Christ is Prophet, Priest and King

0:00Morning again to everyone. It's great to be back. And while it's always difficult to step away from the service for a week, it's comforting to know that the Lord has provided such incredible men and passionate preaching to care for you all. And may God continue to strengthen us. And may it be our prayer that the Lord sees fit to entrust us with more of his precious sheep to shepherd and protect. I told you last week that Hebrews, or not last week, last time, that Hebrews it may take a bit to get through. And I think you'll see that this week that at least I am being true to my word there. Two weeks ago we covered verses one and two of the first chapter as we introduced the supremacy of Christ, and this week we are going to be covering verses two and three. As we step back just a little in order to complete an exposition on the threefold ministry of Christ. This morning we expound upon in these two verses Christ's work as prophet, as priest, and as king. And I want us once again to bring back to mind just how difficult it would have been for these Jewish Christians to not only trust in Christ to begin with, but then to hold tightly to this faith that they had been given. All of their notions about the Messiah, and certainly the voices that were swirling from unbelieving Jews, was that the Messiah was supposed to be a king. And Jesus was just a poor carpenter from Nazareth. And the Messiah was supposed to be a great prophet, and we know Jesus' family. There was no prophets there. The Messiah was supposed to be, sorry, and look what happened to Jesus. He stirred up trouble. He was killed in the most brutal way possible. Like that man, no priest. Surely not. As we mentioned last time, the biblically approved rebuttal is to lean all the more into the person of Christ by showing that he is precisely all of those things. He is all of those things that he was supposed to be, and much more. But you have to see him on his terms and in his way, not your own. He is a king. He is the great prophet. And he's our final high priest, and then the author of Hebrews is going to spend a lot of time exploring these topics. And further, we know that in the high-stakes situations that the early Jewish Christians found themselves in, the comfort and direction that the Spirit gave them was by pouring over them the supremacy of Christ. And the reality that Christ is better than anything and everything else you could possibly trust in. For us now, we can have confidence that no matter how high the costs become to stay with Christ, the guidance is still the same. Christ is better. He's better than wealth or fame. He's better than earthly rule, temporary satisfaction. He's better than any temptation. He's better than your righteousness. He's better than any method, any politician, any policy, or any authority. Christ is better. So where should you turn in these trying and uncertain times? The author of Hebrew contends that we turn to Christ. Because he is not only better, but best. Right? And Lord willing, we will explore that more and hopefully how it is that we can actually do that. Right? I suppose it's one thing to say that Christ is better and to turn to him. It's quite another to show you how to do that. Again, with the word and God is our guide. I hope. Before we jump in to the text, let me turn there real quick. You can go ahead and turn to Hebrews chapter 1 if you want, if you haven't already. Before we jump in, though, I want to point out something interesting from these verses that one commentary I read noted. And it should not be considered a coincidence that in these two verses that we're going to read this morning, we're given seven statements about the supremacy of Christ. Seven statements about the supremacy of Christ. And each of those seven statements support one of the three offices Christ occupies. The perfect number, seven, supporting the threefold office of a triune God. This is what we get in these two verses. And again, I say no human could have ever written this grand work on his own. We know the Bible to be true, at least in part, because when we read it, we become so overwhelmed with the witness that surely this is a divine book. And for the sake of time, I'm going to point out those, each of those seven statements as we go through them. So let's read our text. Stand with me as we read Hebrews 1, verses 2 and 3. But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purifications for sin, sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This is the word of the Lord. Again, Lord, we thank you for this word. We ask, please speak for Christ's sake. It's in his name that I pray. Amen. Okay, the first two of these seven statements about the supremacy of Christ concern his office as king. The first of those is the second half of verse 2, which is Christ is the heir of all things. Christ is the heir of all things. And is established at this point, let me offer you a quote by Philip Hughes, and he says this quote, this is the ultimate purpose of our redemption. His inheritance is the innumerable company of the redeemed and the universe renewed by virtue of his triumphant work of reconciliation. Jesus Christ is the appointed heir of all things, the king of all things, and the all things here really includes all things. Everything. As Mr. Philip Hughes noted, Christ's kingship, his kingship is the purpose of our redemption. That the Lord, that he may, the Lord, may be the Lord over a redeemed people and over a renewed universe. So we may ask the question: why did God allow sin to enter the world? And Brother Stephen kind of hinted at this actually in Sunday school to some extent. Why did God allow sin to enter into the world in the first place? To that, our only biblical answer can be so that God in flesh, Jesus Christ, could be king over a people whom he has saved and redeemed, and Lord over a universe which he has fully renewed by his sacrificial work. And how glorious will that day be when our good King returns to claim his throne. And all the redeemed, along with the whole of the universe, the whole of the universe will join the chorus that has never ceased in heaven. Holy, holy, holy as the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. To say that Christ is the heir of all things is to say that he is the king of all things, and his throne is as secure and as eternal as any throne could ever be. And there are many reasons for this. But for our purposes this morning, his throne and dominion are so sure because he created all things. And that's our second statement about the supremacy of Christ. He is the creator of the world. And the world, here in context, to the author of context of the author of Hebrews point, doesn't just mean this large rock which we are all currently standing on. But the world means everything that is both in heaven and earth. All things, everything was created by Christ. So it stands to reason then that these two statements support Christ as king, because how can he not be the heir of all things when he created all things? A stronger case cannot be made that Christ is Lord than the fact that Christ created all things. And perhaps this is why so many soft evangelicals have gravitated towards this theistic evolution argument, saying that God only created the first molecules and then everything else has kind of evolved from there. Such a stance supplants Christ as Lord and puts evolution or natural selection in his place. Such a stance means that Christ has a lesser authority than he actually has, and that makes many people feel more comfortable. Because the alternative is that if Jesus knit you together in your mother's womb and carefully wove together every cell to make you exactly who you are, then such a person rightly deserves my worship and to be my king. If Christ has creational authority over every cell, then it can't be your body, your choice. You have no rights over even a single cell of creation because Christ has created all things. They are his. Everything is his and has an obligation to worship him as king, to obey him as Lord. Colossians 1, 16 to 17. