Page 53 - Christology - Student Textbook

Section 12: Offices of Christ

12.1. Connect.

When a person runs for office in a country and is elected, he assumes the duties of that office.
It could be president of the country, or secretary of state. In each case, the elected person has
to fulfill the duties that are associated with the office or job.

When Jesus came to earth, He assumed the duties of THREE offices. He came as a prophet, a priest,
and a king. Each office was quite different. Today we are going to learn about the duties of each of
those offices, and how Jesus Christ perfectly completed his role in each.

12.2. Objectives.

1. The student should be able to discuss those passages about Jesus’ three offices of a
prophet, priest, and king.

2. The student should be able to draw some principles for personal application as we study
Christ’s three offices.

12.3. The Office of a Prophet, Priest, and King

Office of a Prophet

Definition of the word prophet
Who is a prophet? A prophet is someone who says or speaks before or for someone. Tenney
134
argues that the OT “prophet acted as a mouthpiece for God.” So, prophets are people who are
135
commissioned by God to confront sin (Jonah 1:1-2), call people for the repentance of their sins
(Jonah 3:1-5; Joel 1:1-20), caution people about the coming judgment (Hab. 1:5-11; Zeph. 1:1-6),
and comfort them with the promise of a better future (Amos 1:1—2:16; 9:1-15).

J. Daniel Hays notes that “their criticism of sin and injustice is harsh, scathing, and unyielding. Yet
their words to the faithful are gentle and encouraging.” 136 Jesus
as prophet would rebuke the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Jews.
In response, they would get angry even to the point of picking up
of stones to stone Him (Matt. 16:4, 6, 12; John 8:41-44, 59).

While giving instructions to the children of Israel, Moses
encouraged them to listen to a prophet whom God was going to
raise after Him. The prophets would warn the people not to

134 Walter A. Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2 ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
nd
Academic, 2001), 960.
135 Tenney, The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, 4, M-P: 875.
136 J. Daniels Hays, The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of
the Old Testament, ed. Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 22.

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