Genesis 45:4, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery.”
Joseph could have dealt with his brothers in wrath; indeed, he wanted to, and they would have deserved it. Instead, he is gracious toward them, as he says, “God sent me before you to preserve life” (v. 5).
This is a typology of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. At the final judgement, He will say to all, “I am your God, Jesus, whom you handed over for crucifixion”; and all will cry out for mercy, and He will have mercy only on those who love Him, for as He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Like Joseph, God the Father sent His Son to give life: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Though our sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross, He will give life to His brothers and sisters, for His blood covers our guilt.
The Lutheran Column 