Adrian Rogers - Joseph, A Portrait of Jesus
Would you find Genesis chapter 37? May I tell you about the Word of God? It is an absolutely amazing, astounding Book. Now, to some people the Bible is a mystery. And I want to give you a key, a golden key that will help to unlock the Bible and let the truth of the Bible dance from the pages into your heart and into your life. The key is a man, a person, and more than a man; His name is Jesus. And the Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Himself said in John 5:39, concerning the Old Testament, "Search the Scriptures, for these are they which testify of Me".
Now I remind you that the Old Testament was written before Jesus Christ ever touched down in a human body upon this earth. And those were the Scriptures that Jesus was talking about when He said, "Search the Scriptures, for these are they which do testify of Me". And one of these Scriptures that testify of the Lord Jesus is the life of Joseph. Joseph became a prophecy, a portrait, a figure, an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ, not by happenstance, but by divine providence. The more I study the Bible, the more I stand in awe of the Word of God. And I pray God before the service has closed today that you, too, if you will have an open Bible in your hand, will stand in absolute awe and amazement as we look into the Old Testament and see a hidden portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a confirmation, both of the inspiration of the Word of God and the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will stand in awe. I asked our media director, I said, "While I'm doing these messages on Joseph, I wonder if you could find somewhere a picture of Joseph in his multi-coated coat, his coat of many colors". And he said, "Well, we'll look for a picture". He brought a picture, and said, "Now, wait a minute. I'm not sure about this picture". He said, "It says a coat of many colors". But he said, "When I look at it, it doesn't look like a seventeen year old lad. Why, look at the face. It looks like an artist's depicture of Jesus". And then he said, "Look at the hands. The hands have a nail print". And I put that picture aside, and then I thought of it, and I said, "I know what the painter of that picture was doing".
He was showing that Joseph in his coat of many colors was but a prophecy, a portrait, not with the brushstrokes of an artist, but painted with words, we're going to see a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, God loves His Son so much that He wants to give us many snapshots, many portraits of Him. And God wants us to be saved so much that He gives us so many illustrations of salvation. Now, in the life of Joseph, you're going to see Joseph as he is his father's favorite. Then you're going to find him as he is misused and abused by his brethren. Then you're going to find Joseph as he rises to be the Prime Minister of Egypt, the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. And then you're going to find Joseph as he receives his brothers back and forgives them, restores them, and commissions them.
Four great episodes in the life of Joseph. Here they are. I write them on your heart. Don't you dare forget them! First of all: Joseph; the beloved son. Secondly; Joseph, the suffering servant. Thirdly; Joseph, the exalted sovereign. Fourthly; Joseph, the seeking savior, as he sought his brothers to forgive them and to restore them. So we're going to think on those four things this morning. Are you ready? All right. Keep your Bibles open because my only concern today is that I'll not have time to say all that I want to say about Joseph, a portrait of Christ, the Gospel according to Joseph. Point number one. I want you to see a portrait of Jesus now, the beloved son, in the life of Joseph.
Genesis chapter 37 verses 1 through 3, "And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger in the land of Canaan. And these are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah," by the way, these were slave wives, "his father's wives. And Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel," that's another name for Jacob, "loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors". Now we're thinking of Jesus, the beloved son, as pictured in the life of Joseph. Three things stand out here in these few verses that I want you to see. First of all, as we think of Joseph, think of his father's devotion, his father's devotion.
Verse 3 tells us that Joseph, of all of his brethren, is specially loved, specially loved. He was his father's beloved. Now what does that tell us about the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, my friend, Jesus in Matthew chapter 3 verse 17, at His baptism, God the Father spoke out of the glory. And, "Lo, a voice from Heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.'" And when the Lord Jesus Christ was on the Mount of Transfiguration, again the voice spoke from Heaven, Matthew 17 verse 5, "Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of Heaven which said, 'This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.'" God has a Son. His name is what? Jesus. And He is beloved of the Father. And this world will never settle the sin question if it ignores the Son question. Jesus is the Son of God. And the Bible says, "When we honor the Son, we honor the Father".
