Who Was Jesus // Week 2 - “Prophet Priest and King ”

“I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.” - CS Lewis

John 10:22-33

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

John 8:58-59

58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” 59 At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.

“Christ, and Christ alone, is fitted to be mediator between God and man. He is the prophet, priest and king of the church of God” - 1689 London Baptist Confession

First let’s talk about the role of a prophet.

The primary role of the prophets in the Bible was to communicate the words and will of God to the people.

Deuteronomy 18:18-19

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

Secondly lets talk about the role of the priest.

The most important duty of the high priest was to conduct the service on the Day of Atonement.

Thirdly lets talk about the role of the king.

They were to protect the nation.

Jesus is our Prophet

Hebrews 1:1-3

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Jesus is also our Priest

Hebrews 10:20-22

20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

And Jesus is our King

Revelation 19:11-16

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

In the Garden of Eden… man spoke directly to God… and God spoke directly to man.

Then later it changed… you see God speaking only to heads of state… Noah… Abraham… Moses… Joshua…

                God


            Heads of State

Then throughout the Old Testament another system seems to come into play… God would speak to the prophets… the prophets would talk to the people… and the people would go to a priest… who would then take their requests to God…

                God

    Prophets                Priests

                   People

    So if God is King…

                King

    Prophets                Priests

                   People

    And Jesus is God… then He is also King… 

                Jesus

    Prophets                Priests

                   People

And when Jesus died on the cross for you and me… that veil in the temple tore… not only is the King Jesus… the prophet is Jesus… and the priest is Jesus…

                Jesus

        Jesus           Jesus

                   People

Jesus restored our connection with God. Like it was in the Garden… we have direct access to God…

                Jesus



                   People

This means… we have a sole prophet… Jesus Christ… who teaches us God’s ways until our salvation. We have a sole priest who reconciles us by his own body and blood. We have a sole king who exercises complete and just authority over the universe and the church.

Romans 8:15 Paul said that those who become Christians were adopted to sonship.
1. The Bible refers to every believer as a prophet.

Numbers 11:29
Joel 2:28-29
Acts 2:16-21
1 John 2:20, 27
Colossians 3:16
Romans 15:14
Hebrews 3:13
Acts 8:4
1 Thessalonians 1:8
Colossians 4:5-6
1 Peter 3:15
Colossians 3:16

2. The Bible calls every believer a priest.

Hebrews 4:14-16
Romans 12:1-2
1 Corinthians 14:26
Hebrews 13:16
Matt. 5:16

3. The Bible calls every believer a king.

Ephesians 2:6
Revelation 1:5-6
James 5:16
Ephesians 6:11-18
James 4:7
1 John 2:27; 4:4; 5:4
1 Peter 2:9