Son, Servant, Savior
Joseph and Jesus and the Providence of God
Aaron Lee | September 29, 2024 | FCBCW Children’s Worship | Genesis 37, 39-45, 1 John 4:14
Introduction
Does God have a plan and purpose – or is life just random and chance? I used to be very anxious and afraid of the future. I am a little bit less now because of what we’ll see in the Bible today.
This is the final story at the end of the book of Genesis. You’ll see so many incredible parallels and similarities in Joseph’s life with the life of Jesus.
1. The Son of Israel, Betrayed
This is a story about a son, his father, and his brothers. The son is named Joseph. His father is Jacob. Another name for Jacob is Israel – they were part of the big family line in God’s chosen people. Joseph had 11 other brothers – but he was his dad’s favorite. This causes some problems:
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. (Genesis 37:3-4)
His dad loved him so much that he made him a colorful robe. One day, God gave Joseph dreams that his brothers would bow down to him. When Joseph told his brothers, they were jealous. They were so jealous of the dreams and the dress of his special robe that they hated him. Hate is a strong word. Joseph’s brothers hate him so much that they throw him into a pit to die.
Just like people hate Joseph, people hate Jesus. When people hate Jesus, they betray God.
"This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed." (John 1:19-20)
We can apply this by not turning our back on Jesus, but by embracing him, and telling others to do the same.
2. The Servant to the King, Obeyed
Instead of leaving Joseph in the pit, his brothers end up selling him instead for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph was sold to Potipher, an Egyptian official. God gave him success and he was respected. Pitopher’s wife accused Joseph of doing something wrong and he was thrown into jail. God allows Joseph to start interpreting dreams for Pharaoh - the Egyptian King. The dreams say that there will be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. Pharaoh makes Joseph in charge of gathering grain, so he moves into the palace and begins to work:
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. … And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured. (Genesis 41:46-49)
Just like Joseph served the King, Jesus served God.
Jesus serves us because he died on the cross for our sins. But we can also say that Jesus served God in the sense that he submitted to his will. He obeyed God the Father.
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
We can apply this by being obedient to God, whether in the beginning, middle, or end of our stories.
3. The Savior of the World, Revealed
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. 5 And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 45:4-8)
Joseph’s father sent his sons to buy grain in Egypt. The brothers bowed down and begged for grain – just like the dream.
Just like Joseph was revealed to be the son and the savior, so Jesus is revealed to be the Son and Savior.
That way that Jesus saves us is by dying on the cross for our sins.
And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. (1 John 4:14)
We can apply this by understanding and believing the Gospel. Admit you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins, and confess him as the resurrected king over your life.
Big Idea
There are so many parallels between Joseph and Jesus. Here are some:
Jesus left his home and his father.
Jesus’ brothers, the nation of Israel, thought he was out of his mind and did not believe his words.
Jesus’ brothers, the nation of Israel, hated him so much that they wanted to kill him.
Jesus would be betrayed and sold for silver coins.
Jesus would be p[unished even though he was innocent.
Jesus would satisfy with himself as the bread of life.
Jesus would forgive those who have sinned against him.
Our biggest parallel is our big idea for today:
Joseph was betrayed but saved his family from starvation. Jesus was betrayed but saves the world from sin.
Conclusion
Does God have a plan and purpose – or is life just random and chance? Through Joseph and Jesus, we see that God always has a master plan in mind. This is called God’s providence — his purposeful sovereignty. If you are a Christian, you don’t have to be so anxious and afraid of the future. You can trust that whatever happens in your life, God is planning and purposing it for your good.
You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. (Genesis 50:20)
References
Christian Standard Bible by Holman Bible Publishers
Who Is Jesus? 40 Pictures to Share with Your Family by Kate Hox and Joe Hox
Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion
Have you ever felt jealous of someone? How did you handle it?
Have you ever been betrayed? How did it make you feel? How do you think Jesus felt?
Can you think of a time when something bad happened but later turned out for the good?
How can we serve others in our everyday lives?
Have you ever had to forgive someone? What was that like?
What are ways that we can trust God when we feel anxious or uncertain about the future?
Do you have any friends or family members that need to know Jesus is the savior of the world?
How does knowing you are loved by God make you feel?
How can we show love to others like God shows love to us?
What are some ways you can remind yourself of God’s presence and providence during difficulty?