And, so, Jacob had given to Joseph a special name. Like Jesus, Joseph had a special name. Do you know what the name Joseph means? It means; abundance. It means; one who adds to. It means a multiplier. And that's what Joseph was. What does the name Jesus mean? It means, "Jehovah Saves". And He is the one also whose life is full of abundance. You see, Jesus said of Satan in John 10:10, "The thief comes but to kill and to steal and to destroy". Who is the thief? Satan. He is the great subtractor. But Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, and have it abundantly". He is the Joseph who adds to, who multiplies, who gives abundance.
And so, again, Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, beloved, the beloved son. A little girl had come from the children's' church to the main church. And they had a communion table at front. And the little girl had just been learning arithmetic, the plus signs and the minus signs. And she looked up there and she saw the cross on the communion table, and she said to her mother, said, "Why is the plus sign there"? Well, I want to tell you, that is the plus sign, Jesus Christ, who died for us upon that cross to give us life and to give it abundantly. And so, first of all, you see Jesus, a portrait of Jesus who has, number one, his father's devotion. You got that? Number two; he has a faultless distinction. Look, if you will, here in this passage of Scripture in Genesis 37 verse 2. And it says that, "He," Joseph, "brought unto his father his brothers' evil report".
That is, here is Joseph. He's distinct from all of his brethren. They are evil; he is not. Did you know, I'm sure he was a sinner, but do you know that there's not one sin mentioned about Joseph in the Bible? That is amazing. We have the sins of Moses, we have the sins of Paul, these great believers, but no sin is ever mentioned about Joseph. Why? Because he is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Put in your margin Hebrews chapter 7 verse 26. It speaks of Jesus, "Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners". "Joseph brought unto His Father the evil report of His brethren". Joseph was not a tale-bearer. Joseph was a truth speaker. Why does the world hate Jesus? Put in your margin John 7 verse 7. Jesus said, "The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil".
Just as Joseph brought an evil report, Jesus has testified that this world is evil. I've told you before, the world does not hate the baby Jesus, the world does not hate the Jesus who feed the multitudes, the world does not hate the Jesus who healed the sick. The world hates the Jesus who testifies of it that its works are evil. Here is this boy. He has his father's devotion. He has this faultless distinction. He is undefiled, separate from his brothers. And a mark of that distinction is a coat of many colors. You see it in verse 3. This is the mark of his distinction that his father, realizing that Joseph is absolutely different and unique, gives him this coat. And it must have been a splendid coat. The Bible delineates that coat of many colors, and to me it speaks of the multiplicity and the variegated splendors of the Lord Jesus Christ when He came to this earth, the Bible says, "We beheld Him, full of grace and truth, we beheld His glory".
What do you think of when you think of Jesus? Do you think of some drab, pale, sanctimonious, religious recluse? Oh, no. No, Jesus was the one with a coat of many colors. Jesus is the happy Savior. The Bible says in Psalm 45 verse 7, God has, "Anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His brethren". Little children loved to come and sit at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever wondered why that those who are in the ministry dress in black? I happen to be wearing black this morning. Maybe I should have worn a bright coat this morning. You know, when, so many times we think of a preacher, we think of somebody in a black suit, black tie, black socks, and dandruff. Jesus is a happy Christ. He's the Jesus of the coat of many colors, distinct and different in this world. And so you see not only his father's devotion, his faultless distinction, but you also see his future dominion.
Joseph had a dream, Genesis 37:9, and he told that dream to his brothers. He said, "I dreamed that you all were bowing down to me. And the sun, the moon, and the stars were doing obeisance to me". Boy, did that tick them off; the idea that they were going to bow down to Joseph? Why, they were repulsed by the idea. Does that speak to you of the Lord Jesus? Genesis 37 verses 5 and 6, "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren. And they hated him yet the more". Well, just look in the New Testament. Matthew chapter 26 and verse 64, "Jesus saith unto them, 'Thou hast said; nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in clouds of Heaven.'" And they hated Jesus because Jesus spoke of His coming dominion.
