How is Christ our Prophet, Priest, and King? with Jonty Rhodes
Today we get to hear from Jonty Rhodes, who lives across the pond in the UK where he serves as the minister of Christ Church Central Leeds. Jonty has spent the last ten years planting churches in England and is the author of Man of Sorrows and Covenants Made Simple. Today we’re talking about Christ as prophet, priest, and king. I know you’ll walk away from this conversation with a better understanding of what Christ did for us and what he’s doing for us even now!
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
As Christians, we rightly talk a lot about the cross, but why is it important to view all the events of Christ’s life as part of his saving work?
In your book Man of Sorrows you write that "The cross is Christ's pulpit and throne as well as altar." Can you expound on that a bit more?
How does the cross relate to Jesus as prophet, priest, and king? Can you explain those offices to our listeners?
Where do we see the themes of prophet, priest, and king throughout the storyline of Scripture and how do they point to Christ?
What are the two states of Christ? Can you explain those a bit?
Of all the offices, which one is the most likely we'll miss?
Why is Christ's priestly office significant?
How is Christ, our redeemer, our prophet, priest, and king not only in his humiliation, but also in his exaltation? What is his ongoing work of exaltation?
How does thinking in these categories help us better understand who Christ is and what he did for us?
How do the offices of Christ impact our everyday lives?
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“Jesus is the Messiah… Messiah means Christ, and they both mean ‘Anointed One.’ So why is Jesus called Christ or Messiah?”
“When you look to the Old Testament, see who are the anointed ones. There are three categories of people: the prophets, the priests, and the kings. And their ministry always begins when they are anointed with oil, as a symbol that these would be God’s representatives called to their particular role.”
“Even just in Jesus’ name [Jesus Christ] we are being given this huge clue that he is going to come as a king, as a priest, and as a prophet. And really everything he does comes out of that identity and those roles.”
“Scripture is infinitely deep; it’s the Word of an infinite God.”
“Don’t worry about trying to find everything [in Scripture] every time. Just read it and read it and read it. It’s a real book, and more and more comes.”
“We are rightly keen to keep the cross central… Christ’s sacrificial death is priestly. Essentially the cross is an altar. Christ offers himself for our sins. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, just as the lambs in the Old Testament were sacrificed for sin.”
“The cross is the place where, as Jesus says constantly in John’s gospel, he is lifted up. On the cross his glory is seen. On the cross he conquers. That’s what kings would do in the Old Testament—they conquer and defend their people. Well who is Christ conquering at the cross? He’s conquering Satan. Paul will say in Colossians that it was on the cross that Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities. It’s at the cross, Paul says, that God in Christ triumphed over them, humiliated them, put them to shame.”
“The written record of our debt is ripped up at the cross. It is cancelled.”
“As Christ pays our debt and bears the wrath of God for our sin, he is simultaneously taking away the devil’s weapon against us.”
“The devil loves to accuse and say, ‘Not you. Not after what you’ve done. God would never have you. You could never be forgiven.’ But actually I look to the cross and I see that Satan has had all his weapons torn from his hands, because that guilt—which is true, I am guilty—has been paid for, ripped up.”
“So in that sense the cross is the throne, the place of Christ’s conquering and being shown to be the supreme King. And also his prophetic work; the cross is Christ’s pulpit, where he preached to us most clearly of the love of God.”
“You want to see the love of God, where do you look? You look to the cross.”
“The cross has so much to say to us.”
“We often ask ‘What has Christ done for you.’ But consider, what is Christ doing for you now as prophet, priest, and king?”
“It is Jesus who is actively speaking to us through the Scriptures.”
“It is he who is always at work in us and through us and to us. It’s he who leads us in worship.”
“Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore he’s existed eternally as the Son of God. No beginning and no end. He has the one nature of God.”
“It’s really helped me to see Jesus as active in all of these ways.”
“I need you, Jesus, to help me see. It’s not that you just died for me and I can do the learning on my own with a bit of help from the Spirit. No, you need to teach me. I need you as King to conquer the sin in my heart, to conquer Satan and protect me from him.”
RESOURCES
Man of Sorrows, by Jonty Rhodes
A Pocket Guide to Jesus Christ, by Mark Jones
The Heart of Christ in Heaven Toward Sinners, by Thomas Goodwin
Covenants Made Simple, by Jonty Rhodes
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How does Christ’s office of prophet affect you personally?
How does Christ’s office of priest affect you personally?
How does Christ’s office of king affect you personally?
How does understanding who Jesus is and what he has done lead you to worship? How might you take a moment to worship him even now?
What are you going to do or implement as a result of what you’ve learned this week?
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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