“I’ve Seen the Wagons”
Genesis 45:16 - 46:7
Pastor Steve N. Wagers
April 24. 2011
Easter Sunday
1. Help for the Fallen!
A) The Task They Were to Perform
B) The Truth They Were to Proclaim
2. Healing for the Faint!
A) A Heavy Heart
B) A Happy Heart
3. Hope for the Future!
A) Express His Praise
B) Experience His Presence
A Sunday school teacher was teaching a group of four-year-olds. It was Easter Sunday and she asked, "Does anyone know what today is?" One little girl raised her hand and said, "It's Easter." The teacher complimented her and then asked, "Does anyone know what makes Easter so special?" The same little girl raised her hand and said, "Easter is special because Jesus rose from the dead..."Before the teacher could compliment her, the little girl added, "but if He sees His shadow, He has to go back in for seven weeks."
Easter accounts for 12 percent of the dollar volume for holiday flower sales, according to the Society of American Florists. Americans are expected to spend $1.18 billion on candy this Easter, according to the National Confectioners Association. More than 60 million chocolate bunnies, 2 million marshmallow chicks per day, and 15 billion jellybeans will be produced for Easter.
Easter ranks second in candy sales after Halloween. Easter is the fourth most-popular holiday for sending greeting cards, behind Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day, according to the Greeting Card Association.
I remind you that Easter is not meant to be a natural holiday, but a supernatural holiday. Easter Sunday is not about the Easter bunny, egg hunts, jellybeans, or a new dress. It is about One who was crucified, buried yet rose again. It is about the One who was dead, yet today is alive forevermore.
I read the story of an English boy from Liverpool. One day he went for a swim. He stripped off his clothes and ran into the water. It was not long before he found himself being carried by the tide out into the sea. He struggled long and hard, but was not able to swim against the ebbing tide. At last he was picked up by a boat bound for Dublin. The sailors were good to him and gave him clothes to wear.
That evening a man was walking along the shore and found the boys clothes lying on the beach. Inside the lad's coat he found his name on a piece of paper by which he discovered who the clothes belonged to. The man assumed the boy had drowned and with a heavy heart went to break the news to his parents. He said to the father, "I'm very sorry to tell you, I found these clothes on the shore and could not find the lad to whom they belonged. I almost fear he has been drowned."
The father could not speak. He was so overcome with grief; the mother was wild with sorrow. They searched and searched for the boy, but he was no where to be found. It was a sad house as one can imagine. A memorial service was scheduled; the mother spent her time crying, and the father silent in his grief.
Mean while, the boy was transferred in Dublin to a ship bound for Liverpool. The ship arrived on the day on which the memorial service was scheduled. As soon as the boy reached Liverpool he headed for home. At last he came to the hall door and knocked. When the servant opened the door, she screamed with joy and shouted to the mourners that were gathered: "Here is Master Tom! He’s alive! He’s alive!" The father rushed to the door and burst into tears, embracing the boy. The mother so overcome fainted.
If you appreciate that story, perhaps you can appreciate what it must have been like for Jacob when he received the news that his son, Joseph, was alive. For nearly 25 years he has believed his son was dead. But, one day, there came the news he was alive.
The news of Joseph being alive is a perfect illustration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no greater character in the Old Testament who depicts the person of Christ more than Joseph. You could say that Joseph, in many ways, is the Old Testament Jesus, because the similarities between their lives are most striking.
