Christology: Jesus as Prophet Priest King → A More Beautiful Life Collective

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Today, we are continuing our Building Our Foundations series by turning to our next core key doctrine. We will be looking at Christology or the doctrine of Christ. In this episode, we’ll talk about four questions about Christology. Then, we’ll think about how Jesus fulfills the roles of prophet priest king both in his earthly ministry and now.

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Hey everyone! Welcome to Season 2 Episode 12 of A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast! Today, we are picking up our Systematic Theology Series with the next core doctrine. So far, we’ve covered the doctrine of God, the Bible, Angels, Man, and Sin and Evil. Today, we are focusing on the doctrine of Christ, or Christology.

I mentioned in the last episode that the way that we’ve structured our study of theology mimics the way a story is structured. We have our exposition laying the groundwork for our understanding of our faith in the doctrines of God, the Bible, Angels, and Man. Sin and Evil introduces conflict in our relationship with God. Now, we need to have an answer to that conflict.

How are we able to be saved in an evil world with our sinful natures?

Enter Christ.

Jesus is central to Christianity, so much so the whole faith is named after him. But, many people who have not studied theology often have a surface-level understanding of Christ that really distorts who he is.

When studying Christology, we first have to ask ourselves (1) Who is Jesus? (2) How does he fit into the biblical story? (3) How do we relate to him? And (4) What are his present and future roles?

Jesus is our prophet priest king who is the messiah and our lord and savior.

So let’s dive in.

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Christology Question #1: Who is Jesus?

There are 2.4 billion Christians – literally ‘Christ Ones’ – in the world. All of these people profess to follow Jesus as the Lord of their lives, but who is the Jesus they follow?

Jesus was a man born in around 0 A.D. (which stands for Anno Domini or ‘in the year of our lord’). He was from the line of David, part of the tribe of Judah. His earthly father was Joseph and his mother was Mary. Jesus’ name in Hebrew would be Yeshua, which means ‘Yahweh saves.’ The Greek form of this would be ‘Iesous’, and the Latin form of this word, ‘Iesus’, is where we get Jesus today.

The Bible chronicles the life of Jesus in the four gospels. These are the books of the Bible named after the corresponding authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. According to the Zondervan Academic blog, “The English term gospel comes from the Old English godspell, a translation of the Greek noun euangelion.” The gospels got their name most likely from Mark 1:1, which says, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,”

Each of the gospels features similar stories of the life of Jesus while highlighting different aspects of his ministry and purpose. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic (literally ‘seeing all together’) gospels. They are very similar in structure while again highlighting differing aspects of Jesus. Matthew focuses on Jesus as king and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Mark, which Matthew and Luke were probably based on, follows Peter’s account of Jesus as the suffering servant and son of God. Luke, written by a physician who also wrote the book of Acts, is a detailed, researched account of Jesus’ life that is primarily for a non-Jewish audience. John, the latest gospel, is unique in its structure and narrative. John focuses on the miracles and supernatural parts of Jesus’ ministry as a sign to believers of his testimony about who Jesus is.

In each of the gospels, we see Jesus function as prophet priest king. He is a prophet through his teachings, a priest through his mediating work, and a king through establishing the kingdom of God.

The gospels tell the story of Jesus’ life. Matthew and Luke give us some backstory to his birth in the familiar Christmas story tales. Jesus started his ministry around 30 years of age after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. He then goes out to the wilderness and is tempted by Satan. After this, he gathers up disciples and teaches them while healing the sick and tending to the crowds.

The main message of Jesus can be summed up in Matthew 4:17, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Central to Jesus’ teaching which takes up the majority of the gospels is the message of the kingdom of God.

What is the kingdom? It is when ‘everything that is wrong with the world is made right.’ It is when we are transformed back into our original Edenic state. It is when we are put back into the right relationship with God. This is done through the defeat of sin and evil. (Learn more about the Kingdom in the book Kingdom Journey by Sean Finnegan.)

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As Jesus taught, he relied on parables, or wise sayings and stories, to reveal the truths about the kingdom. His parables focused on the value and values of the kingdom, the types of people who would be in the kingdom, and how to live with the kingdom in mind now. In one of Jesus’ longest sermons, he says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). As Christ’s followers, that should be our primary focus today.

Jesus snaked up and down Judea teaching about the Kingdom and healing others for about 3 years. During this time, religious leaders grew increasingly antagonistic towards him. During the Passover (normally in March or April) in the third year, Jesus went to Jerusalem and was heralded as a king of peace riding a donkey as he entered the city. Think of him as a new David coming to take the throne. The religious leaders were outraged and formulated a plan to seize him and execute him.

Later that week, he was arrested, tried under Pilot, and crucified. On the day after the Jewish Sabbath (observed Friday night to Saturday night), Jesus rose from the dead. This is why our church services and the Christian sabbath is observed on Sunday.

He taught his followers for 40 more days and then ascended into heaven. 1 Peter 3:22 says, Jesus “has gone into Heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.”

After Jesus’ ascension, Christianity takes off among the Jews and later the Gentiles (through Paul). It has steadily grown over the last 2,000 years into one of the largest and greatest religions on the planet.

