Meredith has been going through the New Testament with her Bible class at PVCP.....recently she was assigned an essay - topic of her choice - on the epistle to the Hebrews. She chose to write on Jesus' superiority as prophet, priest and king. A huge topic. Leading to great conversations around our house for a week or so while the essay was crafted. Had to share it here. 1. It is biblically sound and well written. 2. It demonstrates the wonderful reality of our partnership with Christian educators...to see our children think critically about a a passage ( or book) of scripture and articulate what they glean from it. Almost makes me weepy! 3. It is so fitting for the week anticipating Easter when we celebrate Christ's superiority in its fullest!
It is a great read....enjoy!
Hebrews Displays Jesus’ Superiority as Prophet, Priest, and King
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author, most likely the Apostle Paul, encourages the Jewish believers to persevere in times of persecution. One of the many ways he does this is by explaining Christ’s superiority as a prophet, priest, and king. The prophet in the Old Testament brought the new word to God’s people; the priest taught the people and offered sacrifices; and the king led the people. Christ fulfills the office of the prophet by perfectly revealing God in all of his glory; he fulfills the office of the priest by laying down his life as the perfect sacrifice; and he fulfills the office of the king by sitting at the right hand of God the Father and ruling alongside him. Therefore, Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Testament offices with superiority.
Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Testament office of Kingship with superiority. The Jewish Christians who first received this letter were being tempted to renounce Christianity because of their persecution. Paul shows that Jesus fulfills and gathers to himself the office of king as in Israel and plants himself as the one true God. When God brought his firstborn Son into the world He said, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Hebrews 1:8-9). God proclaims Jesus’ kingdom as everlasting. Not one kingdom in the Old Testament or any other period of history has lasted forever; the only eternal kingdom is that of Christ. This kingdom will not only last forever but goodness and righteousness will rule over it; no other earthly kingdom in the past, present or future will have total goodness to rule over it because of the fallen nature of man. Although man’s corrupted nature prevents the world from living in complete submission to Christ, someday “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). Christ sits at the right hand of God and perfectly rules over his children. While Christ reigns he also executes the role of the prophet.
Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Testament office of Prophet with superiority. Jesus reveals God in all of his glory and splendor as Hebrews says in Chapter one verse three, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Christ completely makes known the glory of God; Christ is God incarnate. Without Jesus, man would have no idea or any glimpse of the glory of God. Man sees God in Christ through his person, work, his holy zeal, compassionate love, his heavenly words, and might saving works. Jesus better represents God than any of the prophets in the Old Testament. The prophets worked only as servants to the Lord while Christ represents God as his Son. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote, “the son is a manifestation of the father by being what he is. Thus our Lord himself, while here on earth, represented and manifested the name of God in a way that is incomparable and greater than all others, because he is the Son of God. ” Jesus not only represents God but he also exists as the exact imprint of His nature. His son Jesus takes on the “image of the invisible God” and there is a direct correspondence between what one sees in him and what is true about God. Furthermore, Jesus wields divine power because as God’s son he exists as fully God; and as the true and great and final prophet, he not only reveals God’s will but also establishes God’s will upon the earth. God sent a Savior, the true prophet, not only to point to salvation but to accomplish it as well.
Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Testament office of Priesthood with superiority. Man can listen to God, he can bow down to God, but man can never draw close to God’s presence because of his corrupt nature and sin. Jesus made atonement for man’s sins possible, which then lets man become accepted into the Lord’s presence. Jesus fulfills the priestly office in one true sacrifice that takes away man’s sins. This sacrifice only has to happen once unlike the Old Testament sacrifices. Hebrews one verse three says, “he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven”. The Old Testament temple had no seats in it. The priests offered sacrifices for their sins day and night without ceasing; but when Jesus shed his blood for man he sat down because no other sacrifice had to be made. The Old Testament priests represented God before man and their priestly apparel portrayed the righteousness of God before His people. Christ became man so he could bear the weight of sinful man on his shoulder and he took on human nature so that he could sympathize with man in their ignorance. The true high priest has garbed himself in his own righteousness, which he presents on man’s behalf, and he went out as man’s minister and representative offering his precious blood and divine life to offer himself as the only living sacrifice that would atone for man’s sins. In Old Testament a man became a priest because the law instructed that specific man to live as a priest. The law makes him a priest and as a priest he relies upon the law for his ministry. The Levites held their priesthood on the basis of an external code and the external code they would offer as their ministry. If man desired to become closer to God the only way an Old Testament priest could accomplish that is through the rituals and ceremonial law. In contrast, the New Testament priest, Jesus, rests his priesthood on his own indestructible life. Jesus made it possible to have a relationship with God through the shedding of his blood that fulfilled the law and he offers spiritual rebirth into eternal life. “The old covenant administered salvation thorough the outward commandment; the new administers salvation through the transforming power of life”. When Jesus died on the cross he fulfilled the old priesthood by accomplishing the full atonement. Rising from the dead and ascending to the right hand of God, he establishes a new and eternal priesthood that accomplished all that the old priesthood could not. Paul encourages the Jewish Christians by explaining that Jesus, as the Son of God and as our High Priest, has secured man’s salvation ahead of us.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, Paul, displays how Jesus Christ fulfills the Old Testament offices with superiority. God proclaims that Jesus has an eternal kingdom where goodness and righteousness rule. Although man’s corrupted nature prevents him from living in complete submission to Christ, someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus lives as the Lord Almighty. As a prophet, Jesus perfectly reveals God in all of his glory and without him man would have no idea of the glory of God. The son exists as the image of God proclaiming God’s will and establishing it on the earth. As a priest, Jesus fulfills the office when he makes one true sacrifice as an atonement of man’s sin. When Jesus died on the cross he fulfilled the old priesthood by accomplishing full atonement. Rising from the dead and ascending into heaven, he establishes a new and eternal priesthood that accomplishes all that the old priesthood could not.
Well done, Mimi!
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