Christ the Prophet

The next question of the catechism sets up the rest of the section on Christ.

Q. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our redeemer?
A. Christ, as our redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

So Christ has three offices and two estates. The next questions deal with these five things. This week, we begin with Christ’s prophetic office.

Q. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Moses, of course, is one of the most important people in all the Bible, and his primary role was to speak God’s Word to the people. He was a prophet. But when we get to Deuteronomy, there’s a problem: Moses is about to die, and Israel’s access to new revelation from God will be limited. It’s in that context that we get this prophecy:

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18)

In Acts 3, Peter tells us explicitly that this prophet is Jesus Christ. With the advent of the prophet Jesus, there are no more prophets like the days of old. He is the last prophet, and he appointed his apostles to write down his teaching and close the canon of Scripture. Hebrews 1:1-2 reminds us of this:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

But what does it mean that Jesus is a prophet? It means that he is the person through whom God speaks. First, he speaks by his Word. In Luke 4, Jesus says that he was appointed to preach the gospel and to proclaim the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). In Matthew, he is presented as a new and better Moses as he stands on the mountain and preaches and interprets the Law to the people of Israel (Matthew 5-7). Second, he speaks through his Spirit. He promised to his disciples that the Spirit of God would come to testify and bear witness to the truth (John 15:26-27). He is the only mediator of God’s elect who brings the truth of God to his people, and the truth that he brings is the gospel, that he is the way, the truth, and the life, that no one comes to the Father except through him.

But how does Christ now execute that office since he is ascended? The answer is the same that he himself gave: by his Word and Spirit. In the Word of God, we have Jesus’ words. We, of course, have the red letters in the Gospels, but since Jesus is God, we find that he is actually the author behind all of Scripture. Every word of every prophet is the word of Jesus, so we’re called to hear him in Scripture as it has been handed down to us. By the power of his Spirit, Jesus reveals the Word to us. The Spirit provides illumination to the believer so that he not only hears the words of Jesus, but understands them and is changed by them.

The prime way this happens is in the public preaching of the Word. Through his appointed servants, the Prophet still speaks. In fact, one old way of referring to preaching is to call it prophesying. It’s not that the preacher has new revelation to give, but his prophetic ministry is to repeat the words of Christ to the Bride of Christ. This is the preacher’s call and commission.

So do you want to hear Jesus speak prophetically to you? Open your ears to the preaching of the Word in the Lord’s Day assembly. Listen as the minister reads the Word of God to you. Read the Word to your family and in your private worship. And pray that in all these things, the Spirit would guide you into sanctification and deeper fellowship with your Savior Prophet.

Psalm 3

I meant to share this last week, but here’s a recording of the psalm we’re singing over the next few weeks. Make not of the word “de-li-ver-ance” (4 syllables) in the last verse!

Updates

A congregational meeting is scheduled for March 30, 2025. We’ll meet immediately following the worship service to vote on a new rotational system for officers and elect new elders.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid