Offices and Ministries of Jesus Christ

OFFICES AND MINISTRIES OF JESUS CHRIST

By M. A. Erickson / 2008

1. CHRIST AS KING - to rule and reign in our hearts: Matt. 21:1-5 / Matt.27:11 / Rev. 17:14 / John 18:33-37 / Matt.25:31-4

A. General Characteristics of kings in Bible times: 1. They have final authority 2. They have their position for life. 3. Their word is law 4. They control the government and the military

B. Christ as King: 1. He comes to rule and reign in our hearts & lives! 2. He will rule as King, in the future: Rev.19:11-16 / I Cor.15:24-28 His return is certain. He is the soon coming King! 3. His kingly rule brings peace in the heart (Col.3:15). 4. When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," (Matt.6:10), we are asking for Christ to rule & reign in each situation. His kingdom is advanced through prayer. 5. Our response to the King of Kings is to obey Him, and to obey His Word!

2. CHRIST AS SHEPHERD - to lead us, guide us, and take care of us: John 10:10-18 / Psalm 23 / Rev. 7:16,17 / Mark 6:34 / Luke 15:3-7

A. Characteristics of a Shepherd: 1. They care for the sheep. 2. They lead the sheep to food and water. 3. They search for wandering sheep. 4. They protect the sheep from danger. 5. They provide everything needful, for the sheep to grow and reproduce.

B. Jesus as our Shepherd: 1. He leads us in the right path for our lives. 2. He leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls. 3. He feeds us and takes care of our spiritual needs. 4. He searches after us if we wander, to bring us back to Himself, and to the fold.

C. Gifts of the Spirit: Through the Word of Knowledge & Word of Wisdom (I Cor. 12:8), Christ our Shepherd can lead us and guide us in times when we need guidance. He can also use the discerning of spirits (I Cor. 12:10), to warn us of dangers.

3. CHRIST AS PROPHET: to speak God's Word to our hearts, to impart truth and guidance: Deut. 18:15-19 / Acts 3:22,23 / Luke 24:18,19 / Matt.21:10-13 / Luke 13:31-35 /

A. Characteristics of a prophet: 1. They were concerned about the heart attitudes of people, not just the outward actions. 2. They spoke the Word of the Lord to people, regardless of whether it was an easy word, or a hard word. 3. They often spoke of repentance: genuinely turning away from sin, and returning to God. 4. They revealed the mind and will of God to God's people. 5. They gave warnings of future judgment, as well as promises of future restoration. 6. They pointed to Christ, with prophecies of His coming.

B. Christ as Prophet: 1. He will speak the "Word of the Lord" to your heart, whether an encouraging word, or a convicting word. 2. He will reveal God's will to you. 3. At times He will give you insight regarding the future; at other times He will simply require you to trust Him regarding the future. 4. He will bring you a "fresh" Word from God, to speak to your heart. But you must have ears to hear!

C. Gifts of the Spirit: 1. Jesus will speak to the church and to individuals, through the gift of prophecy (I Cor. 12:10). Prophecy is given in the church, for "exhortation, edification, and comfort." (I Cor. 14:3). Rather than giving a platform for one person to give future direction to another person, prophecy should serve as a confirmation of what God is already doing in a person's life. 2. Regarding miracles: As the working of miracles was a characteristic of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, so the Lord Jesus is able to work miracles on behalf of His people (I Cor. 12:10).

4. CHRIST AS TEACHER: to impart truth, to teach "life lessons", to give understanding: Luke 6:40 / John 13:12-17 / Mark 8:31 / John 11:28,29 / John 3:1-3 / Matt. 23:8

A. Characteristics of a Teacher: 1. They gave understanding of God's Word. 2. They taught "Life Lessons" 3. They would demonstrate or give examples, of how the truth should be applied. 4. A "Rabbi" would be accompanied by his students, who would ask him questions, and glean truths and insights concerning real life situations.

B. Christ as Teacher: He will unfold truth to you, to give you understanding. He will teach you "Life Lessons." His purpose is to train you and disciple you, until you are like your teacher (Lu.6:40).

C. As Teacher, Jesus at times will give us Words of Knowledge or Words of Wisdom to teach us or guide us (I Cor. 12:8). These gifts of the Spirit can be given for guidance, or to show us how to minister to someone in need.

5. CHRIST AS SAVIOR: to rescue us from sin, and to save us from certain death: 1 John 4:14, 15 / Phil.3:20,21 / Acts 5:30-32 / Luke 2:9-11

A. The Person and Work of the Savior:

1. The Savior does what we could never do ourselves: He forgives our sin, rescues us from sin's penalty, and pulls us away from sin's control. 2. He rescues us from death (see Phil.3:20,21). 3. He brings salvation, to those who cannot deserve it or earn it: Titus 3:4-7.

