To continue with Joseph’s life, he gets out of prison and is again the messenger of God to interpret a dream. Not just for anyone, but for Pharoah! I think it must have taken so much humility to not be vindictive or set the record straight about Potiphar’s wife’s lie as soon as he had a chance! Personally, I can hardly stand it if I hear a rumor about me that is false. It is as if my whole persona is crashing right in front me and I have to defend myself and make things right or else I cannot continue on with my happy life. It’s even harder for me to not have a grudge against the person that tried to wreck my reputation! Then, I think about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus!
Just think about the weight of accusation Jesus must have felt going to the cross. Jesus was taking on not just the penalty of one person’s false accusation against him! Jesus, God in human flesh, was taking on all the weight of sin this world has ever known from the beginning of time to the end of time. Jesus wasn’t doing this for friends, but rather enemies of God. Yet, Matthew 26:50 records Jesus calling Judas “Friend” when Judas came to betray Jesus. God loved us while we were yet sinners! We deserved a death-sentence, not rescuing, but God loved us while we were on the enemy’s side (Romans 5:8)!
I will probably never fully comprehend that reality, but in that account of Christ bearing our sins on the cross is the very essence of love and humility. Spurgeon writes in his book, Humility and How to Get It,
I have heard men say with scorn that God required a sacrifice before He would be reconciled, as if that were wrong on the part of the Judge of all. But let me whisper in their ears: God required it, it is true, for He is just and holy; but God found it Himself. Remember that-Jehovah found the ransom which He demanded. It was Himself, His own Son, one with Himself, that became the propitiation and the reconciliation. It was not that God the Father was unkind, and could not be placated unless He smote His Son; but that God the Father was so kind that He could not be unjust, so supremely loving that He must devise a way by which men could be justly saved” (13).
Our representation of Joseph as a Jesus-type breaks down, as all do, at some point. Joseph was just a man, but he was willing to humbly serve where God had him whether it was in a prison or in the Pharoah’s palace. We don’t read about Joseph trying to set the score straight. Instead, we see humility and love towards those who have done him wrong. Spurgeon writes,
God’s love to us can add nothing to Him; it gives, but receives not. Divine love can have no recompense. That He, the Infinite, should stoop to love the finite; that He the infinite pure, should love the guilty, that is a vast condescension. See, moreover, what it involved; for this love rendered it necessary that in the person of His dear Son God should be “despised and rejected of men,” should make Himself of no reputation, and should even be numbered with the transgressors. “Herein is love!” (10).
John 4:19 states that, “We love him, because he first loved us.” This Easter, may we find ourselves humbled before the presence of God because he first loved us, paid the death-sentence on our behalf, the price of our iniquity to reconcile us to a holy, just, merciful God. It is truly amazing that because of our acceptance of that free gift of Salvation made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice, God calls us His friend! What a friend we have in Jesus! Below is the first verse of the words to this hymn whose text was written by Joseph Scriven. The tragic events which led him to pen these words can be read about here.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
