LESSON 14 – JESUS CHRIST – HIS MINISTRY AND CHARACTER
His Ministry and Character
John 7:14-18, 37-49
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Philippians 2:8
Life of Christ
Kenosis
Blood Sacrifice
Christ: Prophet, Priest, King
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes the work of Christ is considered under the three offices that He held; that of Prophet, Priest and King. A connection can be made between the Messiah or Anointed One and the fact that prophets, priests and kings were all anointed.
In John 7 everyone knew that when they had seen the Lord Jesus Christ they had seen something very unusual. This is indicated by the frequent use of the words amazed and marveled in the New Testament. They knew they were listening to far more than a man - John 7:37-39.
Because of His presence the authorities could not arrest Him. He claimed to be more than just a man, people said is he that prophet referring to Deuteronomy 18 or is he the Christ. Jesus Christ caused a division. They had to make a decision regarding Him and they still do. What think ye of Christ? This is the central question for all humanity. People who do not want the truth will not recognize it even when they are confronted with it.
PROPHET
In Deuteronomy 18:15 -19 the thing that made them think that this was the prophet spoken of in verse 18 was the authoritative way the Lord spoke to them. He did not say as the teachers of those days said that Rabbi A had said this whilst Rabbi B said that.
He was a prophet, He spoke God's words. He was more than a prophet however. We however are a little bit hard on those who lived at the time of Christ as we now have the benefit of the whole New Testament.
He gave the prophecies, he gave great illustrations, and he made use of questions and turned the questions into a prophetic utterance. He was authoritative and he did it in a non systematic way taking opportunities as they arose.
The prophet was both a foreteller and a forth teller. This latter feature is a main function of the pastor who applies factors from the Bible to the present day in preaching.
There were three important discourses that were a part of his prophetic ministry,
[a] The Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5-7
[b] The Olivet discourse - Matthew 24-25
[c] The Upper Room discourse - John 13-16.
The attitudes of people to these passages will divide theological schools up into good and bad fairly quickly. If you ask them where the Sermon on the Mount fits you will find that in the Liberal, Reformed and Fundamentalist camps views vary significantly.
[a] The liberals take this passage as the Christian way of life, if you keep the Sermon on the Mount you can satisfy God.
[b] In contrast the Reformed view is that the Sermon on the Mount is a policy which we are to bring into being by our own activities now and hasten the bringing about of Christ's kingdom on the earth.
[c] The fundamentalist viewpoint is that it is preached in relation to the kingdom. This discourse therefore seems mainly to emphasize getting ready for the kingdom. Some of the requirements to be practiced totally would necessitate the establishment of the kingdom with its righteous government temple worship system and practices, all though the principles may be followed at any time.
The sermon is a call to repentance for those who had refused to apply the scriptures to their thoughts and behaviour; and thereby left out the inner changes from the requirements for establishing the kingdom. Therefore it has relevance for any time when the kingdom is imminent such as during the Lord's ministry and in the Tribulation, but it may also be argued that it is relevant every day, as we do not know the date of the Lord’s return. It also pictures the conditions that will occur in the kingdom. It is therefore profitable for disciples in any age since it is one of the most detailed of ethical codes in the Bible building upon the Mosaic Law. It emphasizes the important truth that the heart and mind and body must be pure to serve the Lord.
The Olivet Discourse gives a prophetic introduction as to what will be happening on the earth during the Great Tribulation before the Kingdom whilst the Upper Room discourse gives the rules and the standards for the Church Age. One applies to the Church, one to the Tribulation and one to the Millennium. However all Scripture is for all of us to gain from with the principles of all the discourses having application to all ages.
In different ages however the emphasis or importance of a passage will vary. There are certain elements that are required to completely fulfill the Sermon on the Mount which we do not have today. There needs to be accurate teaching in this area as there are many devotional books which do not teach accurately on this especially in the area in the Sermon on the Mount.
For example, the Sermon on the Mount is not the primary passage of historic Christianity, the Upper Room discourse is.
PRIEST
Jesus Christ as Priest - He has a twofold priesthood, one after Aaron as He has a redemptive function but he is also a priest after the order of Melchizedec of Genesis 14
The prophet spoke to men from God; the priest speaks to God for men. Being of the tribe of Judah disqualified Christ from being an Aaronic priest; therefore, God arranged ahead of His coming for another order of priests, the order of Melchizedec, and Christ is a priest of that order with respect to His person and His work. Yet there are similarities between Aaronic priests and Christ as Priest both in His person and His work.
Levitical Priests
These priests had to be men chosen by God and qualified for His work (Hebrews 5:1-7). Our Lord was chosen, incarnate, and tested, thus being qualified in His person to be a ministering Priest.
These priests served by representing the people to God and especially in the offering of sacrifices. Their sacrifices were many, repeated, and not in themselves of eternal worth. The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that had they been able to effect eternal satisfaction for sin there would have been no need for their repetition year after year.