B. Christ as Savior:

1. He is the only Savior; His death on the cross was the sacrifice He gave, to save us from the penalty and effects of our sins: Titus 2:11-14. 2. We are sent to testify concerning the Savior of the world: I John 4:14. 3. Our total dependence on Christ is revealed by the word, Savior. Our response is to put our complete faith in Him.

C. Gifts of the Spirit: At times, the gifts of the Spirit are means that God uses, to bring a person to Christ as Savior. A Word of Knowledge given by Jesus brought the woman at the well to believe in Him as the Christ (John 4:15-42). Gifts of healing also brought people to Christ (Acts 9:32-5).

6. CHRIST AS BAPTIZER IN THE SPIRIT: to fill, empower and immerse us in the Holy Spirit; to give us power for ministry, and power to walk in the Spirit: Matt.3:11 / John 1:29-33 / Acts 1:4,5 / Acts 2:1-4 / Acts 11:13-17 / Acts 2:32,33

A. The Office of Baptizer in the Holy Spirit: 1. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Spirit; He alone has power to impart the Spirit to people. 2. This Baptism of the Spirit gives us power to minister, power to be His witnesses, power to glorify God. (Acts 1:8). 3. We must ask for & seek this Baptism! (Luke 11:9-13).

B. This Baptism of the Spirit is available to all believers: Acts 2:38,39. 1. This Baptism of the Spirit is distinct from conversion - In Samaria, people had believed on Christ, and had been baptized in water, but had not yet received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:5-8, 12-18).

2. The common evidence we see in the book of Acts that people had received the baptism of the Spirit was speaking in other tongues: Acts 2: 1-4 / Acts 10:42-46, Acts 11:15-17, Acts 19:1-7. See also Mark 16:17. The result of the Baptism was increased power & anointing.

3. We are to seek Jesus, and at His feet to ask to be filled with the Spirit. We receive this gift by simple faith (Gal.3:13,14). We also need to ask daily, to be filled with the Spirit.

4. We receive the Holy Spirit when we are converted (John 3:5, Rom.8:9 ); but the Baptism of the Spirit is distinct from conversion. (Acts 1:4,5).

7. CHRIST AS HEALER: to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing into our lives: Luke 6:17-19 / Matt.8:16,17 / Isaiah 53:4-6 / Matt.15:30,31 / Hebrews 13:8 / Matt. 9:10-13

A. The Office of Healer: 1. Jesus demonstrated the healing love of God by healing those who were sick. He was moved with compassion, and healed people (Mark 1:40-42). 2. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is still healing people today! 3. As the Great Physician, His healing also includes the healing of souls through repentance and cleansing (Matt. 9:10-13). He heals the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3 / Luke 4:18).

B. In the Body of Christ, Jesus Christ heals people through gifts of the Spirit, particularly the gift of healing (I Cor. 12:9), and the working of miracles (I Cor. 12:10). 1. Healing is a sign that will follow those who believe (Mark 16:17,18). 2. We are encouraged to seek the gifts (I Cor. 14:1). 3. Healing is also included as a ministry of the church. We are to call the elders of the church to anoint with oil and pray for the sick to be healed (James 5:14-16).

C. The revelation of Christ as our Healer gives us a deep assurance that Christ wants us well. Wholeness comes from the presence of Christ! With our human limitations, we cannot understand why some are not healed. However, we are encouraged to seek the gift of healing, and to seek Christ the Healer. In eternity, all the children of God will enjoy complete and total healing (Rev. 21:3,4). "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!" (Matt.6:10).

8. CHRIST AS OUR HIGH PRIEST: to intercede for us; as the one who offered up the perfect sacrifice; Hebrews 7:23-28 / Hebrews 4:14-16 / Hebrews 10:19-23

A. The Priestly Office: The duties of the priest were to offer up the prescribed sacrifices, make intercession for the people, bless the people with the priestly blessing ( Num.6:22-27), and to represent the people before God.

B. Christ as our High Priest: 1. As our High Priest, Jesus represents us before God the Father. He intercedes for us and our needs (Heb. 7:24,25). He can sympathize with us, because He was tempted as a human being (Heb. 4:14-16). 2. As High Priest, He not only brought the sacrifice to be offered on the altar; His own body was the sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 7:26,27). 3. As the Risen Christ, He pronounced the priestly blessing over His people (Luke 24:50,51). His priesthood is eternal; He is a priest "after the order of Melchizedek" (Gen. 14:18-20, Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5:1-10, Hebrews 6:19-7:28).

