Jesus is the Greater Joseph

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Let us pray you, being in past times alienated in enemies, in your mind, in your evil deeds. Yet now he is reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him Colossians one twenty one through twenty two. Dear Lord, although we were once far from you and hostile to the work of your spirit, you redeemed us. You saved us from our sins even when we were your enemies. You are truly good and abundant in grace. We pray that you would make us more like you. Form our hearts like clay into your glorious image. Teach us to be merciful, gracious, and patient as you are. Teach us to love even those against us, so that we might be examples of your love to the world. Empower us to walk in your ways even when it's difficult. In Jesus's name, Amen, Thank you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider. 00:02:18 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Jesus Podcast. I'm your host ethanfrompray dot Com, here to guide you through some of the Bible's greatest stories. If you've enjoyed our journey thus far, consider leaving us a review and sharing it with a friend. We want the story of the Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide. Many of us have learned about Biblical heroes like Noah, David, and Daniel. We've learned about their courage, obedience, and faith in God. There are many lessons to gain from their lives, lessons we can apply to our own walks with God. This podcast aims to highlight one prevailing truth. Jesus is greater than all these heroes. Their stories, as compelling as they might be, were mere foreshadowings of the Gospel. Today's character is no exception. Joseph was a son turned slave, a slave turned prisoner, and a prisoner turned king. His rise to redeem the very people who betrayed him is a promise of greater redemption. Join me now as we dive back into the story of Joseph. At this point in his story, his father Jacob has given him favor over his other sons. Joseph dreamed of ruling over his brother, inspiring them to anger and jealousy. How will Joseph fare under the resentful ire of his brothers. Let's find out in this epic retelling of Genesis, chapter thirty seven. Joseph's story is one of heartbreak and triumph. He was sold into slavery because of his brother's jealousy, and then sent to prison to despair and suffer. But Joseph rose out of that prison, and not only did he rise out of prison, but he rose to become a king. After hearing how Joseph was betrayed and sent into slavery, it would make sense for him to hold a grudge. Nobody would blame him if he harbored some resentment toward his brothers and wanted nothing to do with them. However, Joseph redeemed them. When a famine blighted the land and his brothers came to Egypt making help, he showed them kindness and mercy. Although they deserved punishment and wrath. Persecuted and thrown into a grave to die, Joseph rose as a redeemer. Does this story sound familiar at all to you? If it doesn't yet, then it will soon. Let's fast forward to the time of Jesus. Let's walk through the cold hallways of the high Priest where a group of prominent Jews conspire to kill Jesus. Let's take a moment to consider the lives of Joseph and Jesus. Joseph was the preferred and fortunate son of Jacob. Jesus was the favored and blessed son of God. Joseph was betrayed by those closest to him for a few pieces of silver. Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples for a few pieces of silver. Jealousy and bitterness sent Joseph into slavery, and jealousy and bitterness sent Jesus to the cross. Yet both instances were used as redemptive tools in the hands of God. Joseph was thrown into prison and rose out to become a king. Jesus was thrown into the grave and rose out to prove his authority as king. Joseph redeemed the very people who had sinned against him. And although we sinned against Jesus, he came to save us. He came to save us from our sins. Colossians Chapter one says that although we were enemies of God in our minds and evil in our deeds, Christ died for us so that we might be holy. Both Joseph and Jesus overcame the hatred of their enemies and chose to redeem them instead of hating them. You and I are beneficiaries of that love. Although we were enemies of God, Christ died for us. Christ died for us and raised us with him. The parallels between Jesus and Joseph go on. Joseph's fall into the grave and rise as a selfless king was a foreshadowing of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross, rose from the grave, and now offers us new life. Joseph's story reminds us that God can use tragedy and darkness to orchestrate redemption. This is also the story of Jesus, who overcame darkness to save us. In this way, we know for certain that Jesus is the greater Joseph. Next time, we'll watch God appoint a hero to lead Israel's descendants out of slavery. His epic journey points to a greater liberation ahead for God's people. Join us for our next episode to discover how Jesus is the greater Moses.