I've often asked the question, "What's the world coming to"? I've answered that question, "It's coming to Jesus". Amen? Say, "Amen". It is coming to Jesus. Things are out of place right now. And I believe the battle for Jerusalem has begun. I believe that the precursor of Armageddon is here. We're living in these frightful moments. Do you know why the world's in such a mess? Friend, things are out of place. Jesus is the King and He belongs upon the throne. Satan is the criminal and he belongs in prison. And the church is the bride, and she belongs with her groom. And soon that's all going to be back into place. Jesus is going to be on the throne, Satan's going to be in prison, and we're going to be with Jesus. Thank God for that. Hallelujah! And so, here's the beloved son, his father's devotion, his faultless distinction, and his future dominion. That's what Joseph pictured as he pictures the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, let's move to the second thing. Not only do we see a portrait of Jesus, the beloved Son, but we also see a portrait of Jesus, the suffering servant. Now let me show you the parallel between Jesus and Joseph and Joseph and Jesus. For example, like Jesus, Joseph was the sent one. Look if you will in chapter 37 verses 12 and 13, "And his brethren," that is, Joseph's brethren, "went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel," that is, Jacob, "said to Joseph, 'Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send thee unto them.' And he said, 'Here am I.'" "Here am I, father". Jacob says, "Go to your brethren".
Well, does that remind you of Jesus? Put First John chapter 4 and verse 10 down, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son". Jesus is the sent one. You see, Jacob not only loved Joseph, but he loved his other sons also. And so he sent Joseph to minister to the other sons. And thank God Jesus, as the suffering servant, first of all was the sent one. But not only was Joseph the sent one, he was the scorned one. Say, "Scorned". Scorned; sent and then scorned. Look if you will in Genesis 37 verse 4, "And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him". They hated who? Joseph. "And they could not speak peaceably unto him".
Now, likewise, our dear Savior Jesus came unto His own, but His own received Him not. They scorned Him and they hated Him. Put down John 15 verse 24, Jesus said, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not sinned; but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father". Jesus, the very Son of God, the One who created it all, the One who is infinite love, came to His brethren, and they hated Him and they scorned Him. And the message is clear; to hate Jesus is to hate the Father. Why did they hate Joseph? Well, they were arrogant. They were full of pride.
Look in Genesis 37 and verse 8, and you're going to find out why they hated Joseph. "And his brethren said unto 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". They said, "We are not going to let you have dominion over us, Joseph". Well, why has this world turned against Jesus? Well, because this world will not have Jesus to rule over it. Put down Luke 19 verse 14, "But his citizens hated Him, and sent a message after Him, saying, 'We will not have this Man to reign over us,'" speaking of Jesus, the same thing.
The world today does not want to bow the knee to Jesus. Most of the people in America and the world are peacocks, strutting to Hell, thinking they're too good to be damned. Jesus, like Joseph, was the sent one. Jesus, like Joseph, was the scorned one. Jesus, like Joseph, was the suffering one. All right. Sent, scorned, and suffering. How did Joseph suffer? Well, first of all, there was the suffering of a conspiracy. Look in verse 18. Genesis 37 verse 18, "And when they saw him afar off," that's Joseph, "even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him". He suffered a conspiracy. Well, did Jesus suffer a conspiracy? Put down in your Bible Matthew 26 verses 3 and 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 they that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill Him".
Exactly the same. Here's a conspiracy against Joseph; here's a conspiracy against Jesus. Now, not only did he suffer conspiracy, but he suffered abuse. Now what did they do to Joseph? Genesis 37 verses 23 and 24, "And it came to pass, when Joseph came near unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him. And they took him, and cast him into a pit; and the pit was empty, and there was no water in it". That is, he's put there in an empty pit that he cannot get out of, no sustenance, he is put there to death. Actually, they are trying to kill him. What a picture of the sufferings of Christ.