This is the story of Jesus at its most basic and fundamental level based on the story of scripture. But, this only scratches the surface of who Jesus is. To recognize his importance, we have to look more closely at how he fits into the Biblical story.

Christology Question #2: How does Jesus fit into the biblical story?

The Bible is a collection of 66 books over more than a thousand years. The story of Jesus is featured in just four of those books. Jesus is never explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament books. The New Testament begins with his story, but how does he fit in the whole Biblical narrative?

I remember as a child thinking that Jesus had a first and last name just like me. His first name? Jesus. Last name? Christ. (Kind of like Santa Claus, right?) As I grew older, I recognized that wasn’t accurate. Christ is a title or a role (just like Santa – or Saint – is a title).

What does Christ mean? “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, Messiah. According to Got Questions, “In ancient Israel, when someone was given a position of authority, oil was poured on his head to signify his being set apart for God’s service (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:1). Kings, priests, and prophets (prophet priest king) were anointed in such fashion. Anointing was a symbolic act to indicate God’s choosing (e.g., 1 Samuel 24:6).”

Jesus was the anointed one spoken about throughout Old Testament prophecy. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 when he says, ‘ ‘18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus was the anointed servant of God who was tasked with proclaiming all of this good news – the recovery of sight for the blind, freedom from prison and oppression, to declare the ultimate year of Jubilee. Instead of being anointed just with oil, like David was as a young man, Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of the Lord to carry out his mission.

A comprehensive list of all Messianic prophecies and their corresponding New Testament fulfillment can be found here. There are over 300 prophecies that speak about who the messiah would be, what he would do, and what that would mean for God’s people. The role of the messiah can be summed up as Prophet Priest King.

Christology Question #3: What are Jesus’ roles of prophet priest king?

In the Old Testament, there are three primary roles of authority, the prophet priest king. The first role is that of the prophet (Deut. 18:15-22). The prophets represent God to the people. Abraham could be considered the first prophet, followed by Moses. Certain judges, like Deborah and Samuel, were also prophets. Prophets appear throughout the Old Testament. They were not a consistent office – like a priest or king – but popped up during times of need. Later in the Old Testament, they often warn the king and people to turn back to God and act in a holy way.

The next of our three roles of authority, the prophet priest king, is the priest. The priest is instituted with the law and Moses and is supposed to be the go-between between God and man (Hebrews 5:1-4). The priests represent the people to God. They offered sacrifices in the Tabernacle and later the temple. The failure of the priesthood is almost automatic with the death of Aaron’s sons and escalates into the removal of the ark of the covenant during Eli’s time.

The last role of prophet priest king is that of the king (Deut. 17:14-20). During Samuel’s time, the people rejected the priesthood (and in doing so, rejected God) and desired a king like the surrounding nations. The kings were supposed to administer God’s will (kingdom) in the world. Saul was the first king, and David – the greatest king – reigned after him. The kings had a descent like the priesthood, with varying degrees of righteousness. Finally, the kings were deposed and the ‘tree of Jesse (David)’ was chopped down.

Jesus fulfills all of these roles – prophet priest king – in his life and his past, present, and future ministry. In the New Testament, Jesus was commonly called a prophet (Matthew 21:11, Luke 7:16, John 4:19). People, even his enemies, recognized that he was there to teach the people and call them back to God. The roles of priest and king weren’t as readily apparent to the people. Hebrews describes how Jesus functions as both the priest and sacrifice for our sins. He is called the ‘great high priest in the order of Melchizedek’ (not Levi – like the Old Testament priesthood). The book of Hebrews describes Jesus’ role as high priest and mediator between us and God. Jesus’ message focused on the kingdom. He inaugurated the kingdom and stepped into his role as king in the line of David as spoken about in Isaiah 9.

Isaiah 9:2-7 says, “2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

In this prophecy, we see how Jesus fulfills all three roles, prophet priest king. He calls people back to God, ‘a great light’ to the world. He administers righteousness and peace. He rules ‘with the government on his shoulders’ because of the authority that God placed on him. God specifically put him in this role to accomplish this.

The Romans, in an ironic act of ridicule, called Jesus the king of the Jews when he was nailed on the cross. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, and the people understood that the Messiah would reign on David’s throne. If Jesus was the Messiah, he would step into this role as king. There is an ‘already but not yet’ nature to Jesus’ kingship. Jesus inaugurated the kingdom during his earthly ministry, but the fullness of the kingdom is not here on Earth. We follow him as king now, even as we are exiles in this land.

Jesus fulfilled the roles of prophet priest king in his earthly ministry. These roles also show us how to relate to him now.

Christology Question #4: How do we relate to Jesus as prophet priest king?

After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent 40 days teaching his disciples and preparing them for his departure. Then, he ascended into heaven where he is now reigning. As Hebrews 10:12 tells us: “But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”

In common Christian teachings, there is a sense that while Yahweh, God the Father, is the unapproachable sovereign over the world, Jesus is like our friend and big brother. Much of this is based on the movement to define Christianity as a ‘relationship, not a religion.’ But, what does this mean? How should we think of Jesus? How should we approach him?