In contrast, our Lord's sacrifice of Himself for our sins was a single sacrifice, once for all, and for all mankind. In this, His great work of redemption, He did a work which was foreshadowed by the work of the Aaronic priests, even though He was not a priest after the order of Aaron.
Melchizedec Priest
Features of the Melchizedec priesthood include
(a) It was a royal priesthood. Melchizedec was a king as well as a priest. The uniting of these two functions was unknown among Aaronic priests, though predicted of Christ in Zechariah 6:13.
(b) It was unrelated to ancestry. "Without father, without mother", does not mean that Melchizedec did not have parents, nor that he was not born or did not die, but only that the Scriptures contain no record of these events so that he might be more perfectly likened to Christ. Aaronic priests depended on their ancestry to qualify.
(c) It was timeless; having no recorded beginning or ending so Melchizedec might again be more like the Lord who is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedec.
(d) It was superior to the Aaronic order. Abraham, out of whom came the Aaronic order, acknowledged the superiority of Melchizedec when he gave tithes of the spoils of the war to him (Genesis 14:20).
Levi, though unborn, and all the priests that came from him were involved in this act which demonstrated the superiority of Melchizedec.
KING
The Lord Jesus Christ is also King; He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as well as being the legal king of Israel as the son of David. He is what could be classified in the ancient world as battlefield royalty. When Napoleon conquered an area he would often make one of his generals a king. The Lord becomes King of Kings and Lord of Lords because of his victory on the Cross. He was born a son of David and therefore royalty according to birth. He is king for ever and over all.
The fact that He is the King of Israel guarantees that He will return to set up His kingdom and rule over Israel fulfilling the Davidic and Palestinian Covenants. It also guarantees that the world will not self destruct due to such things as worldwide nuclear war or a giant asteroid striking the earth
KENOSIS
The first problem for the theologian as they approach Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, king and Saviour is that of kenosis. This Greek word comes from Philippians 2:7 where He became of no reputation and took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. He emptied himself.
Theologians ask; what did he empty himself of? Was he still full deity or did He empty himself of some of the attributes when He became man? If He did not have all the attributes of deity He was not fully God. He is however both fully God and fully man. Kenosis states that He did not lose any of the attributes of deity but withheld the operation of those attributes. The false concept of kenosis is that Christ gave up being God, He gave up His omniscience. This concept is attractive because it states, He grew in knowledge and wisdom in His humanity. He had to learn in his humanity, but did He have to learn in His deity? The answer of course to the question of loss of all attributes of deity is “no”.
Did he give up His deity? The answer again is no! On one occasion people saw His deity; this was at the time of His arrest in Gethsemane. For a brief time he pulled the veil back and His deity caused the large army contingent to fall backwards. The veil was controlled by His will. John 18:6.
Secondly, the Lord did not call upon the deity that He had. When He was on the Cross He could have come down from the Cross at any time and called legions of angels to rout His enemies. With an ability to say no it brings out the wonder of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ dying for us.
Thirdly, as the great God He humbled himself that we might through Him be lifted up to glory as shown in Philippians 2:7-11 It wasn't the nails that held the Lord to the Cross it was His obedience to the plan of God and love for humankind.
THE LORD AND SIN
The second theological problem is whether the Lord sinned or not or whether He was capable of sinning. Could He be tempted? If Christ was able to be tempted and there was a possibility that He could sin; He would not be perfect say some theologians.
If the Lord is not sinless He is not a sacrifice. The sinless-ness of Christ is absolutely vital as without it you have not got an effective sacrifice. The liberals say that Christ sinned and do not believe He died for their sins. The liberal does not want a Saviour but a nice person in the sky who will let everyone off eventually. They want a great example, not a Lord whom you have to obey. This is not the picture of the Lord that the Bible gives us
As conservatives we are conserving the Biblical truth, the sinless-ness of Christ, the perfection of His character and His work on the Cross, the fact that we have a Saviour and a Lord, the Lord who will be the judge of the world. All conservatives agree that Christ is sinless.
If you are to teach impeccability it is something that needs to be prepared well in advance as it is a complex area of doctrine. The Lord was tempted, not to show that He could sin but to prove for all eternity that He could not sin. The testing of the Lord was real like ours but the testing proved His perfect character. He was tested in every way as we are yet without sin. He is therefore the one who we can depend on when we meet our tests. He could not fail and He did not fail and therefore we can have total confidence in the everlasting arms. He has grace and power to help us in times of need. He has proved to be able to help us in any circumstances.
DOCTRINES
LIFE OF CHRIST
1. The life of Jesus Christ can be divided into seven separate sections:-
a) The Virgin Birth.
b) The Lord's Ministry.
c) His Death.
d) Burial.
e) Resurrection.
f) Ascension.
g) Session.