Notice Matthew chapter 27 beginning in verse 26 through verse 29, "Then, released he," that is, then Pilate, "released Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe, and when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it on His head". Joseph is stripped out of his coat of many colors; Jesus is stripped out of His seamless robe. Joseph descends into the pit, and Jesus goes down into the very pit of death. What a picture! What a picture of Jesus. He suffered, the Lord Jesus suffered conspiracy, as Joseph. The Lord Jesus suffered abuse as Joseph. The Lord Jesus suffered betrayal as Joseph did. Joseph was betrayed.
Look in chapter 37 verse 28, "Then there passed by Midianite, 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 to Egypt". Now, here he's, betrayed. His brothers are selling him, betraying him. Do you know whose idea it was to sell Joseph for silver? It was Judah's idea. Do you know what the New Testament name for Judah is? It is Judas, the one who sold Jesus for silver. Matthew chapter 26 verse 14, "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 the covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver". And, Joseph is the sent one. Joseph is the scorned one. Joseph is the suffering one. And now Joseph is the slain one.
The parallel with Jesus is so incredible. Joseph is slain in a figure, in a type, not in reality. But what did they do? Notice here in chapter 37 verses 31 to 34, "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood. And they sent the coat of many colors, and brought it unto their father; and said, 'This have we found. Know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.' And he knew it, and said, 'It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without a doubt rent or torn in pieces.' And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days".
In the mind of Jacob, Joseph is dead. Can you imagine? Here's the old patriarch, who's favorite son is Joseph, the son of Rachel, his wife, his true beloved. And they bring to him this coat that shows his distinction, the father's mark that's set upon him, that the birthright was upon him, and they bring this blood-sprinkled coat and give it to old Jacob. And he says, "My son is dead! He's dead". And in the eyes of his brothers, he was dead also. They expected him to die. Later on, and you can find this and we'll not turn to it now, they said, "We put him to death. His blood is on us. He is no more". They figured he was dead. Here is the blood-sprinkled garment brought to the father. Friend, one day long ago, the blood of God's Son, the Lord Jesus, was brought to Heaven and sprinkled on the mercy seat there in front of the Father. Notice the parallels here that are incredible. Here is Joseph, the sent one, the scorned one, the suffering one, the slain one. What a picture of Jesus.
Now let's move to the third thing. And, don't drop out on me now, don't you drop out. God wants to speak to you today. And you may not even be a Christian, but, oh, how this applies to you. First of all, we see the beloved son. Then we see the suffering servant. And now we see a portrait of Jesus, the exalted sovereign. Joseph goes through all kinds of ignominious shame. I don't have time to tell you what happened to him as he's falsely accused and cast into prison. All kinds of terrible, horrible things happen to him. But by the providence of God and the hand of God is upon him, and God takes him from the pit and the prison, and God exalts him and gives him a name which is above every name. Joseph now is lifted up.
I want you to see in Genesis 41. Fast forward to Genesis chapter 41, and let's look in verses 38 through 44, "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?' And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 'Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all these, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word 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 on Joseph's hand, and robed him in vestures of fine linen," and that's pure white, "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," before Joseph, riding along in that chariot, "'Bow the knee;' and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.'"
What a transformation. This Jew boy, despised, rejected, slain in a figure, languishing in prison, is brought up, brought out, enthroned. What a picture of our dear Savior Jesus. Say, "Amen". First Peter chapter 3 verse 22. It speaks of Jesus, "Who is gone into the Heavens, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him". The same parallel. And, again, I love Philippians 2 verses 9 through 11, "Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him," Jesus, "and given Him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father".
As Joseph is riding along there in the chariot, there goes a herald out there and says to everyone, "Bow the knee, bow the knee, bow the knee"! A man says, "I don't want to bow". He says, "You will bow! That's Joseph. Bow the knee". Saddam Hussein will bow the knee. Hitler will bow the knee. Jay Leno will bow the knee. You will bow the knee, you will! "'As I live,' sayeth the Lord, 'every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.'" And there's old Joseph, riding in a chariot, and there goes the herald, saying, "Bow the knee to Joseph". Well, friend, I don't wait to then to bow my knee. I've already done it, and I'm glad to do it now, and say, "All hail the power of Jesus' name, let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, crown Him Lord of all".
