Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters in Christ,
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons. (Genesis 37:3)
Since its earliest days, the Christian church has recognized a harmony between the Old and New Testaments. The apostles sought to understand how the ancient Hebrew Scriptures pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. The early Church Fathers then recognized that the mystery of Christ that is hidden in the Old Testament comes fully alive in the New.
Many realities described in the Old Testament—people, events, places, or other details—anticipate realities fully revealed in the New. Scholars call them “types,” or prefigurements, of Christ.
The story of Joseph gives us one of the most stirring Old Testament “types” of Jesus. Joseph, a favorite son of Jacob, was despised by his brothers, who decided to sell him into slavery in Egypt. But Joseph eventually became the instrument God used to save his family from famine: “Even though you meant harm to me,” Joseph later told his brothers, “God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
It’s not hard to see how many Church Fathers read Joseph’s story as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ life and God’s plan of salvation. Just look at the many parallels between the two: both were favored sons of a loving father. Both experienced rejection from some of their own people. Both were sold for silver. Both were falsely accused and imprisoned. Both were unexpectedly exalted—Joseph to Pharaoh’s throne and Jesus to the throne of God. And both provided salvation for the chosen people as well as the Gentiles around them.
Learning how people, prophecies, and events in the Old Testament find fulfillment in Jesus can help us come to a deeper grasp of the salvation that he has won for us. It can help us grasp the marvelous plan of God. It can fill us with love for our Father, who has set his grand plan in motion. So as the season of Lent unfolds, look for Jesus’ “footprints” in the Old Testament readings at Mass. As you do, you’ll see how much God loves his people—including you. You’ll see that God has planned great and glorious things for you. Your life is secure in him!
“Jesus, you are the Lord of history. Thank you for opening my eyes to your wonderful plan for our salvation!”
Psalm 105:16-21; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Lenten Blessings,
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo in the Central Goldfields,
Australia