2. The Virgin Birth. There are three reasons why Jesus had to be born of a virgin:-
a) To fulfil prophecy (Isaiah 7:14)
b) To fulfil the 'curse of Coniah' (Jeremiah 22:30) (also known as Jeconiah and Jehoiachin)
i) (Matthew 1:16) Joseph the legal but not real father of Jesus was descended from David through Solomon ... (Matthew 1:6) and Coniah (Matthew 1:11)
ii) Mary the real mother (Luke 3:23) of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ was descended from David. (Luke 3:31) through Nathan.
iii) In (2 Samuel 7:16) David is promised a son who will reign forever i.e. The Lord Jesus Christ.
iv) In (Jeremiah 22:28-30) Coniah is told that no descendant of his will reign over Israel.
v) By the Virgin birth a son, Jesus Christ, can reign forever over Israel (He has eternal life) being descended from David via Nathan.
c) To ensure Jesus was born without the imputation of Adam's sin. (l Timothy 2:14,15)
i) In (1 Timothy 2) we see that the woman was deceived but the man deliberately sinned. Thus the sinful nature comes from the man.
ii) In order to be our redeemer Jesus had to be born without a sin nature so that he can purchase those who have a sin nature.
iii) By the Virgin Birth Jesus was born without the imputation of Adam's sin.
3. The Lord's Ministry.
a) Reasons for his HUMANITY
i) Saviour-hood (Philippians 2:5-8)
ii) Mediator-ship (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
iii) Priesthood (Hebrews 10:10-14)
iv) Kingship (Psalm 89:29)
b) What was his means of operation?
i) Power-the Holy Spirit (John 3:34)
ii) He was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11)
iii) He had free will (Matthew 26:39)
iv) Was perfect (2 Corinthians 5:21
4. His Trials and Death.
a) Trials
i) Annas (John 18:12, 13)
ii) Caiaphas (Matthew 26:57)
iii) Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66)
iv) Pilate (Luke 23:1)
v) Herod (Luke 23:8)
vi) Pilate (Luke 23:13)
b) Crucifixion:-
i) Jesus was crucified at 9 am. (Mark 15:25)
ii) Darkness covered the earth 12 noon (Mark 15:33)
iii) Jesus bore the sins 12-3 pm (Matthew 27:46)
iv) "My God My God" Psalm 22 (Romans 6:23)
v) Salvation is completed 3 pm (Luke 23:44-46, John 19:30) "Father into thy bands I dismiss my spirit".
vi) Prophetic (Isaiah 53:9)
5. Burial and In the Grave.
After the death of the Lord Jesus Christ several things happened:-
a) Signs
i) Temple veil rent from top (God) to bottom (man) (Matthew 27:51)
ii) A great earthquake (Matthew 27:51)
iii) Graves opened. (Matthew 27:52, 53)
iv) Breaking of the legs of the thieves (John 19:32-36 cf. Psalm 34:20
Exodus 12:46)
v) Side pierced (John 19:34, Zechariah 12:10)
b) Burial
i) Two pallbearers. Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, both Pharisees, (John 19:38-39)
ii) Both rich men. (John 19:38-42)
iii) Laid in a rich man's tomb. (Isaiah 53:9, John 19:41)
iv) Guard on the tomb. (Matthew 27:62-66)
c) Jesus had three separate parts - Body, Soul, and Spirit.
d) At burial -
i) Body - in the tomb (Matthew 27:57-60)
ii) Spirit - to the Father in Heaven (Luke 23:46)
iii) Soul - Paradise or Abraham's Bosom (Luke 23:43)
iv) In Paradise Jesus met the soul of the penitent thief and preached to the fallen angels in Tartarus. (1 Peter 3:19, 20a, 2 Peter 2:4, Genesis 6:4)
6. Resurrection.
a) Jesus died on the Passover - the Paschal lamb.
b) Jesus rose on the Feast of the First Fruits. After 3 days the soul came from Hades (Luke 23:43) the Spirit from the Father (Luke 23:46) and joined the body in the tomb. With the involvement of the Holy Spirit the Lord Jesus Christ received a resurrection body. (Romans 8:11
c) Jesus predicted his resurrection (John 2:18-22)
d) He is the first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:22, 23)
e) In the period between the resurrection and the ascension many people saw the risen Lord. The bribery of the Roman soldiers (Matthew 28:11-15) is additional proof of the resurrection as are the changed lives of the disciples.
7. Ascension.
a) Having risen the Lord ascended (Luke 24:50-53) to be able to take His place of honour at the right hand of God.
b) With the ascension paradise emptied, the Old Testament saints being transferred to Heaven.
c) In the "Church" age believers go to be with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:7-9)
8. Session - the seating of Christ at God's right hand.
a) Reaching the Father in heaven Christ sat at God's right hand. (Colossians 3:1)
b) The session is in order that the Father may make His enemies His footstool. (Hebrews 1:13)
c) Prophecy of the session. (Psalm 110:1)
d) The footstool will be completed initially at the Second Advent with the final judgment occurring at the Last Judgment. (Revelation 20:11-15)
KENOSIS OF CHRIST
1. Kenosis is an expression which means to "empty oneself" or "to make oneself of no reputation."
2. Principle of Kenosis: (Philippians 2:5-8)
3. Jesus Christ from eternity past always has been God. As such he is all knowing, he is all powerful, has everlasting life and many other absolute qualities. He was not created because he is eternal.
