Find the Gospel in the Story

In Luke 24, Jesus taught his disciples that every story in the Bible points directly to him! He explained that we simply need to look for the gospel pattern of "suffering followed by glory." That is, we need to look for something that points to his suffering on the cross, followed by something that points to the glory of his resurrection! Use the gospel chart below to help you find "the story within the story!"

Gospel Study Notes

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is depicted as the antitype of Joseph in both his suffering and his glory. In John’s vision in Revelation, the heavenly Jesus wears a robe dipped in blood (Rev 19:13). The only biblical parallel to this is Joseph’s coat of many colors that was dipped in the blood of a goat, because of the bestial hatred of his brothers (Gen 37:31). Like Joseph, Jesus suffered the bestial enmity of his brothers. Similarly, in the day of his glory, Joseph wore a garment of fine linen with a golden collar (Gen 41:42). In the day of Jesus’ glory, he appeared in his earthly vision to John on Patmos dressed in a garment of white with a golden sash (Rev 1:13, cf. Rev 15:6). Just as Joseph was given a many-colored robe to show the favor of his father (Gen 37:3), Jesus was given a rainbow covered throne to show the favor of his Father (Rev 4:3).

Connection #1

Joseph and Jesus are uniquely favored by their fathers, Jacob (Gen 37:3) and Father God (Matt 3:17). All of the patriarchs, along with Moses and David, were shepherds. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, who sacrifices his own life for the sheep (John 10:11, 14).

Connection #2

Rejection is a characteristic theme of gospel suffering. This rejection often comes in the most painful form imaginable—from one’s own family and kinsmen (Matt 10:37, 12:46-50).

Connection #3

As a youth of seventeen, Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver. This was the price in the law for an underage youth. As a mature adult, Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver. Thirty measures of silver was the price in the law for a mature slave (Exod 21:32, cf. Zech 11:12-13).

Connection #4

Joseph and Jesus were each placed in bonds in Egypt and Jerusalem, respectively. When Jerusalem places Jesus in bonds, the city proves to be spiritually like Egypt (Rev 11:8).

Connection #5-6

Melchizedek greeted Abraham with bread and wine, the everlasting tokens of the New Covenant (Matt 26:26-28; 1 Cor 11:23-25). Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer give expression to this same theme of the ministry of the bread and the wine. The association of the two figures is uniquely eucharistic, especially given the fact that they appear during Joseph’s suffering in the dungeon just before he is raised up and exalted to the right hand of the king. Remarkably, Jesus fulfills both destinies prophesied for the two prisoners. Like the baker, he will be hanged upon a tree of cursing (cf. Deut 21:22-23), where his flesh will become the bread of life for his people. However, like the cupbearer, after three days, he will be restored to the right hand of the King of Kings, where he will offer the wine of joy to his people.

Connection #7-8

“Remember me” is a poignant cry coming from Joseph, who was weary from his long years of suffering in Egypt and in the dungeon. But it is an even more poignant cry coming from the Savior at the Last Supper, where he refused the wine of the Passover even as he faced the pouring out of the wine of his own life’s blood in the Passion. Ultimately, the cupbearer is not the one who remembered Joseph. God is the one who remembered Joseph and caused him to be exalted to the right hand of the throne of Egypt. Similarly, God is the one who remembered Jesus, who raised him up and exalted him to the right hand of the throne of heaven! Now we in turn honor Jesus at the memorial supper by remembering how his love gives us the Bread of Life and the Wine of Joy!

Connection #9-10

Joseph graciously accepted the necessity of his suffering, recognizing that it was part of God’s plan to prepare a place for his family to live securely in Egypt. Joseph told his brothers, “So it was not you but God who sent me here to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gen 45:7-8). Jesus, who came as the True Joseph, also graciously accepted the necessity of his suffering and of having to leave his family in order to go prepare a place of provision and safety for them (in heaven, John 14:3, and on earth, Revelation 12:14).

Gospel Takeaways

1. Joseph persevered through his sufferings because he understood that nothing was happening to him except by the will and purpose of a good God. What humankind—and even Joseph’s own brothers—meant for evil, God intended for good (Gen 50:20). Putting our trust in God’s kindness and having confidence in his sovereignty enables us to forgive others and to persevere through the sufferings of this life!

2. Joseph persevered in faith through his suffering by looking to God’s word and not to his own circumstances. When Joseph was at his lowest point—betrayed by his brothers, betrayed by his master’s wife, and condemned to a dungeon in Egypt, he still offered to interpret the dreams of pharaoh’s servants! Amazingly, Joseph still believed in his ability to interpret dreams and in their eventual fulfillment! He still believed that he would see his brothers again and that they would bow down to him! God had declared it would happen, and so Joseph believed it would yet come to pass!

3. When Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers, they fall back in fear, knowing the great injustice they have committed against him (Gen 45:3). But Joseph calls all eleven sons of Jacob over to himself so that he can embrace them in full forgiveness (Gen 45:4). This is an iconic scene. The embrace of Jacob’s twelve sons is a picture of the twelve interlocking gates of Heavenly Zion, which are named for each of these twelve brothers! The scene gives us a glimpse of the forgiveness and reconciliation that awaits us in heaven, where all of our family schisms are healed at last and we see how truly good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity—forever!