Growing in the fullness of Christ’s Perfection as Prophet, Priest, and King
By David Fairchild

Kaleo leadership is convinced that in order to serve the community of God’s people, and our world, we must concern ourselves with the work and roles of Jesus Christ. Our convictions to teach, counsel, and govern our local body should find their basis not in popular managerial methods alone, but in the timeless truths of Christ’s person and work.

It is our intention that all ministries and ministry leaders would 1) recognize the need to pattern their life and work after Christ, 2) lead in such a way that is consistent with the person and work of Christ, and 3) recognize that this accomplished by grace alone, yet strive to pursue healthy and consistent growth in areas which may currently be less developed than others.

Jesus Christ- Perfect Fulfillment, Perfect Example

Christ has won our salvation in his humiliation and is applying our salvation in his exaltation. In each state (humiliation and exaltation), Christ’s work was and is exercised through the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.

These three offices were foreshadowed in the Old Testament by various figures within Israel’s history: Nathan (2 Sam 7:2) is an example of a prophet, Abithar (1 Sam 30:7) an example of a priest, and David (2 Sam 5:3) is an example of a king. Each of these offices were distinct, and each carried with them the responsibility of directing the people of God to God himself.

The prophet spoke God’s word to the people so that they might not be ignorant of God and His will. This man had the unique task of acting as the communicating herald for God.

The priest offered sacrifices, praises, and prayers to the people as he worked to minister the presence of God to God’s people.

The king ruled over the people as God’s representative, and was to do so under the ultimate authority of God to bring a people to exercise God’s will in their lives.

Even though these three offices were exercised in the Old Testament by different people, all three offices find their fulfillment and unity in one person- Jesus Christ.

Christ our Prophet

Christ reveals the Father most fully to mankind, and therefore is the perfect prophet to tell of God. Moses predicted that a prophet like himself would come one day (Deut. 18:15-18), and that prediction was about Jesus Christ, who came and fulfilled that role. Jesus claimed to speak forth revelation from the Father (John 8:26-28; 12:49, 50; 14:10, 24; 15:15) and spoke of Himself as a prophet (Luke 13:33). Jesus was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like all the other prophets), but was himself the source of revelation from God. Rather than saying, as all the Old Testament prophets did, `Thus says the Lord,’ Jesus could begin divinely authoritative teaching with the amazing statement, `But I say unto you ‘ (Matthew 5:22).

In his humiliation, Christ exercised this office through the lesser prophets of the Old Testament, and through inspiring the Old Testament (1 Peter 1:11) — for these are both actions in which He revealed God to us. After the incarnation and in the state of humiliation, Christ exercised this office by revealing God to us in His teaching and miracles (John 17:8, 26; 14:10).

In his exaltation, Jesus did not cease His prophetic office. He continued it, through the Holy Spirit, by empowering the preaching of the apostles and by inspiring the New Testament. He continues this office today by illuminating the Bible to believers, through the Holy Spirit, so that we understand it and by working through the preaching of the word to make it effective in creating faith in unbelievers and building up faith in believers.

Christ our Priest

In the New Testament Jesus becomes our high priest. The Old Testament predicts that Christ would be our priest (Psalm 110:4), and the priest in the OT was a clear pre-figurement of Christ’s priesthood. The book of Hebrews contains extensive teaching on Christ’s priesthood, calling Jesus “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (3:1) and our “great high priest” (4:14). Christ acts as our priest in two ways the first way during His humiliation, the second way during His exaltation.

In his humiliation, Jesus therefore acted as the ultimate priest when He offered sacrifice for sin to which all of these other sacrifices pointed. But the crucial difference is that while the OT priests offered animals, Jesus offered Himself. “…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).

In his exaltation, Christ, having offered Himself for our sins on earth, continues His priestly work by interceding for us in heaven. “Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). “God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:33-34).

Christ out King

Jesus role as King can not be overstated. Christ is the long awaited King that was to come and establish his kingdom on earth. He did so in his incarnation and exercises his rule on earth in is exaltation.

In his incarnation, Jesus was Lord, the one to which all are called and must submit. He was and is our rightful owner and rightful leader. While He was on earth, He called people to acknowledge His Lordship and proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God which one enters through faith in Him, and which will fully be manifest when He comes again, judges the world, and brings about the New Heavens and New Earth where only righteousness will dwell.

In his exaltation, upon His ascension to heaven and seating at the right hand of the Father, Jesus’ Lordship entered upon a new dimension. He is now officially enthroned as ruler and king of the universe. From His throne He now governs the church and rules the world. What is very glorious and comforting is that He rules the world for the sake of the church and He rules the church for the sake of the world (Ephesians 1:22).

It is important to think through a good Christology before we attempt to model Christ roles and work. Without understanding who Christ was and is, our views will resemble more of our own personal preferences than the shocking and scandalous nature of Christ’s perfections and example.

Part II (next week)- Describing the characteristics of a prophet, priest, and king in our ministries, and strengthening their weaknesses.