Genesis Study - Similarities Between Joseph and Jesus

According to Jewish sources, Joseph, the son of Jacob, is known as “the righteous one,” “the beloved son” of his father, and the “prisoner to prince" - all titles that also describe different facets of Jesus Christ.

Joseph's story also includes themes of favor, humility, forgiveness, and mercy, which are all central to the Gospel message of Christ.

His brothers exhibited jealousy and envy toward Joseph not only because of the special affection he received from their father, but also because of his prophetic dreams of ruling over them. Let's take a look at his story which begins in Genesis 37.

Joseph was a shepherd who looked after his father’s flocks.

“At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers…” (Genesis 37:2)

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that foretold of the coming "Anointed One" who is the Good Shepherd of Israel. Interestingly, there’s a direct connection between Joseph and Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, in Jacob’s benediction over his sons just prior to his death.

When blessing Joseph, Jacob proclaims,

“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him; But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel)…” (Genesis 49:22-24)

In this blessing, Jacob commends Joseph for his overcoming victory against those who tried to attack him and harm him. He attributes Joseph's strength and ability to endure the suffering to the Mighty One of Jacob. In return for his suffering, Joseph will bear much fruit and live in abundance.

Since Jacob prophecies of the coming "Shepherd, the Stone of Israel" here, he is making a direct correlation to the suffering the Messiah will face and He, like Joseph, will be victorious!

During Jesus' earthly ministry, He declares openly that He is the long-awaited "Good Shepherd" of Israel…

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep…” (John 10:14-15)

“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25)

“For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand…” (Psalm 95:7)

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

For a more in-depth study on the Messiah being called "Shepherd, the Stone of Israel," I’ve included links to the following blog posts I've written about these distinct titles:

The Good Shepherd: https://kate-barnes.wixsite.com/flourishinggraceblog/post/biblical-motherhood-shepherding-your-little-flock

The Rock {Stone} of Salvation: https://kate-barnes.wixsite.com/flourishinggraceblog/post/the-rock-of-salvation-how-women-of-chayil-find-refuge-in-the-immovable-rock

The Motif of the Shepherd in the Bible:

On Jacob’s deathbed, he declares that God Almighty has been the Shepherd of his life to that very day (Genesis 48:15).

One of the most touching things about a shepherd (if he's a good shepherd) is that his comfort and safety is secondary to the care, comfort, and safety of his sheep.

This motif is evident in the story of Joseph. He is unjustly captured, betrayed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery. Then, he is falsely accused of rape by his Egyptian master’s wife which led him to spend more than a decade in prison. When he is finally exalted to a position of authority by Pharaoh, God’s purpose for his suffering and affliction is revealed through the deliverance he brings to Egypt, and the surrounding nations (including Canaan where Jacob and his sons lived), from the deadly famine that is upon the earth. He declares to his brothers, after their father’s death:

“‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result - the survival of many people. Therefore, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

As we can see here, Joseph is a prefigure of the Messiah who came to bring salvation and restoration. Just as Paul explains in Romans 11, the Jews' rejection of Jesus Christ was the catalyst for the Gospel to go out to the nations, so that many Gentiles (non-Jewish people) have the same opportunity as the Jews to be saved and restored with the Father through faith in Christ.

“I ask then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression. salvation has come to the Gentiles…” (Romans 11:11)

The Persecution of Joseph:

Joseph was disliked by his brothers because he possessed a special affection from his father, Jacob. My understanding of this is that Jacob deeply loved Rachel, Joseph’s mother, and she should have been his only wife (if her father, Laban, didn’t deceive Jacob by giving him Leah, her sister, as his wife first). Since Jacob desired Rachel more (and considered her his rightful wife over Leah), he may have considered Joseph his “true” firstborn son; being Rachel’s first child (although, at this point, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah had all birthed sons for Jacob).

As previously mentioned, Joseph is described as Jacob’s beloved son in Jewish literature. He received a costly robe from his father, and to add insult to injury, Joseph described prophetic dreams to his brothers which revealed Joseph in a position of power over them. These things caused his brethren to hate him. They even began to plot how they might kill him.

