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the future, the LORD’s army was coming which would bring “anguish; every face turns pale. . . before
them, the earth shakes, the heavens tremble” (Joel 2:6, 10-11). The LORD’s army could have been either
the Assyrians or the Babylonians. 125 That judgment was a result of their continual rebellion against the
Lord (Joel 2:12-17). As Hays argues, “those verses point to the need for inward repentance and not
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hypocritical outward-only repentance.” Upon their repentance, the Holy Spirit would come upon all of
them. This stands in sharp contrast to the Old Testament period where the Holy Spirit was poured out
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temporarily and only on limited number of people. Hays observes that the Spirit of Yahweh is linked
to “three themes: presence, power, and revelation from Yahweh.” So, Jesus’ promise to send the Holy
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Spirit to His disciples (Luke 24:29; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7) is the confirmation of Joel’s prophesy and
was partially fulfilled in Acts 2. The final fulfillment will come during the “Day of the Lord” when all Israel
will come to recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

The Exercise of His Authority over Everything
Jesus is sovereign Lord over all the creation. That is reflected in the fact that nothing that happens in this
world that is not under His control. David heard the LORD saying to his Lord to sit at the LORD’s right
hand until He has subjected the Lord’s foes under the Lord’s (Jesus’) feet as His footstool (Ps 110:1).
Even Christ’s enemies are subject to Him. Christ’s sovereignty in the past, present, and future is clearly
expressed (Phil. 2: 5-11 [ESV]). Peter—in his sermon—asserted that Jesus has been made Lord and
Christ (Acts 2:36). Further, after His resurrection, Jesus went to heaven and sat at God’s right hand with
angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him (1 Pet 3:21-22). Paul writes that “all things are
under His feet” and He was given the headship “over all things to the church, which is His body, the
fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22 [ESV]).

Christ as the Head of the Church
Jesus is the head of the body (Church). The church is an assembly of people who have placed their faith
in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 6:15; 12:12-14; Eph. 2:16; 4:4-5). Those who have repented their sins
and received the gift of eternal life offered by Jesus are saved from the coming wrath. The Father is said
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also to participate in placing Christ as the Head of the body” (Eph. 1:22). As the head, Christ is able to
nourish the church Just the husband nourishes his wife (Eph. 5:29; Phil. 4:13; Col. 4:13). Nourishing is
understood as the process of maturing the church through the relationship of its members to one. In
quoting William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, Walvoord defined the phrase “to nourish” as meaning
“rearing or bringing up.” “It describes the general purpose of God to bring the body to maturity in the
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development of its individual members and their relationship to one another.”

Christ as the Great Shepherd to His Sheep
Christ is pictured as the good Shepherd for His sheep (Ps 22; John 10). Also, He is pictured as the great
shepherd in His present work (Heb. 13:20). Christ as the chief Shepherd will manifest Himself as the King
of Glory during the second coming (1 Pet 5:4). Walvoord observes that “the great Shepherd Christ seeks
and finds His sheep. Christ Himself used this concept in the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7).

Christ as the High Priest and Royal Priesthood
Jesus is interceding for us (Heb. 7:23-26, Rom 8:34). Christ stands in place of us before
the Father. He forgives us when we sin. He brings our requests before the Father. He
acts as our mediator. His priesthood is eternal because He is the eternal God. His
priesthood is permanent because He can save those who draw near to Him since He
always makes intercession for them. “long before dying on the cross,” Jesus Christ
“served as a Priest in the sense of interceding for man and acting as a Mediator. . . He
prayed all night, and specifically, according to Luke 22:32.” 132

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