Christ’s Threefold Office
Luke 24:19; Hebrews 2:17; Revelation 19:16
Jesus of Nazareth . . . a prophet mighty in deed and word. Luke 24:19
It has been common to speak of the work of Christ under three general heads: prophet, priest, and king. These refer to his teaching office, his role as Savior, and his function as ruler over the universe and over his people within the church. This threefold division of Christ’s work has good scriptural support and, at least equally important, applies particularly well to human need.
As far as Scripture goes, Christ is acknowledged to be a prophet in Luke 24:19. In this passage Jesus is interrogating the Emmaus disciples, asking what had happened during the last tumultuous days in Jerusalem. They reply that these events concern “Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”
Jesus is declared to be a priest throughout the book of Hebrews as, for example, in Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
Similarly, Revelation 19:16 declares, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” This verse comes at the culmination of the extensive development of this theme through the Word of God.
The notion of the threefold office of Christ also applies well to human need. What is our spiritual need? One need is for knowledge; for we do not know God naturally, nor do we even understand spiritual things apart from a special divine illumination to us. God does this in three ways: through Christ’s own person, in whom the Father is fully revealed, through the gift to us of the written Word of God, and by the particular illumination of our minds by the Holy Spirit.
Again, we have a need for salvation. For it is not just that we are ignorant of God and of spiritual things; we are also sinful. We have rebelled against God and like sheep have all gone our own way. Jesus meets this need as our priest. Here he functions on two levels: first, he offers up himself as a sacrifice, thereby providing the perfect atonement for our sin; and second, he intercedes for us at the right hand of his Father in heaven, thereby guaranteeing our right to be heard and heard rightly.
Finally, we have a need for spiritual discipline, guidance, and rule. We are not autonomous, even after our conversion. We do not have the right to rule ourselves, nor can we rule ourselves successfully. Christ meets this need by his proper and loving rule over us within the church. He is our Master, our King.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.