ALL SCRIPTURES POINT TO JESUS (PART X)

“Baker, Cupbearer, & Redemption”

By Akin Ojumu

In his first letter to the Church at Corinth, Apostle Paul thought it was necessary to remind the recalcitrant Believers of the troubled assembly of the message he preached to them in the eighteen months he was in their midst.

1 Corinthians 2:1-

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Throughout the time he spent establishing the Corinthian Church, Paul’s message was Christ and Him crucified, and nothing else. Paul didn’t preach human philosophy which was in vogue at this time. He didn’t engage in the use of rhetoric, an oratory device preachers and philosophers of this period were known to employ to promote themselves in order to gain popularity, attract huge following, and amass great wealth. 

As far as the cultured Greek and the pious Jew were concerned, the Gospel message was scandalous. These people couldn’t understand how anyone would want to worship someone who was crucified. In their minds, the idea of a crucified Savior seemed utterly foolish. Regardless, this was the message that Paul and the other Apostles preached.

Just as it was in the day of Paul, so it is today. Because the people of our generation generally see the Gospel message as nothing more than an antiquated myth from ancient times, modern-day preachers have bought into the idea that preaching Christ and Him crucified message alone is no longer relevant to the needs of contemporary Christians. Consequently, they have replaced the true Gospel message with man-centered, seeker-sensitive, people-pleasing, ear-scratching ponderous platitudes that tickle the ear but leave the soul untouched.

When I listen to the gobbledygook that emanates from the pulpits these days, I’m reminded of the story told of a small English village that had a tiny chapel whose stone walls were covered by traditional ivy. Originally inscribed over the arch at the entrance of this quaint little church was the following phrase: We Preach Christ Crucified. 

For years, generations of godly men who pastored this Church had one message, and that message was Christ crucified. In the course time, though, this Church experienced the inevitable. As the ivy tree grew, its branches pretty soon covered the last word of the inscription. Initially, all you could now read of the inscription was, We Preach Christ, with the Crucified part covered over. 

And so, the new cadre of men who came to pastor this Church started to preach Christ. They preached Christ the example, Christ the humanitarian, and Christ the ideal teacher, but not Christ crucified.

As the years passed and the ivy continued to grow, it eventually covered more of the inscription. At this time, all that was visible of the inscription was: We Preach. The generation of pastors that came along did just that, they preached. They preached health, wealth, prosperity, social gospel, human philosophy, business acumen, leadership skills, book reviews. They preached just about anything but Christ crucified.

The gradual metamorphosis of the core value of this little Church from We Preach Christ Crucified motif to We Preach is emblematic of what has become of the Gospel message today. Instead of a single-minded focus on preaching Christ and Him crucified, contemporary pastors have taken a much more appealing, but spiritually unprofitable, philosophical detour into preaching anything and everything but Christ crucified. 

Because I know that a Gospel message not focused on Christ and Him crucified is futile, fruitless, unproductive, with no eternal value, I have made up my mind to use every opportunity I get to remind people to return to the true Gospel. 

This commentary series is written to do just that. It’s to remind the reader that all Scriptures point to Jesus. As we explore the connections between the life of Joseph and Jesus, our prayer is that the Christ and Him crucified Gospel will once again find its rightful place in our hearts.

Last time, we examined the symbolism of the presence of Pharaoh’s Chief Baker and Chief Cupbearer in the same prison at the same time as Joseph. The imagery of the Bread and Wine represented by the Baker and Cupbearer, we learned, is representative of the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Supper, which is the Body of Christ broken for us and Blood of Christ shed for our redemption.

Today’s commentary will further explore additional symbolism of Baker and Cupbearer in the story of Joseph.

Connection 25

We read that Pharaoh’s Chief Baker was hanged on a tree, while the Chief Cupbearer was restored to his high position of attending to the king.

Genesis 40:20-22

“On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.”

Bread is associated with the Fall of man. When God pronounced judgment on Adam after the Fall, he was told that he’d have to toil to get bread. 

Genesis 3:19

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Meanwhile, wine signifies the eschatological banquet that symbolizes the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises and the consummation of His kingdom. This is depicted as the wedding feast of the Lamb of God with His bride, i.e., the Church.

Isaiah 25:6

“The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.”

Revelations 19:7

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”

Connection 26

Both the Chief Baker (Bread) and the Chief Cupbearer (Wine) were lifted up. The Chief Baker was lifted up and hanged on a tree, symbolizing Christ being a curse for us by being crucified on the Cross. In contrast, the Chief Cupbearer is lifted up and restored to his exalted position, signifying the restoration of lost sinners back to God in righteousness.

Genesis 40:20-22

“On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.”

Galatians 3:13

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree””

To be continued.