Joseph's Brothers Before the Judge

Martin Luther said, “The Gospel is the principal article of all Christian doctrine...teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.”That is the goal with this message. To use Genesis 44 to beat the Christian gospel into our heads. But what a beautiful, pleasurable beating to receive!In Genesis 44, Judah willingly offers himself in place of his brother, for the sake of his father. In this sacrifice and substitution of Judah we see far more than the character development of Judah himself: we see the gospel prefigured.We are far more guilty than we imagine; yet in Christ we are far more forgiven than we imagine.