Prophet, Priest, and King

THE OFFICES OF CHRIST

There were three major offi ces among the people of Israel in the OT. 1. Prophet: Nathan, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.

Spoke God’s words to the people

2. Priest: Abiathar Offered sacrifices, prayers, and praised to God on behalf of the

people.

3. King: Saul, David, Solomon, etc. Ruled over the people as God’s representative.

These foreshadowed Christ’s work in these areas. 1. As prophet He reveals God to us and speaks God’s words to us.2. As priest He both offers a sacrifice to God on our behalf and is

himself the sacrifice that is offered. 3. As king He rules over the church and over the universe as

well.

THE OFFICES OF CHRIST

Moses is the fi rst prophet who speaks about a coming prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15-18- The LORD your God will raise up for

you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.

CHRIST AS PROPHET

Prophet was not the way Jesus is primarily viewed in the gospels and often is associated with someone who misunderstands who Jesus is. Matthew 16:14- So they said, “Some say John the Baptist,

some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Woman at the well after Jesus tells her something about her

past life, John 4:19- The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Prophet was not a primary designation for Jesus. There was, however, still an expectation of this

coming Prophet foretold by Moses. After Jesus multiplies the loaves of bread and fish, John

6:14- Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

CHRIST AS PROPHET

It is signifi cant however that the Epistles never refer to Jesus as a prophet. Hebrews 1:1-2- God, who at various times and in various ways

spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Why is this so?1. He is the one about whom the prophecies in the OT were

made. Luke 24:27- And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He

expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

2. “Jesus was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like all the other prophets), but was himself the source of revelation from God.”

1. Matthew 5:22- But I say to you.

Jesus is a prophet in the broad sense of delivering to us the word of God.

CHRIST AS PROPHET

Hebrews extensively develops the understanding of Jesus as our Great High Priest. Some ways He accomplishes this:

Jesus off ered a perfect sacrifi ce for sin. Hebrews 9:26- He then would have had to suffer often since the

foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

This is why repeated sacrifices are no longer needed. Jesus continually brings us near to God.

Priests in the OT, from time to time, came before God’s presence as the people’s representative. And only they could go into the Holy Place.

Jesus does this greater, he continually leads us into God’s presence. Why we no longer need a temple or a special priest to speak with

God. Hebrews 6:19-20- This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both

sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever 

CHRIST AS PRIEST

Jesus as Priest Continually Prays for Us Hebrews 7:25- Therefore He is also able to save to the

uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1Timothy 2:5- There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

This also speaks to Jesus’ deity. Only deity could hear all of our prayers and respond to them appropriately.

It should be encouraging to you that Jesus is praying on your behalf.

CHRIST AS PRIEST

Jesus was born to be King of the Jews (Matt. 2:22) He does refuse to be made king by military and political

power. His kingdom was not of this world. (Matt. 4:17, 23; 12:28) He is King of the new people of God. After His resurrection God gave Him great power and authority. Ephesians 1:20-22- He worked in Christ when He raised Him

from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.

His kingship will be even greater realized up on His return. He will be acknowledged as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16) and every know will bow (Phil. 2:10).

CHRIST AS KING

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Definition: “The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church.” Member of the Trinity Primary manifestation of the Trinity is in the church age.

Most prominently present with us now. Holy Spirit’s work is “to complete and sustain what God the

Father has planned and what God the Son has begun.”(635) Holy Spirit has been promised in the OT, Isaiah 32:14-18,

44:3.The Holy Spirit:

Empowers Purifies Reveals Unifies

WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

He gives life. Psalm 104:30- You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the earth. Job 34:14-15- If He should set His heart on it, If He should

gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

He gives new life. John 6:63- It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Power to Serve- Old Testament: Joshua- Leadership skills and wisdom (Num. 27:18; Deut. 34:9) Judges- to overcome enemies (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25;

14:6, 9; 15:14) Saul- To go to battle (1 Sam. 11:6) David- Anointed as king (1 Sam. 16:13)

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS

Power to Serve- Old Testament(cont.): For protection: Exodus; for David against Saul (1 Sam.

