We’re exploring the story of Joseph this week, and how God redeemed a really bad situation so many people would not die of hunger, and better, that his plan to rescue the world through Jesus could continue.
God is redeeming these awful events so they lead to greater things.
Ultimately, this all leads to Jesus, a descendent of Israel/Jacob, arriving in the world to redeem the entire broken mess humanity has made here.
Jesus, like Joseph, forgave the very people who hurt him most. But in this case, it was all of humanity, not just a handful of people. As he lay dying on a cross, he said “Father, forgive them.”
He can redeem our broken lives, too.
This is what he does. When our lives seem to be getting worse and worse, he doesn’t justify the awful things that happen in our lives, or excuse them.
He redeems them.
Jesus redeems what look like wasted, broken messed up lives and families. Jesus forgives those who hurt him most.
This is good news. Whether you feel like you’re the one being pushed around in life, or if you’re the one doing the pushing, God can redeem your life, make it eternally valuable and worthwhile.
God can redeem:
- Joseph’s Life
- Every Life
- Your Life
Let’s ask God to redeem something awful in your life right now.
Challenge: What broken areas of your life need redemption?
- You can [permalink append=”#comments”]Discuss the Challenge[/permalink] online, or by starting a local discussion group!
- Are you meeting just once a week with your discussion group? You can find all of this week’s discussion material in our Weekly Study Guide