Building on the Foundation

There are few biblical characters more ignored than Joseph, the father of Jesus. He is generally viewed as an aside, simply the somewhat unnecessary husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and after all, Jesus could have been born and raised without Joseph around at all. Mary was genuinely the first and only woman to exist who seemingly really didn’t need no man.  However, Joseph is far more than just an aside; in fact, he is as important to the birth of Jesus as Mary herself. Of course, the role of a father in a child’s life is irreplaceable, but more than that, with Joseph, his bloodline was irreplaceable, and I believe he was especially selected by God for the lineage of Jesus the Anointed.  You see, Scripture never traces a lineage through a woman, and you won't find any place where it explicitly identifies Mary’s lineage. Was she of the House of David? We aren’t told explicitly, but her cousin Elizabeth is said to be of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5).  That’s the on...

  As we’ve noted before, God’s Word contains an incredible depth of meaning. Layer upon layer. Every time we pick up the Bible and study it, we’re likely to learn something new, to notice some new detail we never noticed before. Concealed within the pages of the Old Testament are many types and foreshadows of Jesus Christ. The story of Joseph found in Genesis 37 is one such example. This, of course, is the story of how Joseph’s brothers grew jealous of him, hated him, and sold him into slavery. Throughout this story, we can see Joseph as a type, parallel, and foreshadow of Jesus Christ. Joseph was a shepherd, watching over and feeding his father’s flock: “Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers” (Gen. 37:2). Likewise, Jesus Christ said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). And of Him, Mic. 5:4 prophesied, “He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD.” Joseph’s brothers evidently were less than faithful in their duties, thou...