Joseph - Reconciliation
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INTRO
INTRO
Tonight we are finishing our series in Genesis
it has been a long journey but we are finally here
We are finishing this series but looking at the conclusion of the story of Joseph
We are going to see how this story ends
And even more so we are going to see how in this account tonight Joseph is going to point us to Jesus more clearly then ever
TENSION
TENSION
We have been with Joseph a long time now…
we’ve seen the roller coaster of life he has been on
So Far:
Beloved by his father
Hated by his brothers (dreams)
Betrayed and sold by his brothers
Give all power in Potiphar’s house
Then falsely accused and convicted
Thrown into prison
TRUTH
TRUTH
That said tonight there is a lot i need to cover if we want to get to the end of Joseph’s story
So let me quickly recap what happens to Joseph in prison and before meeting his brothers again
Context:
Joseph interprets dreams in prison
He thinks it will lead to his freedom
But he’s forgotten for two more years
Then Pharaoh has a dream
No one can interpret it
Joseph is remembered, brought out, interprets the dream
Pharaoh's dream was a warning from God:
God was revealing there would be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine
Joseph interprets this and gives a plan, store food during the good years to survive the bad
Pharaoh sees God's wisdom in Joseph and elevates him to power
While we don’t have time really breakdown all that happens in these chapters this is one of the most dramatic turnarounds in all of Scripture
Joseph goes from prison to palace, from being a forgotten prisoner to ruling over Egypt
And all of this sets the stage for what’s about to happen next:
Joseph’s reunion with the very brothers who betrayed him, who are now coming to Egypt because of that famine.
The famine spreads, and back in Canaan, Jacob hears that there’s grain in Egypt
He sends his sons, except Benjamin, to buy food
When they arrive, they unknowingly come face to face with Joseph
Joseph recognizes them immediately, but they have no idea who he is
He speaks through an interpreter, keeping his identity hidden
This begins a series of tests
First, he accuses them of being spies and demands they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to prove their honesty.
They return home with food but are terrified when they realize their money was returned in their bags
Jacob refuses to send Benjamin until the famine worsens, and they have no choice but to go back
Judah steps up and takes personal responsibility, promising Jacob that he will bring Benjamin back
Back in Egypt, Joseph sees Benjamin for the first time in years
He’s overwhelmed with emotion and has to leave the room to weep
He prepares a feast for them, seating them in birth order, another shock to the brothers, and gives Benjamin five times as much food.
Then Joseph sets up one final test
He hides a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and sends them off, only to have his men chase them down and accuse them of theft
When the cup is found, they return devastated, fearing the worst
That’s when we arrive at Judah’s plea
Judah understands that if he doesn’t bring Benjamin home to Jacob then his fathers life will be ruined
He will be so heartbroken that he might even die
So we begins to plea with Joseph
“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’ Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”
Judah, the same brother who once said, “Let’s sell Joseph,” now says, “Take me instead.”
He recounts everything
his father’s love for Benjamin
the heartbreak that would follow if Benjamin didn’t return
and then he offers his life in exchange:
“Let me stay. Let me become your servant. Just let my brother go.”
Judah is no longer the same man
His heart is broken
He has changed
He is willing to sacrifice himself for someone else
And it’s this moment, this sacrificial, repentant act, that finally breaks Joseph
He’s seen enough
His brothers are not who they used to be
Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
Joseph can’t hold it in any longer
He sends everyone out, breaks down in tears, and reveals himself: “I am Joseph!”
His brothers are stunned
Shocked
Silent.
They had betrayed him, and now the one they betrayed is standing in front of them: alive, powerful, and weeping.
Imagine the weight they must have felt
The fear
The guilt
The wondering: “What is he going to do to us?”
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
But Joseph doesn’t take revenge
He comforts them
Joseph has a grander view of God’s sovereignty
He doesn’t excuse their sin, but he sees how God worked through it to accomplish something good
This is one of the clearest pictures in Genesis of how God's plan prevails even through human sin and brokenness.
