PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING(Question 31)

When we think of the work of Christ, or the job He came to do when He came to earth, the church has always put it into three categories-Prophet, Priest and King. These roles refer to Jesus as He is our Teacher, our Savior and our Ruler. These are all important roles because as fallen human beings, as sinners, we are in need of each role Christ plays.

We are in need of a Teacher, because we want knowledge of God but don't know where to find it. Think of all the garbage you see on TV-Psychics, fortune telling, ouija boards and Tarot cards. All these things are an attempt to learn knowledge about the future and about who we are and why we exist. But these are the wrong places to look for this knowledge. God has ordained Jesus as our Teacher or Prophet, and He is the one who can give us what we are looking for.

As far back as the Old Testament God was already promising His people that He would send them a Prophet who would reveal to them the secret things they wished to learn. Turn to the book of Deuteronomy.

.."I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him."

At this time in the history of Israel, Moses was acting as a prophet. He was telling them what God had told him to say. But God was promising a more and better Moses, one who would not only say the words of God, but be God Himself in the flesh.

Hebrews 1:1-2

The second role Christ played was that of Savior or Mediator. He came to take away the sin that stood between us and God.

In the old times, the priest of people was appointed or ordained to offer sin sacrifices. This priest would offer a perfect lamb as a sacrifice to God so He would forgive the sins of the people. But this process went on and on. Every week, every year the priest had to keep on offering sacrifices because the people continued to sin. But when Jesus came, He came as the Holy Lamb of God who offered His own body as a sacrifice for His people. But Jesus only had to offer Himself once and that was enough for forgive ALL our sins for ETERNITY.

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down at the right hand of God..."

The final role Christ plays in His annointing is that of King or Ruler. This is the crowning achievment of Christ's work. After coming and teaching, after laying His life down for His people, He returned to heaven as a triumphant King.

Revelation 19:11-16

Christ is a King in the same way we see earthly kings. He has a throne(heaven), He has authority, and He has the power to make war and peace. He makes war on those who choose to rebel against Him and He gives peace to those whom He adopts into His family.

So we have learned that Christ was annointed or given a special job from God to be our Prophet(Teacher), Priest(Savior) and King(Ruler). But did you know that as Christians we also share in the same annointing? Yes, it's true. Because of God adopting us and giving us rights as His children, we too are prophets, priests and kings. We will learn more about this in the next study of the catechism.

1. What are the three roles given to Christ by God?
2. How is Christ's work as Priest different than that of the Old Testament?
3. How does Christ rule in the same way an earthly King rules?