As a prophet priest king, Jesus teaches us, mediates for us, and rules over our lives.

Prophet Priest King #1: As a prophet, we look to Jesus’ teachings to tell us how to live for God. More than that, we listen to Jesus as a representative of God. He is the very word of God (John 1) that speaks for God in our daily lives.
Prophet Priest King #2: As a priest, Jesus mediates between us and God. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “5 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. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” What is a mediator? Someone who acts as a go-between. God is so holy that even the high priest after being ritually cleansed could be struck down in the holy of holies of the temple. They tied bells on him and a rope so that they could pull him out if that happened. After Jesus’ death, the curtain separating the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was torn. We can approach God now because we take on Jesus’ holiness. What type of mediator is he? Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Though holy, Jesus can sympathize with us because of humanity. He truly is the perfect mediator.
Prophet Priest King #2: As king, Jesus rules over our lives. Yes, his kingdom isn’t fully realized now, but we still honor Jesus as lord and king. Romans 10:9 says, “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” What does it mean that Jesus is lord of our lives? It means he is the master of what we do. He is our boss. He is truly our king. We follow after him. The actions of our lives are forever changed by him.

Praying and Worshipping Jesus as prophet priest king

Should we pray to Jesus or just Yahweh, God the Father?

I recently read a book that talked about the experience of the author with a woman who was distraught at one of the author’s speaking events. The author didn’t know how to approach the woman’s situation, but she began just to repeat the name of Jesus over and over again. Looking through scripture, I think it’s important to ask ourselves, “Should we pray to Jesus?” Some confusion as to the answer to this question has collapsed the person of Jesus and the Father into one person, basically committing the heresy of modalism.

John Piper said in an interview that the best way to answer this question is to look at the role of Jesus as prophet priest king, specifically as a priestly mediator. We are only able to approach Yahweh and have a personal relationship with our God because of Jesus’ sacrifice and current priestly work. So, we pray to God who is sovereign and gives grace. But, importantly we pray to him through Christ (and the Spirit). This is why we end our prayers with “In Jesus Name, Amen.”

John 14:14 says, “14 If you ask me [Jesus] anything in my name, I will do it.” Later on, in John 15:16, Jesus says something similar: “16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Based on these verses, our prayers ‘work’ because they go through Christ. As John Piper says, “Let your normal, regular praying be a prayer to the Father through the Spirit in the name of Jesus, but realize that Jesus [… is a person] and to speak to [him] as a saved sinner would, cannot be unnatural.”

Should we worship Jesus or just Yahweh, God the Father?

This brings us to the next question. In our podcast on Angels, we saw that angels repeatedly tell humans not to worship them. They knew that their purpose was to serve God and glorify him. In doing so, they were quick to give all worship and glory to God. Hebrews 1 describes how Jesus is now exalted as higher than the angels. So, should we worship Jesus?

If you listen to most worship songs today, the writers almost exclusively worship Jesus (and not Yahweh, God the Father). Again, the collapsing of persons into one entity (aka modalism) is a frequent effect of this. So, again should we worship Jesus?

Turning to scripture, we can look at how Jesus dealt with people worshipping him to answer this question. Throughout the gospels, several people worshipped Jesus and were not rebuked for it (Matthew 2:11; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; 20:28). Worshipping Jesus is encouraged because it shows that the people recognize who Jesus is as the Messiah and son of God.

Revelation 5:13-14 says, “13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

We don’t worship Jesus at the expense of the Father, but we do worship him for who he is. Why is Jesus worthy? Revelation 5:9-10 explains, “9 “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Because of Jesus’ role as prophet priest king, he is worthy of our worship and praise.

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My Personal Statement of Faith: Christology

As with several of our other core doctrines, this quick overview of Jesus as prophet priest king barely scratches the surface of who he is. You still need to do a deep study of Christology to know more about your lord and Savior. We may do a part 2 some time in the future to look more into Jesus’ nature. You may have noticed that we didn’t talk about salvation and atonement in this post. In two weeks, we’ll talk about soteriology or the doctrine of salvation.

Here is my statement of faith for Christology:

Jesus is the Messiah, Son of Man, and Son of God. He was born around 0 A.D. and spent his earthly ministry teaching about the kingdom of God and bringing it to earth. He was crucified, and he paid the price of our sins through his sinless life and death. Jesus is our prophet priest king. We look to him as a representative and agent of God. He mediates for us as both the sacrifice and high priest. And, he is our lord and king.

Now you try: Questions about Christology:

Who do you say Jesus is?
What was the main mission of Jesus’ earthly ministry? What did Jesus come to do?
Who is the Messiah in the Old Testament? How did Jesus fulfill the prophecies of the messiah?
What are the roles of prophet, priest, and king in the Bible? How did Jesus fulfill them in the past? How does he continue to fulfill them?

I hope this episode has gotten you to think more deeply about Christ. Join me next week for a practical episode on creating a life you love and in two weeks for the next installment of our systematic theology series.

Until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.

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