Joseph points to Jesus through at least five powerful connections. Both were loved by their fathers, hated without cause, rejected and condemned by those closest to them, used to provide for God’s people in a time of desperate need, and eventually honored by those who once rejected them. Joseph’s story in Genesis is a preview of the greater story God would tell through his Son.
Loved by Their Fathers
Joseph was his father Jacob’s favorite son, and Jacob didn’t hide it.
Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.
Genesis often uses father-son relationships to set the stage for the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Both sons were deeply loved and openly honored by their fathers.
Hated Without Cause
Jacob’s favoritism created serious family drama. Joseph’s brothers “hated him and could not speak a kind word to him” (Genesis 37:4). Jesus experienced something similar, but even more unjust.
John 15:25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
Joseph wasn’t perfect. He may have been a little proud when he shared his dreams with his brothers. But Jesus was completely innocent. He was hated not for anything he did wrong but for who he was and the truth he spoke.
Rejected and Condemned
Joseph’s brothers were so filled with jealousy that they decided to get rid of him.
Genesis 37:18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
They threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. Jesus was also rejected by his own people. A crowd shouted, “Crucify him!” and Pilate handed him over to be executed (Mark 15:12-15). Both men were abandoned by those closest to them, and both suffered for something they didn’t deserve.
Providers in a Time of Need
God was with Joseph through slavery and prison, and eventually he rose to become second in command over Egypt. When a severe famine struck, “all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph” (Genesis 41:57). Joseph’s provision was physical. Jesus offers something even greater.
John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Jesus satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart. He doesn’t just give us what we need to survive. He gives us eternal life.
Honored by Those Who Rejected Them
Years later, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt and bowed before him without recognizing him (Genesis 42:6). When Joseph revealed who he was, he forgave them and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Jesus’ story ends the same way, but on a cosmic scale.
Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
One day every person will recognize Jesus as Lord. The One who was rejected will be honored by all. If you want to know him now, check out How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
How does Joseph point to Jesus? Both were loved by their fathers, hated without cause, rejected by those closest to them, used by God to provide in a time of need, and eventually honored by those who rejected them. Joseph’s story points to Jesus, our ultimate deliverer.
