1. Joseph Was the Beloved Son of His Father
Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. He made Joseph a tunic of many colors. This love provoked jealousy in his brothers. Jesus is the beloved Son of the Father. At His baptism, the Father declared, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." At the transfiguration, the Father again declared, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" As Jacob loved Joseph uniquely, so the Father loves the Son uniquely. The jealousy of Joseph's brothers foreshadows the hatred of the religious leaders toward Jesus.
2. Joseph Was Hated by His Brothers Without Cause
Joseph's brothers hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. They hated him because of his father's love and because of his dreams. Jesus said, "They hated Me without a cause." The religious leaders hated Jesus because He claimed to be the Son of God, because He exposed their hypocrisy, and because the people followed Him. The hatred of Joseph's brothers is a type of the hatred that the world has for Christ. The cause was not in Joseph; the cause was in his brothers. So the cause was not in Christ; the cause was in sinful human hearts.
3. Joseph Was Sent by His Father to His Brothers
Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers who were tending the flock. Joseph said, "Here I am, send me." He went willingly. Jesus was sent by the Father to His own people. He said, "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world." He came willingly. He was not forced. He said, "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself." Joseph was sent to his brothers; Jesus was sent to His own.
4. Joseph's Brothers Conspired to Kill Him
Joseph's brothers saw him coming and said, "Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.'" Reuben persuaded them not to kill him but to cast him into a pit. The religious leaders conspired to kill Jesus. Caiaphas said, "It is expedient that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." They plotted, schemed, and ultimately handed Him over to be crucified. The conspiracy against Joseph is a type of the conspiracy against Christ.
5. Joseph Was Stripped of His Robe and Sold for Silver
When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic of many colors. They took him and cast him into a pit. Then they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites and sold Joseph to them for twenty pieces of silver. Jesus was stripped of His garments. The soldiers cast lots for His clothing. He was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. The silver for which Joseph was sold points to the silver for which Jesus was betrayed. Both were sold by their own people.
6. Joseph Was Falsely Accused and Unjustly Imprisoned
In Potiphar's house, Joseph was falsely accused of attempting to assault Potiphar's wife. He was thrown into prison, though he was innocent. Jesus was falsely accused by false witnesses. He was condemned though He was innocent. Pilate declared, "I find no fault in Him." Yet He was beaten, mocked, and crucified. Joseph's unjust imprisonment points to the unjust suffering of Christ. Both suffered for crimes they did not commit. Both were vindicated by God.
7. Joseph Was Exalted to the Right Hand of Pharaoh
After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph was released from prison and exalted to the second position in all of Egypt. Pharaoh said, "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." Joseph was given a ring, fine linen, a gold chain, and a chariot. Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Father. He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
8. Joseph Saved the Nations During the Famine
God sent a severe famine over all the earth. Joseph, now exalted, opened the storehouses and sold grain to the people. All the nations came to Joseph to buy bread. He saved Egypt and the surrounding lands from death. Jesus is the Savior of the world. He is the bread of life. He said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger." All who come to Him are saved from the famine of sin and death. Joseph's provision of bread points to Christ, the true bread from heaven.
9. Joseph's Brothers Came to Him and Were Reconciled
Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. They did not recognize him, but he recognized them. After testing them, he revealed himself and forgave them. He said, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to save many people alive." The Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus, but many Jews believed. In the future, Paul declares that "all Israel will be saved." Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers is a type of the mercy that Christ extends to those who repent. God meant the evil done to Christ for good—the salvation of many.
10. Joseph's Life Points to the Glory of Christ
Joseph is not the fulfillment; he is a pointer. He was a sinner; Christ is sinless. He died and was buried; Christ rose from the dead. He saved from physical famine; Christ saves from eternal judgment. But the parallels are so numerous and so striking that Joseph stands as one of the clearest types of Christ in the Old Testament. His life of rejection, suffering, exaltation, and salvation foreshadows the greater Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Joseph was the beloved son of his father, hated by his brothers, sent to them, rejected, stripped, sold for silver, falsely accused, unjustly imprisoned, exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh, and used by God to save many lives. These parallels point unmistakably to Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, rejected by His own, sold for silver, crucified, raised from the dead, exalted to the right hand of God, and made the Savior of all who come to Him. Let every believer see Jesus in the life of Joseph and trust in the greater Joseph, who saves not from famine but from sin.