All Three Offices

\We often speak of Jesus in His three-fold work, holding and uniting in Himself the three great offices of the Old Testament system. 

The kings lead the people and headed the government. The priests were in charge of religious worship, practices, and sacrifices. The prophets revealed God’s word and called people to repentance and the ways of God. Jesus does all of these things for us because we need Him to. 

We need a king to lead and guide, to rule and constrain, to subdue and overcome out rebellion. We need one with a kind, yet persistent and consistent oversight of us all. 

We also need a priest who can intercede for us and mediate between us and in God in our sinful state of disobedience and alienation. He offers the very sacrifice of Himself since animal sacrifices can’t take away sins. 

We need a prophet who can enlighten and teach us, who can guide in the ways of God with both authority and clarity. 

We also need all those other jobs and roles Jesus that Jesus does for us too — as Emmanuel (God with us), the lamb of God, our shepherd, our bishop, our advocate, our mediator, our physician, the word. He is all of these and more, and we need Him in every way.