Where's Jesus? the story of Jacob fleeing from Laban (Genesis 31:1-55)

There are three places where the story of Jacob fleeing from Laban gives pause for reflecting on the ministry of Jesus Christ.  First, Jacob's treatment by Laban was hard and deceitful.  Some have argued that he deserved it for his earlier treatment of Esau.  Maybe, maybe not.  But the truth of the situation, from Jacob's own mouth, is "God has not allowed [Laban] to harm me" (v.7b).  So it is for the Christian, our arch enemy roams around seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8) and many evil people plot harm for the follower of God, but Jesus secures his people from all the deceitful schemes of the devil and his minions.  In fact, Rom. 8:28  tells us

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

In fact, Psalm 18:2 reiterates this along with many other psalms, saying,

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Jesus is our stronghold.  The same protection which Jacob experienced from Laban, we experience in Christ both from sin and death, Satan and his schemes, but also from God's wrath as well.

Second, after Laban pursues Jacob and fails to find his household gods among Jacob's stuff, even though it was hidden under Rachel, so too, for those who are in Christ, we can cry out at Laban, the accuser, "What sin have I committed that you hunt me down?  Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?" (v. 36-37).  And praise the lord, our accuser will never find anything which belongs to his kingdom, for in Christ all our sin has been atoned for, our clothes and our very person have been dipped in the blood of the lamb and not a spot or blemish remain on us in the sight of God.  In fact, even better then that the accuser is destroyed for those in Christ. Hear this testimony from Revelation 12:10,

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."

Third, while Jacob is rehearsing his service to Laban, he states that any loss born to Laban's flocks, Jacob personally bore.  Likewise, Jesus personally bore the loss himself.  He bore the separation from God.  He bore our sin.  He bore God's wrath, alone, by himself.  No one else was allowed to bear it, for no one else was the lamb without spot or blemish.

Such are three ways we can find Jesus in the stories of the patriarchs.  To God alone be the glory, great things he has done.