Where's Jesus? Joseph reveals himself (Genesis 45)

 After all the family struggles, the revealing of past sins, and the effort expended to make a life, Joseph's brothers are shocked at the behavior of Pharaoh's second in command.  It is easy to imagine that such actions from a dignitary could be viewed as eccentric, even crazy.  But the great turning point for the family comes when Joseph recites these words,

"I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! An now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you...God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance." (Genesis 45:4-5, 7)

These words show an immense amount of grace towards the evil doers and an even greater amount of trust in God.  God is the one who is working out salvation for his people, even in the midst of famine and disaster.  So where is Jesus?  Jesus, like Joseph, was sent ahead of us to die and suffer in order to 
save the lives of those who were given to him. 

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Revelation 1:5)

Jesus, like Joseph, is the one who preserves the remnant and saves us by a great deliverance - conquering death and walking out to the tomb. 

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. (John 10:17)

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2Timothy 1:9-10)

And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”  Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:13-15)

Jesus, like Joseph, understands that human actions contributed to the suffering he must undergo, but that God is really the prime actor directing the whole affair, and ensuring that his plans are carried out.

Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. (John 19:11)

Even more than this, where Joseph sent wonderful gifts to his father and with his brothers and brought them back to a good land in a time of shortage, Jesus sends us his very Spirit and all the gifts that go with that in order to allow us to experience a foretaste of the banquet which awaits us.  We get to experience all the good things that God has in store for us who believe, all because Jesus  has to "save our lives by a great deliverance."  

Praise God that the Scriptures testify about Christ, all the way through.  He is our Lord and Savior, to whom belongs all the glory and the honor and the power (again, like Joseph in our story).