Joseph was the favorite son of a wealthy father. (Gen. 37: 3)
Jesus was the “only begotten” son of a Father who owns it all. (Matt. 3: 17)
Joseph was a shepherd. (Gen. 37: 2)
Jesus was the Good Shepherd. (John 10: 11-14)
Joseph was taken to Egypt to avoid death. (Gen. 37: 28)
Jesus was taken to Egypt, after His birth, to avoid death. (Matt. 2: 13)
Joseph became a servant. (Gen. 39: 4)
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. (Phil. 2: 7)
Joseph gave bread to hungry people that came to him. (Gen. 41: 57)
Jesus is the Bread of Life for all who come to Him. (John 6: 34)
Joseph resisted difficult temptations. (Gen. 39: 8)
Jesus was “tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4: 15)
Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver (OT price of a slave). (Gen. 37: 28)
Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver (NT price of a slave). (Matt. 26: 15)
Joseph was rejected by his own brethren. (Gen. 37: 8)
Jesus “came unto His own and His own received Him not.” (John 1: 12)
Joseph was falsely accused. (Gen. 39: 14)
Jesus was guilty of nothing but love. (Mark 14: 56)
Joseph was condemned between 2 prisoners. (Gen. 40: 2)
Jesus was crucified between 2 thieves. (Luke 23: 32)
Joseph was held for 2 days, and was free on the 3rd. (Gen. 41: 1)
Jesus rose again on the 3rd day. (John 20: 1-10)
Joseph arose into a new life. (Gen. 41: 41)
Jesus arose to give new life. (John 14: 6)
Joseph returned to his father. (Gen. 46: 29)
Jesus “ascended”/seated “at the right hand” of His Father. (Mark 16: 19)
Joseph became a lord under the king. (Gen. 45: 8)
Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Rev. 19: 16)
The name of Jesus’ earthly father was Joseph.
The name of Jesus’ chief accuser was Joseph ben Caiaphas.
The name of the man who buried Jesus was Joseph of Arimathaea.
What a great scene this is in the Scriptures. It is the scene of forgiven hearts, fainting hearts, and full hearts. Let's notice the story.
1. HELP for the FALLEN!
I think of Joseph's brothers. These were the same blood brothers who had betrayed him, belittled him, denied him and depreciated him. However, now no longer were they haunted by the past. No longer were they carrying the guilt of their sins. They had been forgiven.
How well I remember when my sins were forgiven. "Oh happy day, Oh happy day; When Jesus washed my sins away."
But no sooner were these brothers’s forgiven, when they were given certain responsibilities. You might say they were immediately given a ministry.
Conversion is always followed by a calling. Salvation is always followed by service. A change of life leads to a commitment of life.
I believe one of the evidences that one has really been saved is that they will have a desire to do what God wants. A saved person suddenly finds in their heart a desire to go to Church, read the Bible, and serve God.
Many Christians are much like Pilate; SYMPATHETIC toward Christ, but not SURRENDERED to Christ.
Someone once asked William Booth, "Mr. Booth, what is the secret to your joy?" Booth replied, "I never say no to the Lord."
A. The TASK They Were To PERFORM
In order to fully comprehend the scene, let’s take the time to set the scene from the text.
(Genesis 45: 17-24)“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; [18] And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. [19] Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. [20] Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
[21] “And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. [22] To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. [23] And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. [24] So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.”
In other words, their forgiven life had introduced them to all the bounty of Egypt. It was not to be enjoyed alone. In a sense, you could say that their forgiven condition carried with it a stipulation--They were to go back and get the rest of the family so that they could enjoy all that was offered and available.
The same is true for all of us that have been saved. Our forgiven condition does not carry a stipulation, but an OBLIGATION! We are to go back to our family and friends and tell them what God can do for them.
Someone once asked Lyman Beecher, the question, "Mr. Beecher, you know a great many things. What do you consider the greatest thing that a human being can do or be?" Without hesitation the great preacher said: "The greatest thing is not that one should be a scientist, important as that is. Nor that one should be a statesman, vastly important as that is. Nor even that one should be a theologian, immeasurably important as that is. But the greatest thing of all is for one human being to bring another human being to Christ Jesus, the Saviour."
These brothers had discovered a life of abundance. Their father and the rest of the family were still down in Canaan suffering from the famine. They were to go and bring them back to enjoy what they had found. The same is true of us!
I’m sure many in this room have family, friends, loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates that are lost. They are living in a spiritual famine, lost and undone without God or His Son. We, that are saved, once used to be in the same plight, but one day we met the Risen Christ, and He took us from a famine to a feast, from a pauper to a prince, from rags to riches, from nothing to everything.
Thus, like Pharaoh said to Joseph’s brothers, our King says to us, “This do ye.” We have a job to do and it is to go and share the good, great, and glorious news of what God, in Christ, has done for us.
