Joseph: A Portrait of Jesus

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Genesis 37The Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Through His Word, God gives us many prophetic portraits of His Son, one being Joseph in the Book of Genesis.There are four episodes in the life of Joseph that foreshadow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.See Jesus as the Beloved Son through the life of JosephJoseph had his father’s favor, from whom he received a special coat of many colors—a mark of distinction.No fault or sin is ever mentioned about Joseph. This doesn’t mean he was perfect; rather, he served as an illustration of the sinless Son of God.See Jesus as the Suffering Servant through JosephJoseph was sent to minister to his brothers by his father. His brothers resented him because of their father’s devotion to him.As a result, Joseph suffered at the hands of his brothers, being sold as a slave to the head of the Egyptian guard, Potiphar.His father believed he had been slain. And in the eyes of his brothers, he was dead, also.In the Gospels, Jesus was scorned and suffered at the hands of the ones He was sent to minister to. He dealt with conspiracies against him, abuse, and betrayal. He was crucified, dead, and buried for three days.See Jesus as the Exalted Sovereign through JosephJoseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt. This man, once despised and rejected, was enthroned as the ruler over the most powerful nation at the time.He was given a new name, a new robe, and a new bride. He saved his people from death. Every knee in Egypt had to bow to Joseph.One day, every knee worldwide will bow to Jesus.See Jesus as the Seeking Savior through JosephJoseph revealed himself to his brothers. He received them back, forgave them, and restored them. He then commissioned them to tell their father that he was alive.In the same way, Jesus reveals Himself to us on the day of our salvation. He receives us, forgives, restores, and commissions us to tell the world that He is alive.Adrian Rogers says, “Our faith is summed up in this: Come to Me; go to all the world.”Apply it to your lifeGod wants us to be saved so much that He gave many illustrations of salvation before the fullness of time. Do you understand the story, and believe it?