Genesis 44

“Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'  Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.”  Genesis 44:32-33 (HCSB)

After all the talk of Joseph being a “type” of Messiah, maybe we should give Judah a closer look.

The spirit of self-sacrifice, which Judah’s speech reveals, holds parallels to the life story of Moses. Judah offered to remain as a slave in Benjamin’s place, while Moses sought God to blot out his name from the Book of Life unless his people, Israel, were saved along with him.

The same spirit was displayed in the Apostle Paul, who called himself a voluntary “slave of Messiah.”  He made himself a slave (servant) to all so that by all means, he might win some for Messiah. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) Paul also said he wished that he could be cut off from the Lord so that others could take his place in the kingdom. (Romans 9:3)

Of course, the greatest display of self-sacrifice was Jesus upon the cross. He gave himself completely so our sin debt would be laid upon Him, that His righteousness could then be imputed to us. As Judah voluntarily offered himself completely accountable for the life of his brother, Jesus held Himself accountable for the disciples the Lord had given to Him.  

Jesus prayed to the Lord before His crucifixion: “I have lost NONE of all that You have given to me” John 18:9 (HCSB)

For those who have accepted the Grace of God through faithful belief in the resurrected Messiah, our names have been added to the Book of Life. We become sons and daughters of God, hence, brothers and sisters of Jesus as co-inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.  

Lastly, the Bible even calls Jesus the “Lion of Judah.”  

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.’”  Revelation 5:5 (HCSB)

How much more significant than Judah is Jesus, author of creation, who stands in your place of punishment just to save you?