The Bible is all about the Messiah. From Genesis to Revelation, He is its main subject. In the Old Testament, there were scores of prophecies foretelling the fact, manner, circumstances, and even the miraculous nature of His birth. Certain prophecies spoke of His life and ministry. Others revealed how and when He would die. Still others pointed to His Resurrection and Ascension back to Heaven.

When Cleopas and his companion encountered the resurrected Messiah on the road to Emmaus, He gave them a Bible lesson: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

So "all" of the prophets, and "all" of the Scriptures were prophetic of Jesus Christ. Literally hundreds of Messianic types and foreshadows were scattered throughout the Old Testament. But nowhere in the Bible is there a more compelling portrait of the Messiah than in the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob.

In the Hebrew, the name Joseph means "Let Him Add." Rachel gave Joseph this name because he was the answer to her prayer that God would "add" to her another son.

Joseph is the seventh major character in the Genesis narrative (the previous six being Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). This is notable because seven in Scripture is the number of perfection and completion--and certainly Joseph is the most perfect and complete type of our Lord in the Old Testament. So let us examine the many parallels between Joseph and Jesus. They provide compelling evidence that Jesus of Nazareth is exactly who He claimed to be.

1. Both Joseph and Jesus were given two names.

The son of Jacob had two names--"Joseph," the name he received at birth (Gen. 30:22-24) and "Zaphnath-Paaneah," the name he received in Egypt (Gen. 41:45). Joseph in Hebrew is Yossef meaning, literally, "Let Him Add." The Bible says Rachel named him Joseph because he was the answer to her prayer that God would "add" to her another son (Gen. 30:24).

Joseph is actually a contraction of a longer Hebrew name--Yehossef. But the son of Jacob was known by the shorter form, Yossef. Both forms have the same meaning (to "add" or "augment"). Even today in modern Hebrew, "hossef" means "add."

(Jesus Christ), like Joseph, is the great Adder, He offers salvation to all who will trust in Him.

The Bible does not explain the meaning of Zaphnath-Paaneah, Joseph's Egyptian name. Many archaeologists and linguists have registered varying opinions, but the ancient rabbis said it meant "Revealer of Secrets." This definition fits well because we know Pharaoh was astounded at Joseph's ability to reveal the meaning of his dreams (Gen. 41:38-39).

Like Joseph, the Son of God also has two names. He is Yeshua HaMashiach, or "Jesus the Messiah." The angel who announced His birth said He would be named Yeshua because He would "save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). Yeshua, like Yossef, is a contraction of a longer Hebrew name-in this case, Yehoshua, which means "God Is Salvation."

His second name is really a title--Mashiach, or "Anointed One." Actually, the word "Messiah" appears only twice in the entire English Old Testament, and both instances occur in Daniel's prophecy of the seventy "weeks" (Dan. 9:26-27).

Nonetheless, the promise of a coming Deliverer can be traced all the way back to Genesis 3:15, where the Lord said, "And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman [Eve], and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

That serpent in the Garden of Eden was the personification of Satan, the Evil One, and Jesus Christ was the promised "seed" of Eve who would crush his head. "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).

The first Adam was the ultimate Subtracter, who took away our innocence and communion with God by introducing sin into the world. But the last Adam, like Joseph, is the great Adder, who offers salvation to all who will trust in Him. Through one, many were lost; and through the other, many will be saved. Through one, the Creation fell under a curse; through the other, Paradise will be restored (Rom. 8:21-23).

Jesus Christ taught in parables for two reasons: (1) to conceal His truth from those who did not have ears to hear and (2) to reveal the meaning of certain divine "mysteries" to His followers (Matt. 13:10-17). So He was not only a revealer of secrets, like Joseph, but also a concealer of secrets.

2. Both were loved by their fathers. "Now Israel [that is, Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: . . ." (Gen. 37:3). Joseph was not only the "baby" of the family, but he was also the son of Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife. So Jacob loved Joseph supremely.

No wonder Jacob was so grief stricken when they told him Joseph had been attacked and killed by wild beasts. The Bible says Jacob ripped his clothing, put on sackcloth, and mourned for many days (37:33-34). It was like someone had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out. No one could console him.

But did you know, my friend, that Jesus the Messiah was also beloved of His Father? When Jesus was immersed by John the Baptist, and He came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon Jesus. Then a voice from Heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:16-17).

How it must have grieved the heart of God to allow His own beloved Son to be killed! In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus Himself had the power to stop the Crucifixion at any time (Matt. 26:53).