Jesus Christ found Himself in a similar situation. He was hated by the ruling priests and sages (known as the Pharisees and Sadducees in the Gospels). They conspired with the Herodians to kill Him.

They, too, were envious and jealous over Jesus’ special relationship with the God of Israel, whom He referred to as His Father. They thought it was blasphemy that He called Himself the Son (of God). This claim also inherently meant He possessed authority over them.

When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River,

“…a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16-17)

Father God’s audible voice was also heard when Jesus was on the Mountain of Transfiguration,

“He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’” (Matthew 11:27)

Jesus declared about Himself,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

and, again, in Matthew 11:27,

“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

From these various Scriptures (and there are many more I could have included), you can see the special relationship between Jesus, the Son, and God, the Father. When the Pharisees understood that Jesus inferred this type of relationship with the God of Israel, they responded…

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:33)

The Gospels record that their envy and jealousy of Jesus was so great that they conspired and plotted together how they could have Him killed…

"The Pharisees went out and conspired against Jesus, as to how they might destroy Him.” (Matthew 12:14).

“For he (Pilate) knew it was because of envy that they (the elders) had handed Him (Jesus) over.” (Matthew 27:18)

Just like Joseph, Jesus was persecuted and suffered greatly because of His status with the Father.

Joseph suffered humiliation and disgrace in prison because of the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife. Jesus suffered humiliation and disgrace on the cross on the testimony of a few false witnesses.

Both men suffered for righteousness, but were plucked out of the pit and exalted by the hand of the Almighty. Jospeh went from prisoner to Egyptian prince. Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, on the third day, as the reigning King of kings and sat down at the right hand of God, the Father.

Both of their stories are intertwined with themes of forgiveness, mercy, and deliverance.

Once Joseph reunited with his brothers in Egypt, he tenderly cared for them and forgave them for the heinous crimes they committed against him. Likewise, Jesus offers salvation, forgiveness, grace, and mercy to all who call upon His name. In the future, He will also restore the house of Israel and they will mourn for Him as a firstborn son.

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” (Zechariah 12:10)

A List of Similarities between Joseph & Jesus:

•Joseph receives a special robe from his father, Jacob - when the multitudes touched just the fringe of Jesus’ robe, they were healed and made whole. Joseph’s robe is stripped off prior to being thrown into the pit - Jesus’ robe was gambled for during His crucifixion.

•Jacob sent his son, Joseph to his brothers while they were pasturing the flocks - Jesus, the Son, was sent from Heaven to the Father’s flock (Israel).

•Jacob’s purpose in sending Joseph to his brothers was to see how they and the flocks are doing and, then, for Joseph to send word back to his father - Jesus was sent by the Father to care for and shepherd the Father’s flock (Israel) who were under the leadership of the elders (Pharisees and Sadducees). Jesus spends time correcting the way that the ruling leaders have been (wrongly) pasturing the flock and abusing the Temple system.

•Judah, one of Joseph’s brother, specifically has the idea of selling Joseph into slavery - Judah (the tribe possessing the land of Israel at the time of Jesus’ ministry) rejected Jesus as Messiah which, then, initiated the Gospel message to be taken to the world (i.e. Gentiles) which is represented by Egypt in the story of Joseph.

•Joseph’s brothers slaughtered a goat and dipped his robe into its blood -  Jesus is portrayed as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He became a substitutionary offering which brought atonement by His blood. He is also described in Revelation as riding a white horse and wearing a robe that has been dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13).

•Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him in Egypt until he revealed his identity to them - Many Jews do not recognize Jesus as their Jewish Messiah (they’re spiritually-blinded from this truth); instead, they believe Jesus is the Founder of a Gentile (non-Jewish) religion that virtually has nothing to do with Judaism or the Torah. They will not believe until Jesus reveals His identity as Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) to them at the end of the age (see the Book of Revelation).

•Joseph has a dream where the sun, moon, and 11 stars bow down to him - Likewise, all of creation will bow down at the feet of Jesus Christ who is King of kings and Lord of lords (Philippians 2:10-11).