And this moment in Joseph life prepares us for a even greater one
CHRIST CONNECTION
CHRIST CONNECTION
As we have seen over the past few weeks Joseph’s story points us to Jesus
but not just in general
In this moment, it’s crystal clear
Joseph was the one who had been betrayed, sold, and sinned against
and yet when he reveals himself to the very people who wronged him, his response isn’t revenge
It’s forgiveness
And not just forgiveness, but life
The story continues to tell us he gives them grain to survive
and even He brings them into the safety of Egypt
In the same way…
Jesus is the one we have betrayed, sold out, and sinned against
And yet when we are confronted with our sin
His response is not condemnation, but the offer of forgiveness and eternal life
This reaction by Joseph reminds me of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2
Peter clearly acknowledges all the sin the people had committed against Jesus, even their role in His crucifixion
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Realizing all that they had done the weight of their sin pierces their hearts
Pleading with Peter to tell them what they can do to fix it
They’re met with the best news:
that despite all they had done to Jesus, He meets them with forgiveness
Joseph is also a clear picture of law and gospel
His response confronts his brothers with what they’ve done
he reminds them of their betrayal and sin
but then, instead of condemning them
he gives them the good news of forgiveness and life
That’s law and gospel: conviction and grace. Truth and mercy
And students this is why we need both law and gospel
We need to hear the truth of the law
how we’ve sinned, how we’ve rebelled, how we are guilty
But we also need the gospel
the good news that even though we’ve sinned against Jesus, He meets us with grace, with forgiveness, and with life
But as i already mentioned Jospeh doesn’t just give his brothers forgivness but give them life
he gives them plenty of grain to take home
and eventually bring his whole family into the safety of Egypt
In the same way, Jesus doesn’t just give us forgiveness
he gives us eternal life
Jesus said in
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
So when we see Joseph forgives and gives life to his brothers, we’re seeing a preview of Jesus who offers not just forgiveness, but life to those who trust Him
APPLICAITON
APPLICAITON
Joseph’s story doesn’t just help us see Jesus more clearly
it helps us see how we should live in light of what Jesus has done
The gospel isn’t just a story to believe, it’s a reality that changes everything
So let’s talk about what this means for you and me right now
Because of the forgiveness and sovereignty we see in Joseph, and ultimately in Jesus, here are two ways we’re called to respond…
Trust God’s Sovereignty in Your Story
Out of all the things Joseph could have said to his brothers he tells not to be mad because, "God sent me,"
because he trusted that even through pain and betrayal, God was still in control
As believers, we can hold on to that same truth
God is always working even when we can’t see it
Even in the hardest moments
He is working for our good and His glory
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
So despite any circumstances you might find yourself in you can Trust God’s Sovereignty in Your Story
2. Forgive Because You Have Been Forgiven
Joseph forgave his brothers because he saw how much God had done in his life
In the same way, when we see how much God has forgiven us in Jesus, we can forgive others
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
You might have someone in your life who’s hurt you deeply
Don’t hold on to bitterness
Let the forgiveness of Jesus soften your heart
And lead you to a forgiveness that reflects what you have recieved
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
Maybe tonight you need to stop carrying bitterness
Maybe you need to trust God in the midst of some hard circumstances
Maybe you need to come to Jesus for the first time.
Just like Joseph said to his brothers, Jesus says to you: "Don’t be afraid. Come near to me."
And tonight, we’re going end by singing the song “Living Hope”
That’s what this whole story is about
That through betrayal, pain, and even death, Jesus became our living hope.
The grave couldn’t hold Him, and now there’s nothing holding you back from grace
So let me give you two ways to respond tonight:
If you're a believer
maybe you've been doubting God's plan, struggling to forgive, or carrying burdens He never meant for you to bear
Tonight is a chance to come back to Him with open hands, to trust Him again, and to reminded of the good news of the gospel
If you're not a believer
maybe you’re seeing for the first time how serious your sin is
Maybe you feel like Joseph’s brothers: afraid, exposed, unsure of what comes next
Hear this:
Jesus is not pushing you away
He’s inviting you in
Like Joseph, He reveals Himself not to condemn, but to forgive and give life
That’s the gospel.
So whether you need to lay something down, forgive someone, ask for forgiveness, or simply respond in worship this is your moment
Let’s pray and then let’s lift our voices to Jesus, our Living Hope
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