Now, listen, we're talking about the exalted sovereign. He is now glorified. He is now given a new name. Look if you will in Genesis chapter 41, verse 45, "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-Paneah". Good night, what a name. Well, that's Egyptian. Get ready for a blessing. Do you know what that means? It means, "Savior of the World". That's what it means. That's the new name he's given, Savior of the World. Taylor, however, in his translation, gives it this way, "He has the Godlike power of life and death". That's the name given to this man Joseph. He has the power of life and death, given a new name. And our glorified Savior also is given a new name. In Revelation chapter 19 verse 12, the Bible says, "He's given a name written, that no man knows, except Him who receives it". Jesus will mean something to you that He doesn't mean to this world in His new name.
Now, here's the next thing. We're talking about our glorified Lord and how He's pictured by Joseph. He is exalted. He is given a new name. And now he's presented with a Gentile bride. Look if you will in Genesis 41: 45, "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave to him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. And Joseph went out all over the land of Egypt". Now he's given, not a Jewish bride, but he's given a Gentile bride. After his exaltation he is given a bride. Who is the bride of Jesus? He has a Gentile bride, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you can find that in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 to 33. That's why I love the church, because the church is the bride of Christ. Not this building, we, the people. If you want to have trouble with Adrian, you abuse his bride. Don't do that. I'll tell you, don't abuse the bride of Christ. Jesus loves His bride. He loves us. He's working on us that He might present us to Himself a spotless bride, without spot or blemish or any such thing. And now we're talking about the exalted sovereign.
Notice this one now who is exalted. Notice this one who is given a new name. Notice this one now who is given a Gentile bride. What is the culmination of all of it? He, my friend, is the only hope of a dying world! The only way that this world could have been saved back in Joseph's time was what Joseph had done when he made provision. Notice Genesis 41 and verses 55 to 57, "And when all the land of Egypt was famished," that is, the people are dying, "the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith unto you, do.' And the famine was all over the face of the earth. And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came to Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the lands".
Is not this absolutely amazing? Here is Joseph, a despised and rejected Jew, the only hope of all the world. A despised and rejected Jew, the only hope of all the world! They go to Pharaoh. Pharaoh says, "Go to Joseph"! and he has plenty. His supply is without number. Go back to Genesis 41 and look if you will in 49, "And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering, for it was without number". Joseph, the only hope in that day. Who's the only hope in this day? What's His name? Jesus. The Bible says in Acts chapter 4 verse 12, "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved". And I want to tell you that there's no shortage to the supply of Jesus, either. Romans 10:12, "And out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again". And the Bible says, "For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him".
Now, let's move to the fourth thing because we're quickly running out of time. I want you to see a portrait of Jesus now, the seeking savior. You see, like Jesus, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. Turn to chapter 45. I want you to see how Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. But notice he does reveal himself to his brothers. Genesis 45 verse 1 through 3, "Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me.'" He's there in the palace and he says all the attendants, "Go away". "And there stood no man with him," now watch this, "while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren". These are the ones that put him to death in a figure. These are the ones that scorned him, conspired against him. "And he wept aloud," that is, Joseph, "and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, 'I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?' And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence".
Listen, Joseph now reveals himself to his brothers. May I tell you something? They would never have known who Joseph was, had Joseph not revealed himself to them. He's now older. He's dressed like an Egyptian. He is there speaking the Egyptian language. The only way that they could know him was for him to say, "Look, I'm Joseph". The only way that you'll know Jesus is for Jesus to reveal Himself to you. You'll never figure Him out. But you've been brought by divine providence here this morning that God the Holy Spirit might speak to you, and Jesus is saying unto you, "I am Jesus. I'm the Son of God. I want to save you". So you lay your intellectual pride in the dust and let Him reveal Himself. Now, like Jesus, Joseph revealed himself to his brethren. Like Jesus, Joseph forgave and restored his brothers.