19:20) Holy Spirit was always at work during the OT, but in a more

limited way. A greater pouring out of the Holy Spirit would come at Pentecost

Power to Serve- New Testament: Seen first in anointing and empowering of Jesus as the

Messiah. (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) On the Disciples- Acts 1:8- But you shall receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth This involved healing, casting out demons, and the preaching of

the Word. Giving of Spiritual Gifts for ministry. (1 Cor. 12)

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS

Power to Serve- New Testament(cont): Empowers our prayers. Romans 8:26- Likewise the Spirit

also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

To overcome spiritual opposition- (Eph. 6:17) Acts 13:9-11- Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with

the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS

Holy Spirit’s name should key in the fact that He calls us to be holy in actual conduct of life. Once saved the Holy Spirit does an “initial cleansing,

making a decisive break with the patterns of sin that were in their lives before.”

1 Corinthians 6:11- And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

After the initial break, the Holy Spirit brings forth continued growth. The fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) Sanctifying us.

THE HOLY SPIRIT PURIFIES

Revelation to Prophets and Apostles Much of what was revealed to these were written down as

Scripture. Holy Spirit leads to all truth. (John 16:13)

He Gives Evidence of God’s Presence Comes upon the seventy elders with Moses and prophesied

(Num. 11:25-26) Comes upon the Judges to do great works of power. Descended as a dove on Jesus (John 1:32) Sound of a rushing wind and with visible tongues of fire on

the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-3)

THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS

He guides and directs God’s people Directs Jesus into the wilderness (Mark 1:12) To Phillip (Acts 8:29) To Peter (Acts 10:19-20; 11:12) Transporting someone from one place to another.

Elijah (1 Kings 18:12) Ezekiel- “lifted up” Phillip with the eunuch (acts 8:39-40)

Forbidding places to go to. Paul forbidden to go Asia.

Wisdom on who to put in church offi ces (Barnabas and Saul, Acts 13:2)

Day-to-day leading and walking in the Spirit (Rom 8:14; Gal. 5:18)

THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS

Godlike atmosphere when He manifests His presence Atmospheres of love, peace, joy, truth, wisdom, comfort,

freedom, righteousness, hope, and awareness of adoption, unity, and power.

Giving these type of atmospheres to God’s people allows us to experience them and learn from them.

He gives us assurance. Assurance that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16) 1 John 3:24- Now he who keeps His commandments abides in

Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

He teaches and Illumines The Holy Spirit “will teach you all things, and bring to your

remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) Teach them what to say in persecution (Luke 12:12) Ephesians 1:17-19

THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS

Pentecost- Holy Spirit poured out onto a new community of believers. Acts 2:44-47- Now all who believed were together, and had all

things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Unifying of discord in the church Philippians 2:1-2- If therefore there is any encouragement in

Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit… make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Factions in the church are opposed to being led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18).

For the Spirit produces love which produces harmony (Rom. 5:5; Col. 3:14)

THE HOLY SPIRIT UNIFIES

Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit remains with us when He approves of us. Jesus was without sin, thus the Holy Spirit “remained on

Him” (John 1:32) Samson was filled with the Spirit several times, but the

Spirit left due to his continued sin. (Judges 13:25; 14:6; 15:14; 16:20)

Saul persisted in disobedience, the Holy Spirit leaves him (1 Sam. 16:14)

In the NT the Holy Spirit can be “grieved and cease to bring blessing” (Acts 7:51; 1 Thess. 5:19) Ephesians 4:30- And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by

whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. We can even deeper quench the Holy Spirit. (Ananias and

Sapphira, lied to the Holy Spirit, drop dead)

HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN US

If our conduct is pleasing to God we will be blessed Fellowship and partnership with the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:14; Phil. 2:1) Gives gifts (1 Cor. 12:11) Gives truth (2 Tim. 1:14) Entrusts us with ministries (Acts 20:28)

“To be in the Holy Spirit is really to be in an atmosphere of God’s manifested presence.” (648)

Activities that can be done in the Holy Spirit Rejoice (Luke 10:21) Resolve something (Acts 19:21) Conscience bear witness (Rom. 9:1) Access to God (Eph. 2:18) Pray (Eph. 6:18; Jude 20) Love (Col. 1:18) Filled by the Holy Spirit (the beginnings of revival)

HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN US

We must rely on the Holy Spirit Working in us (Zech. 4:6; Gal. 3:3,5) Walking in the Spirit (Rom. 8:12-16; Gal. 5:16-26) Set our minds on the things of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:4-6)

HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN US