Interestingly, scholars have long debated how the Joseph story fits into the broader Genesis narrative. Unlike the story of Abraham, whose role in the book’s literary structure is more apparent, the Joseph narrative contains fewer explicit references to the covenant or the fulfillment of God’s promises of land and descendants to the Patriarchs.
The Joseph story is more subtle than explicit references. On closer examination, it becomes more and more obvious (at least to me) that Genesis is presenting Joseph as the new Adam who reverses the curse of Genesis 1–11. The closer I look at the story, the more obvious it becomes (e.g., brotherly strife (Cain and Abel), rejecting the temptation of a wife (Potiphar’s wife), bringing blessing to both Jew (his brothers) and Gentile (Egypt), and the list goes on).
In the spirit of reading the Joseph story within the broader canon, one can wonder why the Joseph story takes up so much space in Genesis (37–50), yet gets very little mention in the rest of the Bible, namely, in the New Testament. The New Testament just doesn’t say much about Joseph…on the surface.
Once again, upon closer examination, the similarities between Joseph and Jesus are fascinating. Many of the early church interpreters of the Old Testament saw Christ in the Joseph narrative. Here are some of the wonderful parallels:
1. Beloved by the Father. Joseph was dearly loved by his father Jacob (Genesis 37:3), and Jesus is called the beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17).
2. Hated by His Brothers. Joseph’s brothers hated him out of jealousy (Genesis 37:4, 11), and Jesus was rejected and despised, even by His own people (John 1:11; Mark 15:13).
3. Sold for Silver. Joseph was sold by his brothers for twenty pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28) and Jesus was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15).
4. Falsely Accused. Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned despite his innocence (Genesis 39:16-20), and Jesus was falsely accused and condemned though sinless (Mark 14:55-59; Luke 23:4).
5. Suffered and Humbled Before Exaltation. Joseph suffered humiliation, slavery, and imprisonment before being exalted to a position of power (Genesis 41:39-43), and Jesus humbled Himself to death on the cross and was later exalted to the highest place (Philippians 2:8-9).
6. Instrument of Salvation.Joseph saved many lives through his wisdom and administration during the famine (Genesis 45:5-7; 50:20), and Jesus brings ultimate salvation, offering eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Romans 5:10).
7. Forgave Those Who Wronged Him. Joseph forgave his brothers and showed them grace instead of revenge (Genesis 50:15-21), and Jesus forgives sinners, even those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).
8. Reconciliation with His Brothers. Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers brought restoration to the family (Genesis 45:1-15), and Jesus reconciles humanity with God and unites believers as God’s family (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Ephesians 2:13-16).
9. Unexpected Savior. Joseph’s brothers initially failed to recognize that the one they had rejected would be their savior (Genesis 42:8; 45:3), and Jesus was not recognized as the Messiah by many of His contemporaries (John 1:10-11).
10. Gentile Inclusion. Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt placed him in a position to bless both Egyptians (Gentiles) and his own family (Israel) (Genesis 41:56-57), and Jesus’ work of salvation extends to both Jews and Gentiles, fulfilling God’s plan for all nations (Ephesians 2:11-18; Galatians 3:28).
These parallels highlight how Joseph’s life serves as a foreshadowing of the redemptive mission of Christ, emphasizing themes of suffering, forgiveness, reconciliation, and salvation. This typological interpretation is commonly employed by Christian theologians to illustrate how the Old Testament points forward to Christ.
I must wonder (I’m sure others have wondered this as well) if the Joseph story is also eschatological. I wonder if what we find in the brothers finally coming to realize that Joseph—their brother—is their savior—is a prediction of what will happen at the end of all things. Will the Jews, like Jesus’s brothers, see Jesus for who he is and come to faith in him? Hope.