Look in Genesis chapter 45 verses 4 and 5, "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'Come near to me, and I pray you.' And they came near. And he said, 'I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life.'" What love and what grace. Tragedy has become triumph. Notice in these verses he gives an invitation. He says, "Come to me," and they came. They responded and they came to him. I'm going to give an invitation on behalf of Jesus, and I'm going to ask you to come to Jesus. And I hope you'll do what the brethren of Joseph did when they came to Joseph.
Now, when Joseph said, "Don't feel bad," he's not trying to minimize their sin. What he is doing is maximizing the grace of God. Calvary, from man's viewpoint, was earth's greatest tragedy. From God's viewpoint, it was earth's greatest triumph. Genesis 50 verse 20, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good". And when Hell was doing its worst, God was doing His best when Jesus died upon that cross. Do you see the picture here? Do you see the parallel? Not only did he convict his brothers and reveal himself to them, not only did he forgive them and restore them, but here, finally, he commissioned his brothers. Notice in Genesis 45 verse 4 what he says here. He says, "Come". And then if you'll go to verse 9. Look in Genesis 45 verse 9, "Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, 'Thus saith thy son, Joseph; "God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not".'" Our faith is summed up in this; "Come to Me. Go to all the world".
Joseph says to his brothers, "Come to me, come here. I will forgive you. I will restore you. Now I want you to go and I want you to tell the message". And what were they to tell? Look in Genesis 45 verse 26 and 27, "And they told him," that is, their father, "saying, 'Joseph is yet alive, he is governor over all the land of Egypt.' And Jacob's heart fainted; for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived". They are going now as evangelists. His brothers, the ones who put him to death, have now been forgiven and restored, and here's the message. You want to know what your message is?
If you're a child of God, here it is. We once rejected Him. Now He has been raised on high. Now He's been given a name which is above every name. Now the world is at His feet. He is the fairest of ten thousand. He has forgiven our sins. He wants us to be with Him and share His glory. And that's the message that they preached. They preached Joseph risen, rich, and reigning. And that's the Jesus that I'm preaching today. That's the Gospel according to Joseph. Isn't it amazing? I say, is that not amazing? Do you think all of that happened ? That's the Word of God. Only ignorance scoffs at this book.
How could God, so long ago, in the first book in the Bible, paint such a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ? God wants you saved. He wants you to know Jesus. And what Joseph said to his brothers, "Come to me," He's saying to you. "If you've never come, come". And what Joseph said to those who have come, Jesus is saying to you, "Go tell the others. Tell them that I'm not dead, I'm alive. I am now at the right hand of the majesty on high. I have made provision for you. And I want you to come and live with Me forever".
Would you bow your heads in prayer? Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Our Heavenly Joseph, the one with the nail prints in His hand, the ones that we all helped crucify, the one who is ascended, risen, the one before whom every knee will bow some day, is saying to you, "Come to Me". If you want to be saved, pray like this:
Dear God, I know that You love me. I know that You want to save me. I have sinned against You. I've been selfish and self-centered. I've been living for myself and self alone, but now I need You. I turn my life over to You. Thank You, Jesus, that You paid for my sin with Your blood. I believe that You did. I believe You walked out of that grave. You promised to save me if I would trust You. I do trust You now with all of my heart. Come into my heart. Come, Jesus, into my heart. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Save me, Jesus.
Pray that prayer. Pray it and mean it. "Save me, Lord Jesus". Did you ask Him? Then by an act of faith, thank Him for doing it. Say:
Thank You for saving me, Jesus. I trust You to do it and that settles it. Begin now to make me the person You want me to be. I'm weak but You're strong. Start with me where I am, Lord Jesus, and go with me all the way. I give You my heart. I trust You, Jesus. Amen and Amen.