4. Jesus Christ chose to become a little lower that the angels and took on the form of man.
5. Adam the first man aspired to be God, the second Adam who is God divested himself of his deity (Kenosis) and became man in order to save mankind.
6. During his earthly ministry, rather than using his own absolute power he used the power of the Holy Spirit.
BLOOD SACRIFICE
1. Ever since the earliest recorded time God has required a blood sacrifice for sin. It is implied by the coats of skin provided by the Lord in the garden after Adam and Eve had attempted to clothe their nakedness with leaves. Abel brought an acceptable animal sacrifice, unlike Cain's who brought an unacceptable bloodless offering.
2. The requirement for blood sacrifices was continued with Noah after the flood; (cf. the near sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham); and was established as a requirement not only by the Passover lamb but also in the Levitical offerings.
3. When recording the will of God for Israel in the matter of food and the abstinence from eating "any manner of blood" Moses states "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."
4. It is clear from the above that the life of an innocent victim (the animal sacrifice) acted as a shadow until the once and for all payment was paid with the true sacrifice of Christ.
5. There is an absolute necessity of the unique sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as indicated by the phrase "the blood of Christ". (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22)
6. Up to the time of the once and for all sacrifice the sins of believers were set aside adjacent to them (Greek word Para; means alongside) but since the cross they have been taken fully away.
7. The twelve elements of grace which involve the blood of Christ:
a) The New Covenant. (Hebrews 8:8, 9:20-21)
b) The blood is the life. (John 6:53)
c) Purchase and Redemption. (Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19)
d) Propitiation. (Romans 3:25)
e) Justification. (Romans 5:9)
f) Sanctification. (Hebrews 13:12)
g) Cleansing. (Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 7:14)
h) Victory. (Revelation 12:11)
i) The blood of sprinkling. (Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 1:2)
j) Made nigh. (Ephesians 2:13)
k) Peace. (Colossians 1:20)
l) Boldness to enter. (Hebrews 10:19)
8. It is of interest that the resurrection body consists of flesh and bone but apparently no blood.
CHRIST: PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING
JESUS THE PROPHET
1. Moses predicted the coming of a perfect prophet, fulfilled in Jesus (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Acts 3:20-23)
2. Jesus claimed he was a prophet. (John 7:16, 8:28, 12:49-50)
3. Fulfilled predictions
a) His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21, John 2:19)
b) The destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1-2, Luke 19:41-44)
c) The Gentile domination of Israel (Luke 21:20-24)
d) The Jewish dispersion (Matthew 24:34)
e) That the scriptures would survive (Matthew 24:35)
JESUS THE PRIEST
1. A priest is a man who represents other men before God, so that sinful man can have relationship with a holy God (Hebrews 5:1). The priest made propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 10:12) and also made intercession for the people
2. As a high priest, Christ offered a perfect sacrifice to God to remove sin for all time - His own body (Hebrews 9:26).
3. He also offers intercessory prayer for us (Hebrews 7:23-25) at the right hand of the Father.
4. Characteristics:-
a) He was divinely appointed (Hebrews 5:4-10)
b) He is perfect (Hebrews 7:26-28)
c) He is merciful and faithful (Hebrews 2:17)
d) He is sympathetic (Hebrews 4:14-16)
e) He is everlasting (Hebrews 7:23-25)
f) He is our advocate (1 John 2:1)
5. Because of our union in the Body of Christ, every believer is a priest (1 Peter 2:9). We have direct access to God the Father (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 4:16). Therefore, our lives are to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) of praise (Hebrews 13:15), giving (Hebrews 13:16) and obedience (Hebrews 13:17).
JESUS THE KING
1. At the Second Advent; Jesus Christ will come as King, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)
a) His Kingdom - On earth (Jeremiah 23:5, Revelation 19:11-16). His kingdom is called the kingdom of heaven, because of its heavenly character, but it is clearly on earth.
b) His Capital - Jerusalem (Psalm 2:6)
c) Its Extent - The whole world. (Psalm 72:6-11, Isaiah 2:2-3, Daniel 7:13-14, Zechariah 8:20-23)
d) When - He will re-gather believing Israel after the Great Tribulation and will reign on earth for 1,000 years. (Revelation 19:11-16, Zechariah 14:1-4, 9. Revelation 20:4-6)
2. Characteristics of the Kingdom:
a) Universal Peace (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:2-3)
b) Universal Prosperity (Micah 4:4-7)
c) Righteous and Just rule (Psalm 72:2-7, Isaiah 11:9)
d) Worldwide in extent (Psalm 72:6-8)
e) Glorious (Psalm 72:17-19)
f) Everlasting (Daniel 7:13-14, Luke 1:32-33, Revelation 11:15)
g) Uplifting of the under privileged (Psalm 72:2-4,12-14)
3. Christ's rule on earth will terminate with the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). He delivers the kingdom to the Father, (1 Corinthians 15:24) thus commencing the eternal rule of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:28)
His Ministry and Character
John 7:14-18, 37-49
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Philippians 2:8
Life of Christ
Kenosis
Blood Sacrifice
Christ: Prophet, Priest, King
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes the work of Christ is considered under the three offices that He held; that of Prophet, Priest and King. A connection can be made between the Messiah or Anointed One and the fact that prophets, priests and kings were all anointed.
