Threaded throughout the Bible are various names and titles of Christ. They reveal who He is and shed light on His character. But three very distinct titles define the offices in which He holds. Prophet, Priest and King.
Although many Christians aren’t aware of the significance and functions of these three very vital roles, they are foundational to the Christian faith. In the Old Testament, God’s people revered three major offices – prophet, priest and king. Jesus fulfilled each one.
A Prophet is one who reveals God to us and speaks to us on behalf of God. The first prophetic mention of a prophet as it relates to Christ is found in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.” Jesus affirmed Himself as a Prophet (Matt 13:57, Luke 13:33). In Acts 3:22-23, Peter spoke of Jesus as the Prophet who fulfilled Deuteronomy 18:15,18.
As the promised Prophet, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18). He preached the gospel and worked miracles (Matthew 4:23, Matthew 11:5) and declared that He spoke that which God told Him to speak (John 12:49,50).
Throughout the ages, fallible men were given the privilege of communicating the truths of God. But when Jesus, the long awaited Prophet, appeared on Planet Earth there was no fear of error. It would be impossible for Jesus to miscommunicate God’s message to mankind because He is God.
Because He is the promised Prophet, we can trust Him. We know what He says is true and that which He has revealed to us about the Father is irrefutable.
A priest is one who stands as a mediator and offers a sacrifice for the sins of man to a holy God. The High Priest was one who would enter the Holy of Holies once a year and offer a sacrifice for sins on the Day of Atonement and place the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus is not only a Priest, He is also the High Priest.
Jesus was a Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6, 6:20, 7:15-17, Psalm 110:4) – the first High Priest mentioned in Scripture. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, who existed before the Aaronic priesthood was established. Melchizedek was a prefigure of Christ – a High Priest who was without father or mother, without beginning or end (Hebrews 7:2).
Jesus is a High Priest who understands the hurts of our hearts and the trials and temptations we face – a High Priest who has given us access to the throne of God (Hebrews 4:15-17). He has entered heaven where His own blood was given in payment for our sins. Once and for all (Hebrews 9:11-12).
Our glorious Savior has secured eternity for us by not only becoming the sacrifice for our sins, but by also being the High Priest who would intercede on our behalf. He entered the Heavenly tabernacle with His own precious blood and sat down on the right side of our Heavenly Father where He makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:24-26).
Because Jesus is our High Priest and has shed His blood “once and for all”, we have eternal forgiveness of sin, access to the throne of the Living God and help in our time of need.
A king is one who has the authority to rule and reign over a kingdom and over a group of people. The first prophetic mention of King Jesus is in Numbers 24:17 is also found in Psalm 2:5-7 as well as several other verses.
Because Jesus is King, we can rest in the fact that He protects us, fights our battles and has the authority to rule our lives. He is a righteous Ruler and a victorious King. Knowing that we’re on His side gives us the confidence to know that He will have His ultimate way. One day the battle will be over and all wrongs will be made right – our King will see to it.
Today, we just got a glimpse of the offices of Christ. The significance of these offices go far beyond anything I could share in one post. Yet, these roles of Christ are woven throughout Scripture. They tell us a little bit more about who Jesus is and what He came to do.
As Prophet, we can trust Jesus to reveal God to us like no one else can.
As Priest, we know He has been touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He has entered heaven with His own precious blood and is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.
As King, we find that although He rules the universe we have access to His throne 24/7. He rules in righteousness and He rules in love. He will never falter, never fail, never make a bad decision and never lose a battle. He is a King who calls us friends yet is worthy of our eternal worship.
How does knowing the offices of Christ ground you in your understanding of Christ? How does it help in your daily walk as a Christian?