C. Under Christ, we are called to be a part of the "priesthood of believers," (I Peter 2:4-9). We are called to offer up the incense of intercessor prayer. We are called to proclaim the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world. And we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices (I Peter 2:5).

9. CHRIST AS THE IMAGE OF GOD: to give the true representation of what God is like; to be the revelation of the very being of God; to reveal the Father to us - Col. 1:13-16, 2 Cor. 4:3-4, John 14:4-11

A. The Image of God: 1. God has an image, for human beings were created after His image - Genesis 1:26,27. Christ is the image after which we were created, as human beings. 2. Idols were condemned because man in his sinfulness was unable to produce an accurate image of God. 3. Only God Himself could reveal that image, and that image was Christ Himself.

B. Christ as the Image of God: 1. Christ as the image of God reflects the very nature and character of God. Christ is the image of the invisible God. 2. God made Himself real and knowable through Christ. Christ is the exact representation of His being (Heb.1:1-4). We can know God intimately and personally, through Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:3-6).

C. Human beings were made in God's image (Gen.1:26,27). However, sin came in and marred that image. When a person accepts Christ, the image of God is renewed (Col.3:9-11, 2 Cor. 3:17,18, Eph.4:22-24). That renewal is a process, however, of becoming more and more like Christ, through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. God's plan is that we will be like Christ throughout eternity (Rom. 8:28-9, I Jn. 3:2, I Cor. 15:49)

How Do We Respond?

In each of the offices of Christ, we can learn of Him and respond to Him, to come to know Him better. Our obedience to Him and our heart response will allow us to come into a greater depth of relationship with Him, as well as a deeper security in His love.

1. Christ as King: to rule and reign in our hearts: Luke 17:20,21, Eph.3:17

Our Response to Him: is to surrender to Christ; to allow Christ to reign in our heart; to let nothing else on the throne: Ezek.14:3/ Eph.3:16-17/ . Our response to the King of Kings is also to obey Him, and to obey His Word!

2. Christ as Shepherd: to lead us, to guide us, to feed and protect us: John 10:10-18 / Rev. 7:17 /

Our Response to Him: is to follow Him as Shepherd; to cry out to Him when in danger; to follow Him beside still waters; to listen for His voice: Psalm 23 / John 10:1-5

3. Christ as Prophet: to purify us and to bring us the "Word;" also, to give us vision: Deut.18:15-18 / Luke 7:16 / 2 Sam.7:17 / Isaiah 1:1

Our response to Him: is to humbly receive God's Word, turn to the Lord, and to turn away from the "flesh" and sin. 2 Chron.15:8 / Deut.18:18,19

4. Christ as Teacher: to teach and train us, and to reveal truth to us: Luke 6:40 / John 13:13,14 / John 14:26 / Matt.23:8

Our response to Him: is to be teachable, and open to His guidance and instruction; to be advisable, & quick to follow instructions. Psalm 86:11 / Psalm 143:10 / Psalm 27:11

5. Christ as Savior: to save us from the control & penalty of sin; to save us from death; to bring us to the new birth. Acts 5:31 / Titus 3:5,6 / Phil.3:20,21

Our Response to Him: we must turn from all known sin (repent), and receive the Savior by faith. We must transfer our complete trust to Christ, and put our trust in Him alone for eternal life: Jn 1:12 / Jn 3:16 / I Jn 4:14-5

6. Christ as Baptizer in the Holy Spirit: to baptize, fill, and empower us with the Spirit: Luke 3:16 / John 16:7 / Matt. 3:11

Our Response to Him: is to surrender to Christ, to draw near to Him, and to ask & believe, and receive the baptism of the Spirit. John 7:37,38 / Galatians 3:13,14 / Acts 2:38,39

7. Christ as Healer: to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing into our lives; to make us instruments of His healing: Lu.6:17-19 / Isaiah 53:4-6

Our Response to Him: is to touch Him by faith; to ask & seek for healing; and to pray for others to be healed; Matt. 9:20-22 / Matt. 7:7-11 / Mark 16:17,18

8. Christ as High Priest: to intercede for us, and as the one who atoned for our sins (He was both priest, & sacrifice): Heb. 7:24, 25 /

Our Response to Him: is to trust Him as our sacrifice, and as the one who makes intercession for us: Heb. 4:14-16 / Heb. 10:19-23

9. Christ as the Image of the Invisible God: to reveal to us what God is like: Colossians 1:15 / 2 Cor.4:4

Our Response to Him: is to trust Him, to trust His character, and to put our faith in Him regardless of our outward circumstances; to look to Jesus in faith: Psalm 73:28 / 2 Cor. 4:6 / Heb. 12:1,2

Copyright 2008 by M. A. Erickson / May be distributed, with correct attribution.