In John 7 everyone knew that when they had seen the Lord Jesus Christ they had seen something very unusual. This is indicated by the frequent use of the words amazed and marveled in the New Testament. They knew they were listening to far more than a man - John 7:37-39.
Because of His presence the authorities could not arrest Him. He claimed to be more than just a man, people said is he that prophet referring to Deuteronomy 18 or is he the Christ. Jesus Christ caused a division. They had to make a decision regarding Him and they still do. What think ye of Christ? This is the central question for all humanity. People who do not want the truth will not recognize it even when they are confronted with it.
PROPHET
In Deuteronomy 18:15 -19 the thing that made them think that this was the prophet spoken of in verse 18 was the authoritative way the Lord spoke to them. He did not say as the teachers of those days said that Rabbi A had said this whilst Rabbi B said that.
He was a prophet, He spoke God's words. He was more than a prophet however. We however are a little bit hard on those who lived at the time of Christ as we now have the benefit of the whole New Testament.
He gave the prophecies, he gave great illustrations, and he made use of questions and turned the questions into a prophetic utterance. He was authoritative and he did it in a non systematic way taking opportunities as they arose.
The prophet was both a foreteller and a forth teller. This latter feature is a main function of the pastor who applies factors from the Bible to the present day in preaching.
There were three important discourses that were a part of his prophetic ministry,
[a] The Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5-7
[b] The Olivet discourse - Matthew 24-25
[c] The Upper Room discourse - John 13-16.
The attitudes of people to these passages will divide theological schools up into good and bad fairly quickly. If you ask them where the Sermon on the Mount fits you will find that in the Liberal, Reformed and Fundamentalist camps views vary significantly.
[a] The liberals take this passage as the Christian way of life, if you keep the Sermon on the Mount you can satisfy God.
[b] In contrast the Reformed view is that the Sermon on the Mount is a policy which we are to bring into being by our own activities now and hasten the bringing about of Christ's kingdom on the earth.
[c] The fundamentalist viewpoint is that it is preached in relation to the kingdom. This discourse therefore seems mainly to emphasize getting ready for the kingdom. Some of the requirements to be practiced totally would necessitate the establishment of the kingdom with its righteous government temple worship system and practices, all though the principles may be followed at any time.
The sermon is a call to repentance for those who had refused to apply the scriptures to their thoughts and behaviour; and thereby left out the inner changes from the requirements for establishing the kingdom. Therefore it has relevance for any time when the kingdom is imminent such as during the Lord's ministry and in the Tribulation, but it may also be argued that it is relevant every day, as we do not know the date of the Lord’s return. It also pictures the conditions that will occur in the kingdom. It is therefore profitable for disciples in any age since it is one of the most detailed of ethical codes in the Bible building upon the Mosaic Law. It emphasizes the important truth that the heart and mind and body must be pure to serve the Lord.
The Olivet Discourse gives a prophetic introduction as to what will be happening on the earth during the Great Tribulation before the Kingdom whilst the Upper Room discourse gives the rules and the standards for the Church Age. One applies to the Church, one to the Tribulation and one to the Millennium. However all Scripture is for all of us to gain from with the principles of all the discourses having application to all ages.
In different ages however the emphasis or importance of a passage will vary. There are certain elements that are required to completely fulfill the Sermon on the Mount which we do not have today. There needs to be accurate teaching in this area as there are many devotional books which do not teach accurately on this especially in the area in the Sermon on the Mount.
For example, the Sermon on the Mount is not the primary passage of historic Christianity, the Upper Room discourse is.
PRIEST
Jesus Christ as Priest - He has a twofold priesthood, one after Aaron as He has a redemptive function but he is also a priest after the order of Melchizedec of Genesis 14
The prophet spoke to men from God; the priest speaks to God for men. Being of the tribe of Judah disqualified Christ from being an Aaronic priest; therefore, God arranged ahead of His coming for another order of priests, the order of Melchizedec, and Christ is a priest of that order with respect to His person and His work. Yet there are similarities between Aaronic priests and Christ as Priest both in His person and His work.
Levitical Priests
These priests had to be men chosen by God and qualified for His work (Hebrews 5:1-7). Our Lord was chosen, incarnate, and tested, thus being qualified in His person to be a ministering Priest.
These priests served by representing the people to God and especially in the offering of sacrifices. Their sacrifices were many, repeated, and not in themselves of eternal worth. The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that had they been able to effect eternal satisfaction for sin there would have been no need for their repetition year after year.
In contrast, our Lord's sacrifice of Himself for our sins was a single sacrifice, once for all, and for all mankind. In this, His great work of redemption, He did a work which was foreshadowed by the work of the Aaronic priests, even though He was not a priest after the order of Aaron.
