Knowing them lets understand more deeply who he is.

Let’s begin.

I. Three Offices of Christ

A. Brief intro.

Many Reformers made much of the three offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. He ministered in those roles or capacities while he was on earth in his state of humiliation and after his ascension  and during his seating at the right hand of the Father, his exaltation. So let me introduce you to this theology.

FYI–sacerdotal is another word for priestly, just in case you come across the term.

B. Office of Prophet

1.. Earthly ministry

He preached the gospel (Luke 4:18; John 1:18; Heb. 1:1; Luke 13:31). We can also add that he predicted the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, in his Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24, Mark 13; Luke 21). But in the main Reformers say that his teaching represented his prophetic gift during his state of humiliation.

2.. Exaltation

His Office of Prophet during his exaltation is found in the word of God and his teachers proclaiming the word. They must preach the word while they stand in the church.

So no Spirit-inspired prophecies in the church as we see in 1 Corinthians 12-14. But as a charismatic–a Renewalist–I believe the Lord can inspire people to speak prophetically through the Spirit, though this may not be a perfect representative of his Office of the Prophet. But if preachers express his Office of Prophet through their proclamation of the word, this too is an imperfect representation of his prophetic office.

B. Office of Priest

1.. Earthly ministry

A priest, who had to be consecrated and sanctified (set apart), oversaw the sacrificial system. Jesus was sent to die for the sin of the world. He fulfills the OT sacrificial system. Here are verses that spell this out:

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:19)

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. (Rom. 3:25)

In those verses Jesus functions as our priest to take away our sins. And so we see that he himself became the sacrifice and the priest.

2. His exaltation

After he died on the cross as our propitiation (or appeasement of God’s just wrath and punishment of sin), he became the better priest after the order of Melchizedek, which is an eternal priesthood, which will never stop.

¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰ where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Heb. 6:24-25)

A priest functions as a mediator between God and humans. Jesus is this mediator:

 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

Then these verses teaches that he was spotless and pure and set apart from sinners, when he was exalted into heaven. His sacrifice is not daily but he offered himself once and for all.

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Heb. 7:26-27)

Finally, he entered the holy of holies and secured eternal redemption by his own blood. N0 more daily sacrifices.

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. (Heb. 9:12)

C. Office of King

1.. Earthly ministry

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was proclaimed the king, by Scripture itself:

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Jesus indirectly affirmed Pilate’s question:

 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. (Matt. 27:11)

2.. Exaltation

We do not see his rule except by faith.

In putting everything under them [his feet], God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them (Heb. 2:8)

But here is the loud proclamation of Jesus’s kingship, as he defeats all earthly and spiritual enemies:

They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 17:14)

D. Reflections

This is a wonderful teaching. Jesus’s three offices are being exercised right now while he is in heaven. The clearest teaching is about his priestly office. He really was and is the sacrifice and the priest.

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