John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6
Jesus – Prophet, Priest, and King
As a prophet, priest, and king, Jesus is the ultimate leader. He is whole and complete within Himself. He is our perfect authority figure, our guide, and the empathetic advocate that we need. He grants us forgiveness, grace, and access to a personal relationship with God.
Normally, the three offices of prophet, priest, and king were completely distinct from each other, with no overlap. A king was not a priest or a prophet. A priest did not function as a prophet or a king. And a prophet only did a prophet’s job without trying to be a either king or a priest. But Jesus Christ perfectly fills all three roles at the same time: He is the Prophet, Priest, and King.
Prophets were tasked with speaking God’s Word to people. In the Old Testament, this included both proclaiming God’s truth to others and revealing God’s plans for the future. Some of the prophets also performed miracles and healings.
Jesus was often referred to as a prophet. He taught the word of God, often in parables, or stories. “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law” (Mark 1:22). Like the Old Testament prophets, Jesus also told the future. He performed miracles and healings.
Jesus is the walking, talking, breathing Word of God, so He did not just prophesize like the other human prophets, but He is the Word in the flesh. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Old Testament priests served as mediators between humans and God. The Old Testament priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. Jesus is our Mediator and our High Priest: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5.
As with many other things in the Old Testament, the Old Testament system of priests foreshadowed the ministry of Jesus. However, Jesus is the High Priest above all, that will continue forever. His priesthood is eternal, so He will forever be our High Priest. Because of this, we can go boldly before God. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14–16
Jesus - A King Who Takes and Gives
David is a great example of a king in the Old Testament. God called David a man after His own heart and He promised David in 2 Samuel 7:16, Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. This promise was fulfilled through Jesus, the Messiah, who was also given the title “Son of David.” Jesus is this Son of David and the rightful King, a ruler of God’s people, and also their deliverer. The Jews were expecting a political king, but Jesus was a very different king. He will return to the earth to rule as a king, first in the Millennial Kingdom and then for all eternity. He is our King of Kings, defeating sin and death for all.
Jesus receives all who will desire to let Him reign as King in their lives. He gives graciously and without prejudice. He freely gives grace and mercy to anyone who comes to Him, and to His children He gives gracious and bountiful blessings, far beyond what we deserve.
King Jesus is so good to us and He is the only one who will take all our sin, all our brokenness, all our troubles, and give us something beautiful back. We can lay our sin down and He gives forgiveness. We can lay our brokenness down, and He gives healing. We can lay down our troubles, and He gives peace. We can lay down our sorrow, and He gives comfort. We can lay down our emptiness, and He gives fullness of joy. He takes away and gives something so much better in return, just when we think there is nothing good left. When we try to rule our own lives and it comes crashing down around us, He is the One who can come in and take the throne and make it right again. He gives what no earthly king can give, and He takes away what no earthly king could take away. As much as a good king cared about his subjects and did good things for them, our King loves us with unending love, and He has given us everlasting life, free to all who will receive it.
A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. Proverbs 21:1