Melchizedec Priest
Features of the Melchizedec priesthood include
(a) It was a royal priesthood. Melchizedec was a king as well as a priest. The uniting of these two functions was unknown among Aaronic priests, though predicted of Christ in Zechariah 6:13.
(b) It was unrelated to ancestry. "Without father, without mother", does not mean that Melchizedec did not have parents, nor that he was not born or did not die, but only that the Scriptures contain no record of these events so that he might be more perfectly likened to Christ. Aaronic priests depended on their ancestry to qualify.
(c) It was timeless; having no recorded beginning or ending so Melchizedec might again be more like the Lord who is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedec.
(d) It was superior to the Aaronic order. Abraham, out of whom came the Aaronic order, acknowledged the superiority of Melchizedec when he gave tithes of the spoils of the war to him (Genesis 14:20).
Levi, though unborn, and all the priests that came from him were involved in this act which demonstrated the superiority of Melchizedec.
KING
The Lord Jesus Christ is also King; He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as well as being the legal king of Israel as the son of David. He is what could be classified in the ancient world as battlefield royalty. When Napoleon conquered an area he would often make one of his generals a king. The Lord becomes King of Kings and Lord of Lords because of his victory on the Cross. He was born a son of David and therefore royalty according to birth. He is king for ever and over all.
The fact that He is the King of Israel guarantees that He will return to set up His kingdom and rule over Israel fulfilling the Davidic and Palestinian Covenants. It also guarantees that the world will not self destruct due to such things as worldwide nuclear war or a giant asteroid striking the earth
KENOSIS
The first problem for the theologian as they approach Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, king and Saviour is that of kenosis. This Greek word comes from Philippians 2:7 where He became of no reputation and took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. He emptied himself.
Theologians ask; what did he empty himself of? Was he still full deity or did He empty himself of some of the attributes when He became man? If He did not have all the attributes of deity He was not fully God. He is however both fully God and fully man. Kenosis states that He did not lose any of the attributes of deity but withheld the operation of those attributes. The false concept of kenosis is that Christ gave up being God, He gave up His omniscience. This concept is attractive because it states, He grew in knowledge and wisdom in His humanity. He had to learn in his humanity, but did He have to learn in His deity? The answer of course to the question of loss of all attributes of deity is “no”.
Did he give up His deity? The answer again is no! On one occasion people saw His deity; this was at the time of His arrest in Gethsemane. For a brief time he pulled the veil back and His deity caused the large army contingent to fall backwards. The veil was controlled by His will. John 18:6.
Secondly, the Lord did not call upon the deity that He had. When He was on the Cross He could have come down from the Cross at any time and called legions of angels to rout His enemies. With an ability to say no it brings out the wonder of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ dying for us.
Thirdly, as the great God He humbled himself that we might through Him be lifted up to glory as shown in Philippians 2:7-11 It wasn't the nails that held the Lord to the Cross it was His obedience to the plan of God and love for humankind.
THE LORD AND SIN
The second theological problem is whether the Lord sinned or not or whether He was capable of sinning. Could He be tempted? If Christ was able to be tempted and there was a possibility that He could sin; He would not be perfect say some theologians.
If the Lord is not sinless He is not a sacrifice. The sinless-ness of Christ is absolutely vital as without it you have not got an effective sacrifice. The liberals say that Christ sinned and do not believe He died for their sins. The liberal does not want a Saviour but a nice person in the sky who will let everyone off eventually. They want a great example, not a Lord whom you have to obey. This is not the picture of the Lord that the Bible gives us
As conservatives we are conserving the Biblical truth, the sinless-ness of Christ, the perfection of His character and His work on the Cross, the fact that we have a Saviour and a Lord, the Lord who will be the judge of the world. All conservatives agree that Christ is sinless.
If you are to teach impeccability it is something that needs to be prepared well in advance as it is a complex area of doctrine. The Lord was tempted, not to show that He could sin but to prove for all eternity that He could not sin. The testing of the Lord was real like ours but the testing proved His perfect character. He was tested in every way as we are yet without sin. He is therefore the one who we can depend on when we meet our tests. He could not fail and He did not fail and therefore we can have total confidence in the everlasting arms. He has grace and power to help us in times of need. He has proved to be able to help us in any circumstances.
DOCTRINES
LIFE OF CHRIST
1. The life of Jesus Christ can be divided into seven separate sections:-
a) The Virgin Birth.
b) The Lord's Ministry.
c) His Death.
d) Burial.
e) Resurrection.
f) Ascension.
g) Session.
