JOSEPH AS A TYPE OF CHRIST

In Evans and Movakovic's article on “Typology” in The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, they list ten different categories of Old Testament types of Jesus. These include Moses, Elijah-Elisha, David, Son of Man, Servant, Adam, Jonah, Rejected Stone, High Priest, and OT Sacrifice. But there is no mention of Joseph, which is understandable since the NT never specifically associates Joseph with Christ. Despite that absence, there is abundant evidence that Jesus in his life and teachings provides numerous echoes of events in the Joseph Cycle, especially in Joseph's life. These are listed below in roughly the order of events in Genesis 37-49.

Similarity                                                         Genesis                     New Testament

favorite son                                                     37:3a                          Matthew 3:17

have a special garment                                   37:3b                          John 19:23

brothers turn against them                              37:4                            John 7:3-5

prominence of dreams                                    37:5-10,etc.                Matthew 1-2

future greatness predicted                              37:9-10                       Luke 1:32

parent ponders revelation                               37:11                          Luke 2:19

clothing removed by others                            37:12                          Matthew 27:27-31

enemies conspire to kill                                  37:18                          Mark 3:6

“Come! Let us kill him”                                 37:20                          Matthew 21:38

travelers with myrrh                                       37:25                          Matthew 2:11

rise from the pit                                              37:28                          Luke 24:5

sold for a slave's price                                    37:28                          Matthew 26:15

Jacob and Rachel cry for dead children         37:34-35                     Mathew 2:18

family goes to Egypt                                      37:36                           Matthew 2:14

finds favor in people's eyes                           39:4,21                         Luke 2:52

becomes a servant to others                           39:4                             John 13:4-17

faithful and prudent manager                        39:4-5                           Luke 12:42-46

master leaves him in charge                          39:8-9                           Luke 2:49; John 13:3

turn from physical temptation                       39:8-11                         Matthew 4:3-4

flees leaving garment behind                        39:12                            Mark 14:51-52

                                                                                                            Luke 24:12; John 20:6-7

The Lord is with them                                  39:21                             Luke 1:28; Acts 7:9;10:38

prophesies the future                                     40-41                             Matthew 24, etc.

“remember me when it is well for you”       40:14                             Luke 23:42

promise forgotten                                         40:14-15,23                    Matthew 26:33-35,73

only one of two fellow prisoners saved       40:16-22                         Luke 23:39-43

man identified with bread is hanged            40:22                              Mark 14:21; Matthew 27:5

feed the people miraculously                       41:33-36                         Matthew 14-15

second only to the pharaoh / Father             41:40                              Luke 22:29

given ring and dressed in fine clothes          41:42                              Luke 15:20-24

“Do what he tells you to do”                        41:55                              John 2:5

bow down before him                                  42:6; 43:26                     Mark 15:19

people do not recognize him                        42:8                                Luke 24:16; John 21:4

foot washing as a sign of hospitality            43:24                              John 13:1-30

both wept                                                      43:30;45:2                     Luke 19:41

vessel as indication of guilty party               44:6-13                          John 13:21-30

has supper with eleven                                 44:26-34                        John 13:31-17:26

he reveals his identity                                  45:3-4                             Luke 24:31

“sent ahead” to prepare                                45:5; 46:28                     John 3:28; 14:2-3

save their people                                          45:5                                 John 12:47

“do not be afraid”                                        46:3-4                              Luke 1:12-13

laying hands on children; blessing them     48:14-15                          Matthew 19:13-15

God/Jesus as shepherd                                48:15                                John 10:1-42

the field Jacob gave Joseph                        48:21-22                           John 4:1

donkey and its colt                                      49:11                                Matthew 21:5

forgive those who tried to kill them           50:15-21                           Luke 23:34

evil intentions accomplish God's will        50:20                                 Mark 14:21

You may notice from the above table, that there are no such parallels for Genesis 38. That is because that chapter is devoted wholly to incidents in the life of Judah instead of Joseph. But since it is part of the whole Joseph Cycle, we should note how it also fits in with the life of Jesus. Its importance in that context is seen in the fact that Tamar is the first of five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1:1-16. She shares several things in common with those other ancestresses:

Tamar was a probable Canaanite; Rahab was a Canaanite; and Ruth was a Moabite. Thus, Bathsheba and Mary were the only Jews in the list, and even Bathsheba was married to a Hittite.

Tamar acted the part of a prostitute (Genesis 38:15) , and Rahab was in fact a prostitute.

Both Tamar and Ruth lost their first husbands.

The nearest relative was denied to Tamar and Ruth even though the levirate law demanded it.

Both Tamar and Ruth go to extraordinary lengths to continue their lines even though their actions transgressed sexual standards of the time.

Both Tamar and Mary become pregnant while engaged to another man.

Both Tamar (Genesis 38:28) and Rahab (Joshua 2:18) are associated with a crimson cord.

In the case of Tamar and Bathsheba, it is a younger son who becomes the ancestor of Jesus.

All of the women except Bathsheba are praised in the Bible for their character and actions.