02.06. JESUS CHRIST - 02 - His Office

JESUS CHRIST – 02 – His Office

There are in the Bible many different titles expressive of the work of Jesus our Lord He is our Advocate (1 John 2:1), the Author And Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the Author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9), the Christ (Matthew 16:16), Counsellor (Isaiah 9:6), the Deliverer (Ram. 11:26), King of Israel (John 1:49), Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), Priest (Hebrews 5:6), High Priest (Hebrews 5:10), Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 24:19) Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20; Galatians 3:13); Savior (Acts 5:31); Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4). Most of these titles sufficiently explain themselves. We need only notice in further detail few of them. 1. Mediator.--A mediator is one who interposes between two parties between whom there is variance, with a view to effecting a reconciliation between them. "A mediator is not a mediator of one" (Galatians 3:20). In the New Testament the word is used once of Moses who was the mediator of the law (Galatians 3:19; cf. Deuteronomy 5:5); elsewhere it is applied to Jesus the Mediator of the new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 12:24). The problem is, How is man when once he has sinned to approach the Infinite, Holy and Righteous God? He personally has not the right of direct approach. He needs a mediator. "In all ages, and in all parts of the world, there has constantly prevailed such a sense of the holiness of the Supreme Divinity, as to make recourse to some sort of mediator universal. There is not a form of religion known, even among the savages and heathen nations, which does not recognise, with more or less distinctness, the necessity of a mediator between the Divinity and man." The mediation of Christ is connected with his sacrificial death: "For this cause he is the mediator of the new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15). The mediatorial office of Christ is also connected with his work as High Priest. In the Old Covenant, the High Priest alone had the right of entry into the Holy of Holies on the great annual day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:7; this high priest was a type of Jesus (Hebrews 9:11-12). Again, we have in Jesus the One with perfect qualifications for the work of mediation. "The natures of the offended and the offending parties meet in Him--God’s fellow and man’s brother. God’s glory is dear to Him as God, man’s interests are dear to him as Man." One of the great truths of the New Testament is that there is one mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). We must guard against putting any other in the place which rightfully belongs to Jesus. He is the only One who can effectively reconcile man to God. 2. Christ.--Jesus is "the Christ" or "the Messiah" (Matthew 16:16; John 1:41). The former phrase comes from the Greek the latter from the Hebrew; each means "the anointed." Jesus received the anointing from the Father. He, in the synagogue of Nazareth, quoted as fulfilled in His case the prophecy of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me," etc. (Luke 4:18). We cannot help connecting these words with the coming of the Spirit upon Him at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). So Geikie, in his "Life and Words of Christ," speaks of the baptism as "the formal consecration which marked His entrance on His great office"; saying that He entered the waters "as Jesus, the Son of man; He rose from them, The Christ of God." Of old, it was the custom to anoint men with oil, as a part of the ceremony of consecration to office; as kings (1 Samuel 10:1; 2 Samuel 5:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), priests (Leviticus 8:1-12). Jesus was not only anointed, He was "the anointed" of God, set apart for a holy office. He fulfills in His own Person the three-fold office of King, Prophet, and Priest, which we may profitably notice. 3. King.--That the Messiah would be King not only was the universal belief of the Jews, but was clearly foretold in the Scriptures. E.g., Psalms 2:1-12, which is in the New Testament used as prophesying the Messiah (Hebrews 1:5), says, "I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion." The Jews of Jesus’ day knew of such prophecies, but misunderstood the method of their fulfillment. They would have made Jesus forcibly King of an earthly kingdom (John 6:15). Jesus before Pilate said that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36-37). That Jesus is now a King is clear from the New Testament. Both he and John the Baptist proclaimed that the "Kingdom of God" or "Kingdom of heaven" was "at hand" (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17). Jesus gave us a terminal date when He said explicitly, "There be some of them that stand here which shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). Unless one of the apostles has not yet died, I have no option but to believe that the Son of man has a kingdom. Later in the New Testament, we read of Jesus as highly exalted (Php 2:9), "far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that i, named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come," with "all things in subjection under his feet" (Ephesians 1:20-22. We read of Him as "crowned" (Hebrews 2:9), and we are explicitly told that Christians have been translated into the kingdom of the Son of His Love (Colossians 1:13). A kingdom implies a king, and Christ has a kingdom. 4. Prophet.--A prophet speaks forth the things of God. Christ is the great revealer of God, His attributes and His will (Matthew 11:27). God who spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets hath at the end of the days spoken unto us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus is definitely called a prophet; the words of Moses, "Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deuteronomy 18:15), are in the New Testament quoted and applied to the Lord Jesus (Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37) . 5. Priest.--The letter to the Hebrews tells us much of the priesthood of Jesus. The high priests of the Old Covenant were types of our great High Priest. Our Priest, as Aaron, was divinely appointed (Hebrews 5:4-5), and qualified by temptation, suffering and human sympathy to be High Priest (Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 2:17-18). Jesus is repeatedly contrasted with the Aaronic priesthood. "The priests of the Jewish faith were sinful men (Hebrews 5:3), while Jesus was absolutely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). They were mortal creatures, ’many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing’ (Hebrews 7:23) while Jesus ’abideth for ever,, and so ’hash his priesthood unchangeable’ (Hebrews 7:24). The sacrifices of the Jewish law were imperfect (Hebrews 10:1 ff); but Christ ’by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are being sanctified’ (Hebrews 10:14). The sanctuary of the old religion was a worldly structure (Hebrews 9:1), and so liable to destruction or decay, but Christ enters ’into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us’ (Hebrews 9:24)." Every high priest must have somewhat to offer (Hebrews 8:3); Jesus offered up himself (Hebrews 9:14)--a sacrifice which, as against the doctrines of some to-day who would exalt a priestly class above their fellows, we are told will never be repeated; it was "once for all" (Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:10). It should be most particularly noted that, save in the sense in which all Christians are priests (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9), we have no priest but Jesus Christ. We need no other man to stand between us and God; Christ is the "one mediator" (1 Timothy 2:5), through whom we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). With the priestly offering of Himself, and "in virtue of it, Jesus entered into the presence of God (Hebrews 9:24), as the ’mediator of a new covenant’ (Hebrews 9:15), and the ever-living Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25), and so secured for us our access with boldness unto the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:13-22)." This intercessory office of the Lord Jesus, though we cannot comprehend it, is yet plainly revealed, and is gratefully accepted by the believer as one of the most blessed works of Jesus on our behalf. When we sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). It is a glorious thought that our feeble petitions for grace, blessing and pardon, do not come alone to God. The Spirit helps our infirmity and makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27), and we learn, too, the present work of Jesus on our behalf: "He ever liveth to make intercession for them" who draw near unto God through Him (Hebrews 7:25).

QUESTIONS.

1. What proofs would you give of our Lord’s true humanity? 2. Was Jesus altogether like other men? If not, indicate the difference. 3. Name some titles of Jesus which imply His divinity. 4. How would you reply to one who said that the Bible meant us to believe in Jesus as a son of God in the sense in which we are sons? 5. Do the Scriptures declare the pre-existence of Christ Jesus ere he walked this earth? 6. What divine prerogatives are ascribed to the Lord Jesus? 7. Name six titles used to denote the office of Christ. 8. Write a note on the word "Christ." How was Jesus the Christ? 9. Why is Jesus called a Mediator? 10. What do you know of Jesus as King? 11. What has Jesus as Priest done for us? 12. What is Jesus doing for us now?