[The Salvation that saves us from work is the salvation that saves us TO work]
I once read the story of a Civil War soldier by the name of Peter Apples. One day in battle, the command was given to "Charge!" Peter Apples along with the rest of his unit charged. They came under such heavy attack that retreat was sounded, but Peter Apples didn't hear it. He kept charging into "No-Man's Land;" right into the heart of the enemy. He came upon a ditch where the enemy soldiers were lined up one behind the other. He took hold of the first one in the ditch, hit him two or three times, grabbed him by the nap of the neck, drug him out of the ditch and started back toward his unit. The enemy soldiers took aim and started to shoot, but were afraid they would hit their own soldier.
Peter Apples continued to drag the soldier and finally dragged him back to his unit and dropped him at the feet of his commanding officer. The officer looked at him and said, "Where in the world did you get him?" Peter Apples said, "I got him over there in that ditch. There are plenty of them over there and everyone could have had one if they had wanted one."
I say to you that there are plenty of sinners, and everyone can go get one if they want one.
B. The TRUTH They Were to PROCLAIM.
(25-26)“And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,[26] And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.”
These forgiven brothers had a task to perform. They were to go back and share all of their bounty with their family. But, these forgiven brothers also had a truth to proclaim. They were to go and tell their father the glorious truth that Joseph was alive and that he was governor over all the land of Egypt.
Yet, thanks be to God, as believers, we have a task to perform, as well as a truth to proclaim. We have the distinct honor of being the Master’s microphones to sound forth the truth that "Jesus Is Alive and He is Lord and Saviour!"
Jesus IS alive and IS on His throne. Our message is that He can change one's famine into a feast. He can lift them out of their spiritual poverty and give them a life of spiritual plenty. We can proclaim that Jesus is alive and He can give new life!
[If you KNOW the Risen Jesus you can’t help but SHOW the Risen Jesus]
(24)"See that ye fall not out by the way."
Joseph was familiar with human nature. He said, "Don't you fight on the way back home." He knew that it would be tempting for them to blame one another on the way back for the sin they had committed. Joseph was saying, "Your sins are forgiven. Forget it. Anyway, you have a great task to perform."
If you have placed your faith and truth in the Risen Christ then you are forgiven. What’s better is that God has not only forgiven our sins, but He has forgotten our sins. God has forgotten it, so you need to forget it.
These brothers didn’t deserve forgiveness, but Joseph’s showed them grace. We didn’t deserve forgiveness, but God showed us grace and forgave us. If that be true, then it matters not who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, Resurrection Sunday is the message that, because Jesus lives, there is help for the fallen.
2. HEALING for the FAINT!
I love how Phillip Yancey explains it, "If I stake my faith on a fault-proof earth, my faith will let me down. Even the greatest of miracles do not resolve the problems of this earth; all people who find physical healing will eventually die. We need more than a miracle; we need a new heaven and a new earth, and until we have those, unfairness will not disappear. God's only excuse is Easter! The cross of Christ may have overcome evil, but it did not overcome unfairness. For that, Easter is required. Because of the resurrection, God will return all physical reality to its proper place under His reign. Until then, it's a good thing to remember that we live out our days on Easter Sunday."
The glorious truth that Joseph was alive was not only good news for his brothers, but it was glorious news for his father. Yet, the glorious truth that Jesus is alive is not only good news for the lost sinner but also glorious news for the low saint.
A) AHEAVY Heart
(Genesis 37:3)"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children."
Joseph had been special to Jacob. When the other boys brought back his blood soaked coat which implied that Joseph was dead, he had been devastated.
Genesis 37:34--He rent his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son for many days.
Genesis 37:35—He declared that he would go to his grave mourning the death of Joseph.
Jacob never got over the loss of his son. For 25 years he grieved. For 25 years he mourned. A fire had gone out in his soul. Life lost its joy. In a sense, Jacob gave up and only existed.
One day, his brothers come home with the news that Joseph is alive.
(45: 26)"And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not."
The words "Jacob's heart fainted" mean "his heart stopped or quit beating." The message hit him like a ton of bricks. "Alive, Joseph alive? That's impossible." There was a wound in his heart that had never healed, and the mention of his name and the story that he was alive and governor over all the land of Egypt was to Jacob like a sick joke being played on an old and feeble man.
There may have been something that took the wind out of your sails or was like a wet blanket to the fire in your soul. It devastated you, discouraged you, and nearly destroyed you.