The Bread and the Cup

Introduction

Luke 22:14–23 CSB

14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.

(WE ARE GOING TO SEE THIS VERY THING FORESHADOWED TODAY! This isn’t just a couple of dreams…)

Main Point: The Old Testament points us to our Savior.

Body

To the Prison we go- v. 1-4

As we jump into Genesis 40, remember, Joseph has been thrown into prison. Genesis 39:21-23 gives us the context of his time in jail.

Genesis 39:21–23 CSB

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. 22 The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23 The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.

Genesis 40 picks up as Joseph is managing the prison.

Remember, he is FALSELY ACCUSED AND IMPRISONED, and let’s see what is going on.

Genesis 40:1–4 CSB

1 After this, the king of Egypt’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guards in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guards assigned Joseph to them as their personal attendant, and they were in custody for some time.

As Joseph manages the prison, the pharaoh becomes angry and he throws the cupbearer and the baker in prison.

The cupbearer was responsible for making sure that Pharaoh was NEVER poisoned by protecting the wine and the other drinks that Pharaoh would have and tasting it if needed.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer for Cyrus when God called him to Israel- this was a treasured position.

The baker was responsible for BAKING the bread and other goods that Pharaoh would eat.

These are arguably his 2 most trusted servants out of any, but one day they both make him mad.

Pharaoh has them thrown into prison where Joseph is. Now, they are given some special treatment and are thrown into the “house of the captain of the guards” and they are given one person who will look after them- Joseph- but they are still not in a good spot.

They stay in custody for a while and Joseph gets to know them.

Now, for us, as we start reading this passage it can feel like, “Why does this matter?” But listen, God has a PLAN IN ALL OF THIS!

God is going to use this situation to further HIS PLAN!

The Sad Prisoners- v. 5-8

Genesis 40:5–8 CSB

5 The king of Egypt’s cupbearer and baker, who were confined in the prison, each had a dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We had dreams,” they said to him, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

One day we see that the cupbearer and the baker have dreams.

Joseph goes to see them in the morning and they are really not ok- they are deeply troubled, or distraught! Understand, Egyptians and honestly most of what we consider “Ancient Near Eastern Cultures” (Babylon, Assyria, the Hittites, the Philistines), placed a really heavy emphasis on interpreting dreams.

And for these men, they don’t have anyone to interpret their dreams.

As such, they are distraught! They are filled with anxiety and worry!

So Joseph talks to them and they explain what’s going on. Look at what Joseph says to them in verse 8- they are saying that they are looking for dream interpretation.

Joseph says, “Don’t interpretations belong to God?”

That’s his immediate response! He says, “Listen, this is something that only GOD can do!”

Then Joseph tells them to tell him their dreams.

Joseph is very careful with how he does this- before he interprets this dream he has given God ALL OF THE GLORY AND ALL OF THE CREDIT!

It’s similar to what we saw last week with Joseph saying, “No, I won’t do this sin BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AGAINST THE LORD!”

And I would argue that it had to be hard for Joseph as a prisoner to STAND STRONG FOR GOD!

See, at the time, it was the common view of people in Egypt and the ANE that gods were regional. So in Canaan, God was God, but that he had no authority in Egypt. Yet Joseph stood strong and worshipped God!

And here, Joseph takes the attention off of himself and puts it ON GOD!

Understand- being able to interpret dreams would have made him very powerful and popular and NEEDED, but he doesn’t make this about himself, he makes this situation about God!

Let’s look at these dreams.

The Cupbearer’s dream- v. 9-11

Genesis 40:9–11 CSB

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine in front of me. 10 On the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

The chief cupbearer goes first and tells him his dream.

In his dream there are three branches that begin to bud and then blossom and each bear grapes.

The cupbearer takes these grapes, squeezes them into wine and puts this wine into Pharaoh’s cup.

Pharaoh’s cup is then obviously is given to Pharaoh; in other words, the guys dream is that he is doing his job again!

It’s pretty straight forward, so let’s look at verses 12-15 and see the interpretation.

The Interpretation- v. 12-15

Genesis 40:12–15 CSB

12 “This is its interpretation,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 In just three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand the way you used to when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well for you, remember that I was with you. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. 15 For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”

Joseph then provides the interpretation for the dream.

It’s pretty straight forward- Joseph says that the three branches represent three days and that in three days Pharaoh will LIFT HIM UP (That’s actually really important wording- we’ll talk about why later)- and restore his position.

Joseph asks him for just one simple favor. And this really is a simple favor. Joseph asks the cupbearer to talk to Pharaoh on his behalf.

Look at what Joseph says- Joseph talks about how he was kidnapped and then falsely imprisoned!

Joseph isn’t saying, “I WANT TO STAY HERE!”

Joseph is just saying, “LET ME GO FREE SO THAT I CAN GO HOME!”

He isn’t a criminal and he shouldn’t be a slave.

This is a really good insight into Joseph. Joseph hurts. It can be easy for us to see Joseph’s life and to think, “Well, Joseph was just perfect and he jsut didn’t care.”

