Garry spoke this morning about Joseph as a type of Jesus, our suffering Saviour. Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar (Gen 39:1-2); he went from being the favoured son of Jacob (even though he was not the oldest) to being a slave. In the same way, Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, became a servant who pointed the way forward as being the One who came to serve and not to be served (see Matt 20:20-27). He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Is 53) and in Gethsemane proved His servant heart by praying for God’s will to be done, not HIs own. The One who in truth was over all was secure in His identity and therefore was willing to serve all (see John 13). Not only did He wash His disciples’ feet, but He even washed the feet of the one who would betray Him.
Joseph had no choice in the matter of becoming a slave; Jesus, however, willingly chose this path (Phil 2:7, Heb 12:2) In the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Luke 12:35-40), we see how being a servant does not mean being servile. It means being willing to serve and being ready. The servants were called to keep the lamps burning and to wait with expectation and anticipation for their Master’s return. In that parable, the Master was willing to share the spoils of the wedding feast not only with favoured guests but with his slaves, the lowest of the low, and in the same way, Jesus shares His riches with us, giving us access into all the riches of God.
On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when He was hailed as the coming King by the crowds. Yet Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him: rejection, crucifixion and death before resurrection (see Luke 18:31-34). He was willing to tread this path for us because of His great love for us and He continues to lead us in the way of servanthood.
