The Wednesday Word: JESUS, THE PROPHET The Lord Jesus holds several wonderful and precious offices, the exercise of which are vital for the existence of His church. He is, for example, the church’s Prophet. As the prophet, Christ Jesus, is the revealer of the Father, the declarer of the name of God, the teacher, the true and faithful witness and the beloved Son whom we are to hear (John 1:18; John 17:26; Revelation 3:14; Matthew 17:5). Jesus is the all-sufficient prophet for, as our prophet, He taught us the true meaning of the law (see Matthew 5:21 and following verses). Not only did He instruct during His earthly ministry, but, as our prophet, He continues to teach and motivate, by His Spirit, through His Word. The scriptures speak of Him, and the Spirit speaks of Him (John 5:39; 15:26; 16:13-14a). It is, therefore, the true nature of ministry is to speak of Him and make Him the centre of our message. It is written of Him, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). No prophet of His equal has arisen before or since Christ. He is the Prince of Prophets. In His doing, dying and rising again our prophet gave us the full gospel as He declared the character and purposes of God. Not only so, but as the great prophet, He gave validity to the Hebrew prophets who had foretold His death and sufferings (1 Peter 1:10-11). The testimony of Moses and the prophets, concerning Him is, therefore, to be received and relied upon. In the Old Testament, they spoke of and pointed to the coming Christ. Abel, for example, pointed to Christ as the one true and acceptable sacrifice. Noah’s actions were prophetic of the Lord Christ for they showed us how one man would save his entire family from the judgment. Joshua points to Christ as the one who leads his people into the land of promise. These are but a few examples. In short, the Hebrew prophets and Patriarchs pointed to Christ. And why wouldn’t they for in the New Covenant, the great prophet points to Himself (Matthew 11:28; John 7:37)? He is the eternal one, the fountain of truth and the arrival of the Last Days (John 1:1; Revelation 3:14; Hebrews 9:26). As our Prophet, Jesus gave us the full and final revelation of God (John 1:18; John 8:26). In Hebrews 1:1-2 we read that, “God, ….. has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” What an amazing statement! Did you notice the phrase, “God has spoken”? The Greek tense literally means that God has nothing left to say to us other than that which He has spoken in His Son. It means that Christ is the full and final revelation from heaven. This is why the true believer rejects Mohamed, Joseph Smith of the Mormons, and all others who bring imagined ‘further revelations’ about God. God has spoken in His Son and has, therefore, nothing more to tell us about Himself and His plans. “God, Who in various methods told His mind and will to saints of old, Sent down His Son, with truth and grace, To teach us in these latter days.” God has spoken in His Son for He is the God who declares Himself. He has declared His character and gracious heart in His self-revelation in Christ. Have we grasped the amazing fact that when we are listening to Christ, we are listening to God Himself? Christ Jesus is the prophetic voice to the Church. He is the last and final word from heaven, the beloved one, our treasure, our way, our truth and our life. All scripture points to Him; indeed the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). And that’s the Gospel Truth Miles Miles McKee Minister of the Gospel
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:41:06 +0000
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