2. The Virgin Birth. There are three reasons why Jesus had to be born of a virgin:-
a) To fulfil prophecy (Isaiah 7:14)
b) To fulfil the 'curse of Coniah' (Jeremiah 22:30) (also known as Jeconiah and Jehoiachin)
i) (Matthew 1:16) Joseph the legal but not real father of Jesus was descended from David through Solomon ... (Matthew 1:6) and Coniah (Matthew 1:11)
ii) Mary the real mother (Luke 3:23) of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ was descended from David. (Luke 3:31) through Nathan.
iii) In (2 Samuel 7:16) David is promised a son who will reign forever i.e. The Lord Jesus Christ.
iv) In (Jeremiah 22:28-30) Coniah is told that no descendant of his will reign over Israel.
v) By the Virgin birth a son, Jesus Christ, can reign forever over Israel (He has eternal life) being descended from David via Nathan.
c) To ensure Jesus was born without the imputation of Adam's sin. (l Timothy 2:14,15)
i) In (1 Timothy 2) we see that the woman was deceived but the man deliberately sinned. Thus the sinful nature comes from the man.
ii) In order to be our redeemer Jesus had to be born without a sin nature so that he can purchase those who have a sin nature.
iii) By the Virgin Birth Jesus was born without the imputation of Adam's sin.
3. The Lord's Ministry.
a) Reasons for his HUMANITY
i) Saviour-hood (Philippians 2:5-8)
ii) Mediator-ship (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
iii) Priesthood (Hebrews 10:10-14)
iv) Kingship (Psalm 89:29)
b) What was his means of operation?
i) Power-the Holy Spirit (John 3:34)
ii) He was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11)
iii) He had free will (Matthew 26:39)
iv) Was perfect (2 Corinthians 5:21
4. His Trials and Death.
a) Trials
i) Annas (John 18:12, 13)
ii) Caiaphas (Matthew 26:57)
iii) Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66)
iv) Pilate (Luke 23:1)
v) Herod (Luke 23:8)
vi) Pilate (Luke 23:13)
b) Crucifixion:-
i) Jesus was crucified at 9 am. (Mark 15:25)
ii) Darkness covered the earth 12 noon (Mark 15:33)
iii) Jesus bore the sins 12-3 pm (Matthew 27:46)
iv) "My God My God" Psalm 22 (Romans 6:23)
v) Salvation is completed 3 pm (Luke 23:44-46, John 19:30) "Father into thy bands I dismiss my spirit".
vi) Prophetic (Isaiah 53:9)
5. Burial and In the Grave.
After the death of the Lord Jesus Christ several things happened:-
a) Signs
i) Temple veil rent from top (God) to bottom (man) (Matthew 27:51)
ii) A great earthquake (Matthew 27:51)
iii) Graves opened. (Matthew 27:52, 53)
iv) Breaking of the legs of the thieves (John 19:32-36 cf. Psalm 34:20
Exodus 12:46)
v) Side pierced (John 19:34, Zechariah 12:10)
b) Burial
i) Two pallbearers. Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, both Pharisees, (John 19:38-39)
ii) Both rich men. (John 19:38-42)
iii) Laid in a rich man's tomb. (Isaiah 53:9, John 19:41)
iv) Guard on the tomb. (Matthew 27:62-66)
c) Jesus had three separate parts - Body, Soul, and Spirit.
d) At burial -
i) Body - in the tomb (Matthew 27:57-60)
ii) Spirit - to the Father in Heaven (Luke 23:46)
iii) Soul - Paradise or Abraham's Bosom (Luke 23:43)
iv) In Paradise Jesus met the soul of the penitent thief and preached to the fallen angels in Tartarus. (1 Peter 3:19, 20a, 2 Peter 2:4, Genesis 6:4)
6. Resurrection.
a) Jesus died on the Passover - the Paschal lamb.
b) Jesus rose on the Feast of the First Fruits. After 3 days the soul came from Hades (Luke 23:43) the Spirit from the Father (Luke 23:46) and joined the body in the tomb. With the involvement of the Holy Spirit the Lord Jesus Christ received a resurrection body. (Romans 8:11
c) Jesus predicted his resurrection (John 2:18-22)
d) He is the first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:22, 23)
e) In the period between the resurrection and the ascension many people saw the risen Lord. The bribery of the Roman soldiers (Matthew 28:11-15) is additional proof of the resurrection as are the changed lives of the disciples.
7. Ascension.
a) Having risen the Lord ascended (Luke 24:50-53) to be able to take His place of honour at the right hand of God.
b) With the ascension paradise emptied, the Old Testament saints being transferred to Heaven.
c) In the "Church" age believers go to be with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:7-9)
8. Session - the seating of Christ at God's right hand.
a) Reaching the Father in heaven Christ sat at God's right hand. (Colossians 3:1)
b) The session is in order that the Father may make His enemies His footstool. (Hebrews 1:13)
c) Prophecy of the session. (Psalm 110:1)
d) The footstool will be completed initially at the Second Advent with the final judgment occurring at the Last Judgment. (Revelation 20:11-15)
KENOSIS OF CHRIST
1. Kenosis is an expression which means to "empty oneself" or "to make oneself of no reputation."
2. Principle of Kenosis: (Philippians 2:5-8)
3. Jesus Christ from eternity past always has been God. As such he is all knowing, he is all powerful, has everlasting life and many other absolute qualities. He was not created because he is eternal.