So why did He choose to endure the pain and suffering of the Cross? He did it "for the joy that was set before Him" (Heb. 12:2). And why did God the Father allow Him to die? Because He loved us, and He knew there was no other way we could be saved. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

3. Both were shepherds of their fathers' sheep.

". . . Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; . . ." (Gen. 37:2). He was a shepherd. Some of the most prominent characters in the Old Testament including Abel, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David were shepherds by occupation. They were not kings or noblemen, but simple, hard-working men of the land.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent His angel, accompanied by a heavenly host, to announce the coming of the Messiah. To whom did the angel make this momentous and long awaited announcement? Again, it was not to kings, politicians, or the social elite of Judea, but to shepherds.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:8-12).

Jesus, too, is the Shepherd of His Father's flock. In fact, one of His titles in the New Testament is "The Good Shepherd." He said, "I am the good

shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11).

Like Joseph, our Lord was sent by His Father to His brothers, "the lost sheep of the House of Israel." As Joseph's brothers resented and rejected him, the Jews refused to receive their "Brother" Jesus.

Originally, the Good Shepherd's flock was Israel (Psalm 80:1; cf. Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:10-11; Ezek. 34:11-16). However, Jesus said, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

Who are these "other sheep" who are not of the fold of Israel? They are Gentiles, like you and me, who would be grafted into the Olive Tree by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 11:17-21).

4. Both were sent BY their fathers TO their brothers.

"And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I" (Gen. 37:12-13).

Jacob told Joseph to leave the Valley of Hebron and go to Shechem to check on his brothers. Joseph answered, "Here am I," indicating that he was ready and willing to go. But when he arrived in Shechem, his brothers were not where they were supposed to be. He was told that they had left Shechem and gone to Dothan, which was farther north, on the way to Mount Carmel (vv.14-17).

So Joseph headed for Dothan, searching for his brothers. When he found them, however, they did not receive him as a brother. Instead, they conspired to kill him (v. 18). Why did they want to kill him? Because they rejected his claims to preeminence as revealed in his dreams (v. 19). They were angry and jealous of him.

Now watch this. Jesus was also sent by His Father (John 5:30). He came to His brothers, "the lost sheep of the House of Israel" (Matt. 15: 24). But when He arrived, His Jewish brothers were not-in a spiritual sense where they were supposed to be. Instead of being in the place of consecration, where they could have recognized the Messiah through eyes of faith, the Jewish leadership had become worldly and corrupt. The Sanhedrin was influenced by Rome and stacked with wealthy Jewish aristocrats (mostly

Sadducees) who were more interested in economics and politics than they were in the coming of the Son of David.

His brethren were not where they were supposed to be, so Jesus pursued them. He said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). He found them, but they did not receive Him. The Bible says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:11). In fact, they conspired to kill Him (Matt. 26:1-4).

Why did they want to kill Him? Because of His claims of preeminence. He said He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and that the leaders of Israel would someday see Him ". . . sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 26:64).

How did the members of the Sanhedrin respond to Jesus' claims? The following verses tell us: "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death" (Matt. 26:65-66).

5. Both had personal robes that were taken from them.

"And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him" (Gen. 37:23).

Joseph's "coat of many colors" was a colorful, ornate garment that extended down to the wrists and ankles. A full-length robe like this was usually worn only on special occasions, as a man today might wear a tuxedo. However, Joseph wore his all the time, everywhere he went, as if he were royalty! It served as a constant reminder to his brothers that Joseph was the son of Rachel and that he would receive a double portion of his father's inheritance.

Psalm 22 is one of the most moving Messianic passages in the entire Old Testament. Angel Martinez, the late Mexican Baptist evangelist, used to say, "When we read the 22nd Psalm, we are breathing the atmosphere of Calvary." How true! King David is prophesying about events that would take place at Calvary a thousand years later. He quotes the suffering Messiah as saying, "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture, verse 18. The New Testament makes note of this prophetic fulfillment: "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did" (John 19:23-24).

However, the Son of God gave up much more than a mere physical garment. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8).

Our blessed Messiah laid aside His royal "garb" of eternal deity so He could condescend and assume the likeness of finite humanity. Why did the King of Heaven step out of eternity and enter this fallen world at Bethlehem 2,000 years ago? He came for one reason--to die. "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28). However, our Lord's death was only temporary, making Him the only Person in the history of the world to borrow a tomb. On the third day, He emerged as our victorious, glorified, risen Saviour. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul concludes his classic discussion of the Resurrection with these words of comfort and assurance: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:55-57).

6. Both were sent to Egypt in their youth. Joseph: "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt" (Gen 37:28).

Jesus: "And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son" (Matt. 2:13-15). This was the fulfillment of yet another Messianic prophecy in Hosea

11:1: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

7. Both were sold for the price of a slave. Joseph: "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt" (Gen 37:28).

