The threefold office of Jesus Christ

When you carefully read throughout the old testament with the lens of the Spirit, you will see that there were three main offices established by God. These three offices were namely, the office of a prophet, the office of a Priest, and the office of a king. Those called into any of these offices, were mostly anointed with holy oil, see (1 kings 19; 16, Exodus 30; 30, 1samuel 10; 1). These three main offices in the old testament was unique and none occupied all three offices at the same time. It is important to know that according to church history, the 4th century preacher and writer, Eusebius of Caesarea was the first person to work out the classification of the threefold office of Christ, but was fully fleshed out by that excellent theologian, "John Calvin" in his magnum opus, "the institute of the Christian Religion".

Eusebius of Caesarea penned down these words: "And we have been told also that certain of the prophets themselves became, by the act of anointing, Christ in type, the divinely inspired and heavenly Word, who is the only high Priest of all, and the only King of every creature, and the father's only supreme prophet of prophets". During the protestant reformation, the threefold office of Christ played a significant role in the theology of the reformers. The threefold offices in the old testament prefigured the person and the work of Christ. All three offices had it's full and final consummation in Christ Jesus. The title "Christ or Messiah" signifies "Anointed One" and Jesus is the only Messiah, the anointed One of God. Jesus is the anointed prophet, Priest and king, and he is the only one who fulfills all three offices concurrently. A careful study of the holy writ reveals that the life and ministry of Jesus falls under these three main offices. Let us look at how Jesus is a prophet, priest and a king.

Jesus as a Prophet

Jesus Christ is the prophet of all prophets. He is infinitely greater and superior to all the prophets. Prophets were tasked with the duty of proclaiming to the people the word of God. They revealed and interpreted the will of God to the people. They hear from God and communicated God's mind to them. The life of certain prophets like Moses, Elijah, Elisha and others, were marked by notable miracles which confirmed their doctrine and their mission, see (Exodus 14, 2 kings 5; 1-14, James 5: 17-18). The prophet Moses prophesied the coming of the great prophet whom we are to listen: And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him (Deuteronomy 18:17-19).

The Muslims falsely interpret this passage to mean that Mohammed their prophet is the one spoken about in the prophecy, but such interpretation is foreign and erroneous, and it is in antithesis to the teaching of the new testament. Jesus Christ is that great prophet whom Moses prophesied about, see (Acts 3; 22-24). People referred to Jesus as that great prophet, see also (John 7; 40) and he also claimed to be a prophet, see (Mark 6; 4). Jesus life and ministry was also full of mind blowing miracles which substantiated the truth about his Messiahship (Acts 10; 38). Jesus as a Prophet also taught the truth of God's word in a plain and simple way by using oftentimes parables to convey spiritual realities to the people. As part of his teaching ministry, he revealed God as a father to us, he exegeted God to us (John 1: 18). He did not just instruct the people with God's word, but was the word of God incarnate. The word of God that the old testament Prophets spoke about literally took on flesh in the person of Christ (John 1; 1, 14). Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God to Man (Hebrews 1; 2). Jesus is greater than all prophets as I have written afore, because he is not only the subject of prophecy, but was God veiled in human form.

Jesus as a Priest

The office of the priest or the high Priest was very important in the history of the Israelites. The priest served as a mediator between God and the children of Israel. The priests were the representatives of the people before God whom they owe the debt of sin. The priests offers animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, but those sacrifices were in themselves insufficient to propitiate the wrath of God against sin. Those sacrifices could not satisfy the justice of God against sin. The high Priest enters within the veil into the most holy place never without blood to make atonement for the sins of the people. He enters into the holy of holies year after year which signifies that those sacrifices cannot permanently expiate their sins, because it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. The principle of substitutionary sacrifice under the law foreshadowed the atoning work of Christ. Jesus Christ came on the scene as our great high priest.

 Like the high Priest, Jesus also presented a sacrifice to God, but his sacrifice was not the sacrifice of bulls and goats, but it was the sacrifice of himself. He is both the offering and the offerer, he is both the sacrifice and the sacrificer. Jesus Christ sacrifice was perfect, it was the only sacrifice that propitiated the justice of God against sin. He offered himself as a sacrifice acceptable in the sight of God. The once and for all time sacrifice of Christ culminated the sacrifices under the sacrificial system. The sacrifice of our great High Priest, has wiped away all our sins once and for all time, for in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1; 7). The death of our great High Priest on the cross ripped the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place where the divine presence of God tabernacled, which signifies that we now have unlimited access into the very presence of God, to commune with our father. Today, our great high Priest is seated at the right hand of God, and the merits of his atoning work stands in a place of continual intercession for us, see (Romans 8; 34). The whole sacrificial system finds their ultimate fulfillment in our great high Priest, Jesus Christ.

Jesus as a king

Jesus Christ is a king and has a king he has his own kingdom, where he rules and reigns as the king that he is. But as a king, his kingdom is not visible to the human eyes, it is a spiritual kingdom. He wields the scepter and rules the church by his word and Spirit. He is the king of the Church and we are his subjects. As our head and king, we live in obedience to his precepts which he has revealed to us in his word by the energy of his Spirit. He is our Lord and king, and we are totally subservient to our king and ready to do his bidding at all times. Remember, before, we were his enemies, we didn't love him and would not suffer him to reign as king over our lives, but he was patient with us, and through the gospel and by the workings of his divine Spirit, he overcame our resistance and unbelief, and he irresistibly drew us to himself and by his grace we are now his obedient servants. He is enthroned as king in our hearts where he rules as king. But those who persist in unbelief and will not become his servants to serve him in his kingdom will have their selves to blame, for on that day the king shall pour out his wrath on the disobedient and unbelievers, and they shall be trodden under foot (2 Thessalonians 1; 8-9). Jesus Christ is not only king over his people, the Church, but his kingdom extends over all the earth (Psalm 47; 2). A time is coming that the kingdom of king Jesus will not only be spiritual but physical, he will physically rule and reign on the earth, see (Zechariah 14). God bless you

 A thought to ponder

Jesus Christ sacrifice was perfect, it was the only sacrifice that propitiated the justice of God against sin

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