Jesse Tree: Joseph (December 7)

Return to Jesse Tree Index

Day 7:  Joseph (Genesis 37 and 39:1 – 50:21)

As a gift Jacob gives a vibrant, kaleidoscopic coat of rich, and certainly expensive, colors to one of his twelve sons.

As Joseph slipped it on he felt the favor of his father.  But what do you think his brothers felt as Joseph flashed his coat around and they had nothing to show?  Actually, there were a lot of things about Joseph that bugged his brothers. 

Joseph had another gift that his brothers didn't.  This one was given to him by his heavenly Father: 

Dreams.

In his youth his dreams got him into trouble because he kind of liked to brag about them.  What brother hasn’t done this a time or two, though.  Let’s forgive him. 

But God’s purposes for Joseph were greater than he could have known!  And it would not be an easy road along the way. To understand what God was doing during the life of Joseph we have to remember back quite a bit further in the history of his family...

Long ago, God had made a covenant with Abram (alson known as Abraham). 

Do you remember it?   

His name would be known throughout time.

     God would be with him.

           God would give him land.

                 A big family.

                      The whole world would be blessed through his huge family!

These were among the blessings of the covenant...

God also told Abraham, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your family will be strangers in a country not their own and they will become slaves and suffer tremendously there.  After four hundred years of suffering I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and in the end they will come out with riches. I will do this when the sin of the Amorites reaches the point that I cannot wait any longer to punish them.” 

God had in mind for Joseph to have a part in his Great Grandfather’s story… and Joseph’s understanding of this grew with him as he grew in years and saw God at work, keeping him safe from his brothers who had come to hate him and his good fortune.   They threw him in a well, sold him to be a slave, but who would have known – save God himself – that Joseph would be raised from the pit to a position of great power in Egypt?  A position that saved not only the people there, but his own family.  A position that would bring his whole seventy people big family to live in the land of Egypt, and thrive, fruitful and increasing in number. 

Surely his Father, Jacob, should not have had a favorite son, and that robe probably caused Joseph more trouble than it was worth, but there is something beautiful that came out of these sufferings.  For Joseph, it was a reminder that he was in the Center of God’s plan. What his brothers intended for evil God intended for good.  This trust in God gave Joseph the strength to forgive his brothers.

Are you at the center of God's plan?  Do you know what he wills for you?  

Just like Joseph’s father once covered his son with a coat of great honor, there is a sparkling garment that God our Father offers us.  It was bought with a great price, but freely given. 

Without this coat we are left to wear our old garments marked with sinful stains – no way to clean them.  But the baby Jesus, born pure and perfect, wrapped in swaddling clothes and rested in a manger, grew and lived his life clothed in brilliant white.  No sin to mark his garment.  But that little baby would one day also choose to give up his life – to give up his clothes of white – and cover us in them.  He would crawl upon the altar and lay down his life, becoming like a sacrificial lamb, and his robe would drip with blood.  It should have been our blood on those garments, and our death on that cross. 

Because of this infant, this innocent life that we anticipate meeting soon, God takes our dirty, troubling robes – the sins that we wear around each day – and he offers us his robe of Righteousness.  The spotless garment that rightly belongs to Christ he offers to us in exchange for our filthy rags, and if we put it on it covers over the shame of our sin once and for all.  Forgiveness is not deserved, but it is given as he places it over our shoulders.

This Christmas gift, it’s for you!  This year at Christmas Jesus offers to wrap you in righteousness.    He is coming!  Will you receive this gift and wear it with a grateful, and humble spirit?  Will you share it with others and remember from where it came?

Prayer: 

Jesus, we have nothing to offer you but filthy robes and sinful hearts, but we love you and thank you for wearing our sin – showing us your love.  Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And as we walk around with peace in our hearts and clean clothes on our backs, we will shout to the world:   Joy!  Joy to the world!  The Lord is coming soon!

What can you do to celebrates this today?    

1. As you reflect on the life of Joseph, and the forgiveness he offered his brothers, ask God to bring to mind one person you can forgive today. 
2. Write their name down on a piece of paper.  
3. Ask God how can you be a gift to that person this Christmas? 
4. Write out your thanks to God for somehow taking that evil and making it good. 

Sing:  Joy to the World!