Does Joseph (in Genesis) prefigure Christ? (esp. Gen. 37:18-35)

Question

It seems Joseph may prefigure Christ, especially when we consider that his own brothers (Israelites) betrayed him, selling him as a slave:

Genesis 37:28: "Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver."

If Joseph is a foreshadow, is it possible to reconcile the 20 shekels of silver with the 30 pieces of silver paid to betray Christ? (Matt. 26:15).

Answer 1

The fact that the life and story of Joseph prefigured that of Jesus in some respects does not mean it has to exactly mirror it. It is well known that Joseph and Jesus' life were parallel.

• both are rejected by their own people
• both became servants
• both are betrayed for silver
• both are falsely accused and face false witnesses
• both attain stations at the "right hand" of the respective thrones (Joseph at Pharaoh's throne and Christ at the throne of God)
• Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, and Jesus was about the same age according to the bible when he began his ministry
• Both became a saviour to their people by going to Egypt; Joseph as a lad of 17 and Jesus as a baby (Matt 2:15)