Joseph isn’t the only beloved son to be given a multi-coloured coat. Jesus is given one too, though by the hands of ungodly men. In Matthew it’s scarlet (kokkinos); in Mark it’s purple (porphyra); and in Luke it’s white/resplendent (lampros) (Luke 23.11), like the linen of the saints (Rev. 19.8).
In each Synoptic, the colour of Jesus’ robe has its own significance. It answers to the way Jesus’ life is introduced.
Mark introduces us to Jesus as Israel’s king—the one before whom messengers run, crying out ‘Prepare the way of the Lord!’. And so, in Mark, Jesus is clothed in purple (the colour of royalty)—the colour of the kings of Midian (Judg. 8), of Solomon’s chariot (Sngs. 3), of Daniel’s royal robe (Dan. 5).
In Matthew, however, Jesus is not clothed in purple, but in scarlet. Jesus emerges from a genealogy stained with deep red—the colour both of sin and of its remedy (Matt. 1, Isa. 1). First we have Judah, the one destined to wash his garments in the blood of grapes (Gen. 49); then we have Tamar, who ties a scarlet thread around her chosen son’s hand; and finally we have Rahab, saved by a scarlet thread. These strands of sin and salvation reach their climax in the true Son of Judah—the one who is clothed in scarlet as he bears his people’s sins to the cross.
Luke is different again. Luke doesn’t open his gospel with an account of the sin-stained history of Judah, nor does he open it with a royal fanfare. Instead, Luke talks to us about innocence and righteousness—about a blameless couple from the line of Aaron, a virgin overshadowed by the Holy Spirit (to bear the holy Son of God), a genealogy which connects Jesus with the innocence of Adam. Hence, in Luke, Jesus begins his ministry at the priestly age of thirty. As he goes to the cross, he is arrayed in a white/resplendent robe, like the linen of the saints (or, perhaps better, vice-versa).
In the Synoptics, then, as Jesus fills up the pattern of Joseph, he wears a robe of purple, scarlet, and white—a coat of many colours. And the specific colours of his coat find a distinct echo in those of Joseph’s garments.
At the start of his story we find Joseph clothed like royalty, marked out as his father’s heir (just like Jesus). The high priest transferred his authority to his successor by the transfer of his garments (Num. 20); so too did Jonathan and Elijah (I Sam. 18.4, 23.17, I Kgs. 19.19, II Kgs. 2); and so too did Jacob (Gen. 37.7).1 Not much later we find Joseph’s coat stained scarlet with blood (just like Jesus’ robe). And finally Joseph’s coat is exchanged for a linen one as he is sent into the courts of a Gentile king (Gen. 41.42, Luke 23.11).
There is even significance to who witnesses which garments. Joseph/Jesus’ brothers see his royal coat and hate what it signifies. A Gentile ruler sees Joseph/Jesus’ linen robe and vindicates him. And Joseph/Jesus’ father sees the blood.
There are many strands of salvation, all of them intricately woven together.
For an excellent article on the subject, see Benjamin Noonan’s in the linked volume: https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.890655.
Only tangentially related, but our family were reading through Mark 14 last night, and I was struck by the similarities between Joseph fleeing Potiphar's wife and the young man who ran away naked in a Mark. Not sure what to make of it though.
Very good. Also curious that the OT often associates purple, scarlet and *blue*, rather than purple, scarlet and *white* e.g. priestly garments (Ex 39:1,8, 22-24), tabernacle curtains/veil (Ex 26:1,36, 36:35). I wonder what connection might exist.