Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King

At times, born-again believers need to speak for God, to help others learn to worship Him, and to lead them into practically walking with the Father.  Those three jobs are similar to what an Old Testament prophet, priest, and king would do. God prophetically foretold that the coming Messiah would be a prophet like Moses, a priest like Melchizedek, and a king like David. Jesus Christ was all three!

Deuteronomy 5:1; 18:15,18:
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

Psalms 110:1-4:
The Lord [Jehovah, God] said unto my Lord [adon, the Messiah], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Genesis 49:10:
The sceptre [kingship] shall not depart from Judah [including David], nor a lawgiver [ruler] from between his feet, until Shiloh [the one who brings peace] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

II Samuel 7:12,16:
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

Jesus Christ Fulfilled These Prophecies

Jesus Christ fulfilled Deuteronomy 18:15,18. He was that prophet like unto Moses.

John 6:14:
Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

Act 3:22-26:
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Jesus Christ fulfilled Psalms 110:1-4. He was a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Mark 12:35,36:
And Jesus answered and said…
For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Hebrews 5:5-10:
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Jesus Christ fulfilled Genesis 49:10 and II Samuel 7:12,16. He was a king from the line of David, established forever.

Matthew 1:1:
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Luke 1:31-33:
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Other scriptures prophesying of the Messiah as king include Numbers 23:21; I Kings 8:25; Psalms 132:11; Jeremiah 33:17; Psalms 89:3,4; Micah 5:2.

A Voice from Heaven

Jesus Christ was shown to be a prophet, priest, and king by his Father, who declared him so. God spoke from heaven to declare this about His Son.

Matthew 3:11,17:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Jesus Christ was a prophet who would baptize with the holy spirit and with fire. He would call God’s people back to Him. The Father declared that He was pleased in what His Son would do.

Matthew 17:5:
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Here Jesus Christ is transfigured and anointed as the high priest. God anointed Jesus Christ with holy spirit and power (Acts 10:38). The Father again speaks from heaven about His Son.

John 12:13,28:
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

This is Jesus Christ’s first entry into Jerusalem. He is declared to be the king of Israel. The Father speaks from heaven, saying he has glorified His name in the work of His Son.

Jesus Christ “Greater Than” Any Other Prophet, Priest, or King

Matthew 12:41:
The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Here Jesus Christ says that he is greater than the Prophet Jonah. Jesus Christ’s preaching would bring the greatest repentance unto salvation available.

Matthew 12:5,6:
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Here Jesus Christ says that he is greater than the Temple. Jesus pointed out that the Old Testament scriptures allowed priests to carry out Temple rituals without breaking the Sabbath. Yet Jesus Christ would carry out the greatest priestly duties as “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Matthew 12:42:
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Here Jesus Christ says that he is greater than King Solomon. The greatness and magnitude of Solomon’s kingdom brought others, like the Queen of Sheba, to see him. Jesus Christ is the greatest king of all, bringing all nations unto him.

I Timothy 6:14,15:
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Anointing Prophets, Priests, and Kings

In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed.

 Elijah was to anoint Elisha as prophet.

I Kings 19:16:
…and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

 Moses anointed Aaron as high priest.

Leviticus 8:12:
And he [Moses] poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

Samuel anointed David as king.

I Samuel 16:1,3,13:
And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren….

Elijah was to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria and Jehu to be king over Israel.

I Kings 19:15,16:
And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel….

Jesus Christ was anointed by God.

Acts 4:26,27:
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed….

Acts 10:38:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Prophet, Priest, and King: First Prophecies and Abraham

Abraham is the first prophet mentioned in God’s Word.

Genesis 20:7:
Now therefore restore the man [Abraham] his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Regarding Abraham, Melchizedek is the first priest mentioned in God’s Word.

Genesis 14:18:
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

Regarding Abraham, his grandson, Judah, relates to the first prophecy of the Messiah as king mentioned in God’s Word.

Genesis 49:10:
The sceptre [kingship] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Jesus Christ was of the seed of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1:
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Galatians 3:16 says, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Living with Christ in You

We are not literally prophets, priest, and kings like those in Old Testament times. However, God has called each of us to speak for Him, to show others how to worship Him, and to lead others into walking with the Father. Jesus Christ showed us how to do this, and we have “Christ in” us (Colossians 1:27). Enjoy each day as the Father opens doors for you to speak, show, and lead for Him!