But that wasn’t the case! Instead, Joseph was CONTENT that God was sovereign, but he still struggled!

This is really important- being content isn’t about never feeling any emotions, or not caring. Being content is about keeping your emotions under control, refixing our vision on God, and CHASING AFTER GOD!

Content living doesn’t come because everything is perfect; it comes because our PEACE IS FOUND IN JESUS AND ONLY JESUS!

And I’m just going to be blunt and honest. Our AMERICAN culture isn’t built on being content. Just pull up social media! It’s a perfect example! I heard someone say it well this week- social media isn’t every day life, it’s the HIGHLIGHT REEL!

And that’s true! I don’t post pictures of myself outside reseeding my lawn on a Tuesday evening just before it rains, but THAT IS REAL LIFE! I don’t post pictures of myself on a Thursday morning at the doctor’s office, but that’s REAL LIFE!

Instead, on social media I post pictures of my vacation, or of that fun thing I did.

It’s an industry built around selling the idea of real connection, but that really creates DISCONTENT PEOPLE!

Friends- we need to learn from Joseph’s example and learn to be content! That doesn’t mean that we hope nothing changes in hard times, but it DOES CHANGE HOW WE LOOK AT HARD TIMES!

Think about it like this- sure, it might be more fun to be in Santorini today on a beach, BUT, we are here with an opportunity to MAKE DISCIPLES TODAY!

And THAT is something that is worth living for! The beach is fun, but don’t live for the instagrammable moment, LIVE FOR MAKING DISCIPLES!

The Baker’s Decision- v. 16-17

So we see Joseph make his request and then our attention shifts to the baker in verse 16. Look at this with me. Genesis 40:16-17

Genesis 40:16–17 CSB

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was positive, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. Three baskets of white bread were on my head. 17 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

The chief baker heard the good news and HE ASSUMES THAT HE WILL HAVE A POSITIVE INTERPRETATION TOO!

As such, he decides to SHARE HIS DREAM!

Similarly, he has a dream about his former job. In this case, he is carrying three baskets filled with bread and baked goods on his head.

He goes walking to Pharaoh with these baked goods and then birds begin EATING ALL OF THE BAKED GOODS FROM THE TOP BASKET!

His dream is short and simple and if we’re honest, it has a different tone in a concerning way.

But what is it going to mean in the end?

Let’s look at verses 18-19 to find out!

The Interpretation- v. 18-19

Genesis 40:18–19 CSB

18 “This is its interpretation,” Joseph replied. “The three baskets are three days. 19 In just three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from off you—and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh from your body.”

Joseph very bluntly explains this. Joseph doesn’t hold back, instead, he speaks the truth that God tells him to speak- we need to take that seriously.

Listen, God’s Word is TRUTH and we can’t be afraid to SPEAK IT!

Joseph tells him that the meaning of his dream is that in three days he will be lifted up and hung on a tree; he will die.

It’s blunt, but it’s also revealing- see, the baker approaches Joseph, and really God, in a place of pride, arrogance, and honestly entitlement. Remember- he comes to Joseph because the cupbearers interpretation was good, so therefore his would be good.

Have you ever heard someone do something like that? I have. Trust me, it’s not from humility. It’s a belief in the baker that he is BETTER than the cupbearer. PRAXIS example.

And here’s the truth- just because you’re in a hard season and someone else is in a better season doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to an easier life.

That’s not at all how this works!

And Joseph doesn’t sugar coat truth here.

He’s honest- he speaks God’s TRUTH which is what we MUST DO when we are confronted with this type of a situation.

And listen- I’m not saying, “When someone asks you about a dream they had, tell them God gave you the interpretation.”

Instead, I’m saying- “When someone comes to you and starts pulling all sorts of falsehood out, calmly speak God’s Truth!”

The Third Day (Part 1)- v. 20-23

Genesis 40:20–23 CSB

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. He elevated the chief cupbearer and the chief baker among his servants. 21 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position as cupbearer, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

In verse 20 we see that Joseph’s interpretations- which of course are actually from God- are correct.

Pharaoh brings the cupbearer out of prison and back to his former position. On the other hand, he hangs the chief baker.

For the cupbearer this is GREAT NEWS! For the baker; this is, well, less great news.

But really, there’s a parallel here that I want to pull out more.

See, do you remember what the cupbearer and the baker dream about? (BUILD YOUR TONE OF VOICE!)

They dream about wine and bread. And listen, there’s a parallel there that I want to draw out- see, when JESUS goes to the cross, just before, he gathers with his disciples and he BREAKS BREAD AND SHARES WINE with his disciples.

He explains that the bread is his body BROKEN for them; broken for US on the cross!

Jesus also explained that the wine was his BLOOD poured out for US!

Friends, these two dreams are no accident. These men need to be saved and they dream about WINE AND BREAD as their salvation in essence.

