the son of Joseph. As the son of David he would rule upon David’s throne bringing glory to Israel and peace to the world. Yet they also pictured him as the son of Joseph – someone who would suffer at the hands of his brothers before being exalted. So let’s look at some of the clearer pictures in Joseph’s life that have their fulfilment in the life of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.
- 1. Greater than His brothers
Gen 37:5-8 ‘And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.’
Even from an early stage Joseph was different. Genesis 37:3 tells us that Joseph was Jacob’s most loved son. And from the dreams he had it was clear that he would one-day rule over his brothers and for this they hated him. Jesus encountered the same reaction both from those in his hometown as well as from his actual brothers. After trying to teach and minister in His hometown He was met with the following response –
Matt13:55-57 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”
While the nation’s leaders called Jesus possessed, even some of those in His own family wouldn’t acknowledge Him. We read in John 7:5 that His own brothers were asking for more signs.
John 7:5 ‘…For neither did his brethren believe in him.’
- 2. Conspired to kill Him
Gen 37:18-19 “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh; 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..”
Because of jealousy and envy, Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill Joseph. What they hated most were the dreams that elevated Joseph above themselves. They also hated the fact that their father Jacob dearly loved Joseph and their jealousy and anger led to a plan to destroy him. In like manner the leaders of Israel hated Jesus because He didn’t submit Himself to their rule but showed through word and deed that He was above them. His claims to be from heaven, to be greater than Abraham, or to be the one of whom Moses wrote, met with venomous reactions and culminated in a plot to take His life.
Matt 26:3-4 ‘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.’
- 3. Betrayed for measly silver coins
Gen 37:26-28 ‘And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt..’
The anger and jealousy reached its peak and Joseph was sold and betrayed for 20 measly pieces of silver! And note also who it was that lead the betrayal – Judah! This is translated from the Hebrew name ‘Yehuda’, and it is the same name which can be translated Judas! No surprises then that Jesus, like Joseph, would be betrayed by one of those closest to him – this time for a great total of 30 silver pieces!
Matt 26:14-16 ‘Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.’
This was of course, a fulfillment of the great prophecy in Zech 11:12-13 where God himself is priced at 30 pieces of silver!
Zechariah 11:12-13 ‘And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was priced at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.’
While Joseph didn’t understand it, God had other plans and would use this betrayal to exalt Joseph and through him give the means by which both Gentiles and Joseph’s own Jewish family would be saved. I’m sure you see the picture of Jesus!
- 4. Falsely accused though he did no wrong!
Gen 39:17-20 ‘And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.’
After being betrayed by his brothers and led to Egypt, Joseph soon finds himself being accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. The slander and lies presented lead to Joseph being thrown into prison. He had no say in the matter even though he was innocent. In like manner, after His betrayal, Jesus was falsely accused and slandered in a series of one-sided trials. Like Joseph He had done no wrong but that didn’t stop His accusers!
Mark 14:55-64 ‘And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
- 5. The two fellow prisoners
Gen 40:4-5 ‘And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.’
Joseph wasn’t alone in prison though. Two other servant of Pharaoh, the cupbearer and the baker, where shortly thrown in there with him. Each spoke to Joseph about a dream they had had which Joseph interpreted for them. This pictures Jesus in His prison, upon the cross, and the two thieves that were crucified with Him.
Matt 27:38 ‘Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.’
The result of the two prisoner’s dreams meant death for one, and release and exaltation for the other. This is a type of one of the most amazing salvations to ever happen –
Luke 23:39-43 “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Like Joseph, one prisoner with Jesus would die, but one would find real life and be released and exalted into the greatest place – Paradise!
- 6. The exaltation of the suffering servant!
Gen 41:39-43 ‘And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.’