Colored Royal Coats

Jesus wore a royal coat of many colors. This is what we discover when we begin to observe and understand the Bible from a canonical perspective.

For example, from a canonical perspective, the life of Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, who is hated and rejected by his own family, is massively messianic. From beginning to end, the narrative of Joseph is drenched with events, words, activities, and patterns, that foreshadow and anticipate the life of King Jesus, the beloved son of the Father, also hated and rejected by his own family. What happened to Joseph, happens again to Jesus.

But, one aspect of Joseph’s life does not appear to be fulfilled in the life of Jesus. The coat seems to stand alone, sticking out as an odd exception. That one exception is the royal, multi-colored coat given to young Joseph by Jacob his father. It was the royal coat that generated so much hatred in Joseph’s brothers for him. The coat showed favoritism. The coat story appears to be an anomaly. Jesus never was given a royal, multi-colored coat. But not so fast.

When we read the story of Jesus from a canonical perspective, who, like Joseph, was also sold for pieces of silver by one of his own, we discover that Jesus also was also given a royal, multi-colored coat. That’s right. A canonical approach to the life of Jesus demonstrates brilliantly that Jesus was given a royal coat, a coat designed for royalty, a coat of many colors. So, the coat-aspect of Joseph’s life is not an anomaly after all. It, too, finds fulfillment in Jesus’ life. This is the blessing of interpreting the Bible canonically.

Easter Sunday morning at Redeemer Bible Church, 31 March 2024, 10:30 am, Dr. Robert Cole will show from a canonical perspective, how Psalm 23 was the intentional answer to the problem raised in Psalm 22, the death of the messianic king, how Psalm 23 is prophetic of the resurrected Messiah, and written from a canonical perspective.  

To pave the way for Dr. Cole’s exposition of Psalm 23, the Psalm of the messiah’s resurrection, I will briefly show how Jesus, Israel’s Royal King, was also given a Royal Coat, a coat of many colors. Like Joseph, like Jesus.