Don’t miss this Cornerstone! DON’T MISS THIS! JOSEPH’S LIFE IS A FORESHADOWING OF OUR NEED FOR A TRUE AND BETTER SAVIOR- and here’s ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IT!

But there’s one other point I want to make- notice how I said a “BETTER SAVIOR.”

See, in Genesis 40, only 1 person gets saved. WITH JESUS, EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON HIS NAME CAN BE SAVED! Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21

(The fact that this statement is repeated so many times is a reminder also that the OLD TESTAMENT POINTS US TOWARDS THE CROSS, and that the NEW TESTAMENT LOOKS BACK AT THE CROSS AND SHOWS US HOW TO FOLLOW GOD BECAUSE OF THE CROSS!)

Romans 10:13 CSB

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

There’s one more piece of Genesis 40 that reminds us of OUR NEED FOR A TRUE AND BETTER SAVIOR!

Look at verse 23: Genesis 40:23

Genesis 40:23 CSB

23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Joseph was forgotten. Yet again he is sinned against, yet again he is abandoned.

His “savior” forgot him.

And listen, he’s in prison because of a lie, he’s in egypt because of jealousy and now his SAVIOR was too selfish to help him!

Cornerstone, there’s two points I want to make- first, our savior WILL NEVER FORGET YOU! (Consider Matthew 28:20 that we read every week!)

Second, following God isn’t always easy. Like let’s be clear- Joseph’s only crime is that he is a man of God!

He should be released but he hasn’t been.

So where does he find comfort? ONLY IN GOD!

And listen- we’ll be diving into Genesis 41 next week, but for now, let me give you a quick preview- Genesis 41:1

Genesis 41:1 CSB

1 At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,

JOSEPH IS ABANDONED FOR 2 YEARS IN PRISON! HE’S STUCK and HE’S FORGOTTEN!

I don’t know about you, but I get upset and frustrated when someone cuts me off in traffic, let alone being stuck in prison for 2 years!

Joseph is suffering and his response through it all? It’s to worship God and to point people to God, just as he does in Genesis 40:8

Genesis 40:8 CSB

8 “We had dreams,” they said to him, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

Is that our response to suffering?

And that’s our first application point today.

Application

Our Response to Suffering

There’s no question that Joseph has been suffering since he has been in Egypt!

Psalm 105:18 CSB

18 They hurt his feet with shackles; his neck was put in an iron collar.

On top of that, to be FORGOTTEN ABOUT when you think you might get out? That’s suffering.

But listen- and I’m preaching this to myself- this was a hard week; this text convicted me day after day this week- our suffering isn’t pointless.

I heard a John Piper quote this week and I just want to paraphrase it- “Your pain isn’t meaningless. It’s producing in you an eternal weight of glory; therefore, don’t lose heart.”

Friends, our suffering can either draw us CLOSER TO GOD BECAUSE WE RELY ON GOD, or it will PUSH US AWAY FROM GOD if we chose to become bitter and angry.

I love the reminder of Job.

Very brief version of Job’s life.

Job 13:15 CSB

15 Even if he kills me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways before him.

Friends, let’s be like Job.

So how do we do that?

Let me give you 5 tips that we can learn from Joseph’s life for responding to suffering.

Foundationally strong

Remember the basic truths of God’s Word- remember that GOD IS WITH YOU! (God isn’t going with you- Genesis 39:21-23)

Focused intentionally

God has given you an opportunity. Run with this opportunity. STAY FOCUSED- YOUR SUFFERING IS NOT IGNORED BY GOD! GROW IN THAT SEASON!

Faithful consistently

Don’t give up! I know it’s tempting. Trust me, I know. But friends, Daniel, don’t give up!

Forgiving quickly

Maybe you’re hurt by someone- forgive them. I know Joseph was hurting, but he FORGIVES (We see this throughout his later life)

Finishing strong

Don’t try to skip the trial! FINISH STRONG PROCLAIMING JESUS!

Joseph in prison still talked about GOD- same for us! BE BOLD WITNESSES EVEN AS WE SUFFER!

Our Response to Sin

Guys, Joseph is sinned against a ton.

But what is his response?

FORGIVENESS- as we’ll see later in his life, but it’s going on RIGHT HERE IN GENESIS 40! (AND RELYING ON THE LORD)

FORGIVENESS MATTERS FOR US TODAY!

Forgiveness- doesn’t mean pretending that this never happened; it’s about giving it to God and moving forward.

PRACTICAL- CALL TO FORGIVE!

Our Response to our True and Better Savior

(THE THIRD DAY PART 2)

GOSPEL!

JESUS BROKE HIS BODY AND SPILLED HIS BLOOD FOR US!

AND HE DID IT SO THAT WE CAN BE SAVED! NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE DONE!

HE WAS THE TRUE AND THE BETTER SAVIOR BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO PUTS THEIR FAITH IN JESUS WILL BE SAVED. NOT SOME PEOPLE, EVERYONE!

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 CSB

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 CSB

54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

TODAY, PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS!