by Garrett Glende
The final Christological chapter in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is on the topic of the offices of Christ. As the story of the Old Testament unfolds, we see that God providentially places people in distinct roles to deal with the nation of Israel. Specifically, these offices can be narrowed down to those of prophet, priest, and king. Each of these offices were shadows of Christ’s work to come, as He would perfectly fulfill each role.
Christ as Prophet
The prophet of the Old Testament was, in essence, the spokesperson for God. He was ordained by God to bring His word to the people. The prophet was the one who made known The Lord to the nation and also the one who orated or scribed God’s law. In the New Testament, Jesus exceeded the work of the prophets of old because He was the One whom the prophecies spoke of in the first place and because He was the divine source of revelation. Not only a messenger of truth, Jesus Himself was truth (John 14:6). He was the “Word became flesh” and the one who fully explained the Father (John 1:1, 14, 18). Moreover, instead of reciting the Law to the people, Jesus incites His own authority in the Sermon on the Mount, using the repeated phrases “You have heard that it was said…but I tell you this.” By doing so, Jesus corrects the crowd’s misunderstanding of the Law by providing His own divine interpretation. Of course, Christ was not merely a prophet, although He fulfilled the role of such. The letter of Hebrews goes to great lengths to show that Jesus was much greater than the prophets, as it proclaims Him as the Son of God and perfect high priest.
Christ as Priest
The same book of Hebrews provides us with a wonderful description of the priestly work of Christ on our behalf. Just as the Old Testament priests were the ones who offered prayers to God for the people and made sacrifices in their place, so does Christ function in this office in an even better way. The bull and goat sacrifices of the Old Testament were never sufficient to atone for sin, but Christ fulfills His role as priest by offering Himself up to God as a perfect sacrifice (Heb. 10:4).This pleasing sacrifice was even attested to by the prophet Isaiah when he writes that Christ’s sufferings are the means by which we are healed, have peace with God, and have been counted righteous in His sight (Isaiah 53:5, 11). Not only has Christ paid the price for our sin in full, He has also been raised and now constantly makes intercession for the saints before the Father (Heb. 7:25). The Old Testament priests often prayed to God on behalf of the people, but as a sinful man, his prayers were not always in line with the will of God. Jesus, knowing the Father’s will perfectly, always prays in accordance with it. For this reason, we can be sure that His prayers are answered and God’s plan is carried out. Grudem cites an encouraging word from Berkhof:
“It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers…He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end.”
Christ as King
Just as the Old Testament kings ruled over their people, so Christ rules over His church and all of creation. Although the Jews of the day wanted Jesus to come in as a political ruler and establish His authority on earth to overthrow the Romans, Jesus insisted that His kingdom was not of the world (John 18:36). Even though He was truly the king of all men, He did not seek to establish His kingdom in the way that they anticipated. Instead, He would establish a spiritual kingdom, where He would rule first and foremost over the church. We see this principle clearly in Ephesians 1:20-22 where Paul writes that God has “seated [Jesus] at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.” This reality will come to full fruition upon Christ’s return and reign on earth when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess His lordship.
Application
As Christians, we are able to model these three offices of Christ in our own lives as well. Both Christ’s priestly and kingly offices can be played out in us, but I want to focus on prophecy here. Our daily lives should be filled with it, as we speak forth God’s word to one another and to unbelievers. One of the greatest forms of encouragement comes from the brother or sister who makes the effort to speak truth into other’s lives. Of course, we are inferior to Christ in this role, but we can, in a broad sense, take part in the proclamation of the gospel to the world. This is a particularly challenging point for me, as it’s often slightly awkward when someone tries to bring up something in Scripture, unless we’re in a context where such a discussion would be normative (small group, church, Bible study). But this shouldn’t be the case. It should be exciting and easy for us to share God’s word with one another, yet our conversation is much more likely to center around the daily news or, in my case, how horrible the Giant’s offense is. But the Giant’s lack of punch at the plate pales in value to the Word of God, which carries with it eternal significance (as well as much more encouragement for me). God’s Word has the power to change people’s lives so that they are able to glorify Him better. This should be our goal in every conversation that we have. Since God’s glory is at stake in all that we do, shouldn’t our aim be to proclaim Him every chance we get? By withholding God’s truth from our fellow brothers and sisters, we devalue its power to change, for if we really did believe it to be so great there would be no hesitation to take part in Christ’s office as prophet.