Jesus: "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver" (Matt. 26:14-15). Joseph was sold by his brothers for 20 silver shekels, which was the price of a male of Joseph's age who had been dedicated to the Lord (Lev. 27:5). However, compensation for the death of a mature, male slave was set at 30 shekels (Ex. 21:32). The betrayal of the Messiah for thirty silver shekels meant that He was not only being sold, but He was going to die. The fatal transaction was prophesied by Zechariah: "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver" (11:12).

8. Both were subjected to temptation. Joseph: "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his

wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:7-9).

Jesus: "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matt. 4:1). The author of Hebrews wrote, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (4:15).

9. Both were falsely accused. Joseph: "And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out" (Gen. 39:17-18).

Jesus: "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days" (Matt. 26:59-61).

10. Both were delivered over to the Gentiles. Joseph was sold to Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt (Gen. 37:28). Jesus was led away and "delivered" to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:2).

11. Both were placed with two other prisoners, one of whom was saved, the other lost. Joseph was cast into prison with the chief butler (or, cupbearer) and the chief baker, both of whom had fallen out of favor with their employer, the King of Egypt. These two men had dreams and Joseph interpreted them, explaining that the dreams contained veiled prophecies of each man's destiny. Everyone was amazed when Joseph's predictions came true--the chief butler was restored to his position in Pharaoh's house, but the chief baker was executed, just as Joseph had said (Gen. 40:1-22).

They crucified Jesus between two criminals. One of them mocked Him, but the other one humbly cried, ". . . Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42). The unrepentant man died and went to Hell, but the repentant man was with Christ in Paradise that very day (v. 43). Thirty was the age when priests entered active service in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple (Num. 4:1-3, 23, 46-57).

12. Both began their life's work at age 30. Joseph: "And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt . . ." (Gen. 41:46).

Jesus: "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli" (Luke 3:23). Thirty was the age when priests entered active service in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple (Num. 4:1-3, 23, 46-47). Also, David was 30 years old when he became king (2 Sam. 5:4).

13. Both were exalted by God after a season of suffering. Joseph: "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Gen. 41:41-43).

Jesus: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him [that is, Jesus], and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).

14. Both forgave those who wronged them. Joseph: "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life" (Gen. 45:4-5).

Jesus: "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots" (Luke 23:34).

15. Both were sent by God to save His people. Joseph: "And God sent me before you to preserve you a poster-ity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance" (Gen. 45:7).

Jesus: "And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).

16. In both lives, God turned evil into good. Joseph: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen. 50:20).

Jesus: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

17. Both men's destinies were linked in a way that demonstrates the awesome sovereignty of Almighty God. If Jacob had not favored Joseph, his brothers would not have been jealous of him. If Joseph's brothers had not been jealous of him, they would not have sold him to the Midianite traders. If they had not sold him to the Midianite traders, he would never have gone to Egypt. If Joseph had not gone to Egypt, he would never have been sold to Potiphar. If he had not been sold to Potiphar, Potiphar's wife would never have falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape. If Potiphar's wife had not accused him of attempted rape, they would never have thrown Joseph into prison. If they had not thrown Joseph into prison, he might never have met Pharaoh's butler and baker. If he had not met Pharaoh's butler and baker, he never would have interpreted their dreams. If he had not interpreted their dreams, he would not have been called upon to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. If he had not been called upon to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, Pharaoh would never have made him prime minister of Egypt. If Pharaoh had not made Joseph prime minister of Egypt, they would not have implemented his national emergency conservation plan. If his national emergency conservation plan had not been implemented, his family in Canaan might have perished in the famine. If his family in Canaan had perished in the famine, the genealogical line of the Messiah would have been destroyed. If the genealogical line of the Messiah had been destroyed, there would have been no Baby born in Bethlehem.

And if that Baby had not been born in Bethlehem, we would all be dead in our sins and without hope in this world! Praised God, He was born of a virgin, He lived, He died for our sins according to the Scripture and rose again for our justification. He grew up, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, was bodily resurrected, ascended back to Heaven and is coming again, first to Rapture the saints and take us home to Heaven, and after the Honeymoon in Heaven with Christ our Savior and Lord for seven

years, we will return with Him when He comes again. He will bring to and

end the Great Tribulation and set up His Millennial Kingdom. We will rule and reign with Him. Some may say, "what are you talking about?" My dear friend, this has always been in the Bible, it is nothing new.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).

Maranatha!!! Brother Layne http://www.layneministies.com