4. Jesus Christ chose to become a little lower that the angels and took on the form of man.
5. Adam the first man aspired to be God, the second Adam who is God divested himself of his deity (Kenosis) and became man in order to save mankind.
6. During his earthly ministry, rather than using his own absolute power he used the power of the Holy Spirit.
BLOOD SACRIFICE
1. Ever since the earliest recorded time God has required a blood sacrifice for sin. It is implied by the coats of skin provided by the Lord in the garden after Adam and Eve had attempted to clothe their nakedness with leaves. Abel brought an acceptable animal sacrifice, unlike Cain's who brought an unacceptable bloodless offering.
2. The requirement for blood sacrifices was continued with Noah after the flood; (cf. the near sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham); and was established as a requirement not only by the Passover lamb but also in the Levitical offerings.
3. When recording the will of God for Israel in the matter of food and the abstinence from eating "any manner of blood" Moses states "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."
4. It is clear from the above that the life of an innocent victim (the animal sacrifice) acted as a shadow until the once and for all payment was paid with the true sacrifice of Christ.
5. There is an absolute necessity of the unique sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as indicated by the phrase "the blood of Christ". (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22)
6. Up to the time of the once and for all sacrifice the sins of believers were set aside adjacent to them (Greek word Para; means alongside) but since the cross they have been taken fully away.
7. The twelve elements of grace which involve the blood of Christ:
a) The New Covenant. (Hebrews 8:8, 9:20-21)
b) The blood is the life. (John 6:53)
c) Purchase and Redemption. (Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19)
d) Propitiation. (Romans 3:25)
e) Justification. (Romans 5:9)
f) Sanctification. (Hebrews 13:12)
g) Cleansing. (Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 7:14)
h) Victory. (Revelation 12:11)
i) The blood of sprinkling. (Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 1:2)
j) Made nigh. (Ephesians 2:13)
k) Peace. (Colossians 1:20)
l) Boldness to enter. (Hebrews 10:19)
8. It is of interest that the resurrection body consists of flesh and bone but apparently no blood.
CHRIST: PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING
JESUS THE PROPHET
1. Moses predicted the coming of a perfect prophet, fulfilled in Jesus (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Acts 3:20-23)
2. Jesus claimed he was a prophet. (John 7:16, 8:28, 12:49-50)
3. Fulfilled predictions
a) His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21, John 2:19)
b) The destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1-2, Luke 19:41-44)
c) The Gentile domination of Israel (Luke 21:20-24)
d) The Jewish dispersion (Matthew 24:34)
e) That the scriptures would survive (Matthew 24:35)
JESUS THE PRIEST
1. A priest is a man who represents other men before God, so that sinful man can have relationship with a holy God (Hebrews 5:1). The priest made propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 10:12) and also made intercession for the people
2. As a high priest, Christ offered a perfect sacrifice to God to remove sin for all time - His own body (Hebrews 9:26).
3. He also offers intercessory prayer for us (Hebrews 7:23-25) at the right hand of the Father.
4. Characteristics:-
a) He was divinely appointed (Hebrews 5:4-10)
b) He is perfect (Hebrews 7:26-28)
c) He is merciful and faithful (Hebrews 2:17)
d) He is sympathetic (Hebrews 4:14-16)
e) He is everlasting (Hebrews 7:23-25)
f) He is our advocate (1 John 2:1)
5. Because of our union in the Body of Christ, every believer is a priest (1 Peter 2:9). We have direct access to God the Father (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 4:16). Therefore, our lives are to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) of praise (Hebrews 13:15), giving (Hebrews 13:16) and obedience (Hebrews 13:17).
JESUS THE KING
1. At the Second Advent; Jesus Christ will come as King, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)
a) His Kingdom - On earth (Jeremiah 23:5, Revelation 19:11-16). His kingdom is called the kingdom of heaven, because of its heavenly character, but it is clearly on earth.
b) His Capital - Jerusalem (Psalm 2:6)
c) Its Extent - The whole world. (Psalm 72:6-11, Isaiah 2:2-3, Daniel 7:13-14, Zechariah 8:20-23)
d) When - He will re-gather believing Israel after the Great Tribulation and will reign on earth for 1,000 years. (Revelation 19:11-16, Zechariah 14:1-4, 9. Revelation 20:4-6)
2. Characteristics of the Kingdom:
a) Universal Peace (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:2-3)
b) Universal Prosperity (Micah 4:4-7)
c) Righteous and Just rule (Psalm 72:2-7, Isaiah 11:9)
d) Worldwide in extent (Psalm 72:6-8)
e) Glorious (Psalm 72:17-19)
f) Everlasting (Daniel 7:13-14, Luke 1:32-33, Revelation 11:15)
g) Uplifting of the under privileged (Psalm 72:2-4,12-14)
3. Christ's rule on earth will terminate with the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). He delivers the kingdom to the Father, (1 Corinthians 15:24) thus commencing the eternal rule of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:28)