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. I need to make sure that I am clear here that Christ is not only the king of heaven, but he's the king of the earth. And we do him a great disservice when we don't consider him as king presently over all things, which includes the earth. We mentioned last time the conversation between Jesus and Pilate, and Pilate asks him, Are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus replied, My kingdom is not of this world. And Richard Phillips asks the question then in response to that: Does this mean that while you have to respect earthly rulers, you can afford to ignore Jesus' kingdom since it's merely spiritual? And to that, James Boyce answers, Nothing is further from the truth. When we say that Christ's kingdom is not of this world, what we are really saying is that Christ's kingdom is of heaven and therefore has an even greater claim over us than do the earthly kingdoms we know so well. Over these is Christ. And we flout his kingship not merely at the peril of our fortune and our lives, but at the peril of our eternal souls. End quote. Christ is the heir of all things. Christ is the creator of all things. All things, earthly kingdoms, are by him, for him, and for his glory. We should delight in confessing along with Abraham Kuiper, quote, there is not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not declare mine. Christ is King. Christ is Lord of all. Okay, the next three statements about the supremacy pertain to him in the office of prophet. Okay? Office of prophet. And the first of those is that Christ is the radiance of the glory of God. Christ is the radiance of the glory of God. And that is to say that Christ perfectly reveals to man the glory of God. What prophet before Christ, or what prophet that could ever come after Christ, could ever hope to perfectly reflect the glory of God? In Christ we see the brilliant shining of the glory of God. And by the revelation of that glory, we are able to see everything else. I'm sure I've used this analogy before. In fact, I know I have. So forgive me, but C.S. Lewis says this. He says that he believes in God as he believes in the Son, not only because he can see it, but because by it he can see everything else. This is the perfect representation of Christ as the full and final prophet. He is the radiance of God's glory. And we know him. And we believe him not only because we can see him, but because of the reflecting glory of God in Christ, we see everything else. All our life, all our purpose, all our hope becomes visible when we are enlightened, enlightened by God's glory through Christ. So I ask again, as I mentioned last week, what else do you want? What else do you want? Does one who is standing in the noonday sun seek for a flashlight to light their way? Why does one who is standing in the overwhelming brilliance of God seek any other glory? 2 Corinthians 4, 6. For God who said, Let the light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. With a nod to creation there, Paul says that the one who gave light to darkness has shown that same light into our darkened hearts, in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son, S-U-I. And one day there will be no need for a Sun, because we will be forever illuminated by the brilliance of God's glory in Christ. Okay, the text also says that Christ is the exact imprint of his nature. And this is our fourth statement. Christ is the exact imprint of his nature, like a die that stamps a coin. Christ is the perfect representation of God. He images God like nothing else ever could. Colossians 1.15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. John 1.18. No one has ever seen God, the only God who is at the Father's side. He has made him known. Christ has made him known. John 14, 9. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? To say that Christ is a prophet is a statement that in and of itself is not sufficient. Christ is a prophet in the way no other prophet before him ever could be. He's flawless. He is the flawless, visible representation of God. We don't need to answer the question, where did we come from? Or who is God? These have been answered for us in the person of Christ. The fifth statement takes it even one step further by saying that Christ upholds the universe by the word of his power. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. Christ as prophet is not merely revealing God, right? He's not really speaking for God as the prophets before him did, but rather Christ is establishing God's will on earth and in the whole of the universe. All the prophets spoke of Christ. While Christ himself is speaking words not only about himself, but also words that are upholding the universe and establishing the Father's will. So Christ certainly is a prophet, but he is far more than that. For what prophet ever kept the entirety of the universe held together? The trillions of galaxies, the innumerable stars, every human, every species of bird, even every ant is held together by the prophetic word of Christ. Acts 17, 24 and 28. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything. Since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward and find him. Yet he is not actually far from each of us. In him we live and move and have our being. Every year the priests had to go through the ceremonial process of purifications of sin. But we know that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. So such a ceremony was just that ceremony. It was a foreshadowing of a greater purification that would actually take away our sins. So Christ is the superior priest because he fulfills the office of the priest by offering a sacrifice not once a year, but once for all time. He is the final priest because he presented himself, his perfect blood, as the full and final purification of. Of the sins of the people. We don't need a priest to offer forgiveness on our behalf because we have a great high priest who has already done that which no priest could ever do. He made purifications for our sins. He has forgiven them once for all time, never to be returned again to judge us or condemn us. This is the kind of priest I wish to follow. And we know all that to be true because the seventh and final statement, and that is that he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He sat down. Christ sat down and rested from his work. It is, of course, no coincidence that the seventh statement from our text corresponds with the seventh day of creation, which is rest. Rest symbolizes that the work is done. There is nothing more to do but wait for the day when Christ's kingdom will be inaugurated. And this doesn't mean that Christ is presently passive or that we should be just sitting there hoping everything turns out okay. Not at all. He did the work. He completed the purification and he sat down. And that, of course, speaks to his supremacy because, unlike any before him, his work was perfect. And his work was final. There is no more work to be done. There are no more rituals to be completed. There's no more priest to offer us forgiveness. He has done it. And he has sat down. All that is required is faith in the one who has already done it. Trust and surrender then to the better and final king. To the better and final prophet. To the better and final priest. And there is no salvation, no truth, no purification in any other but the supreme prophet, priest, and king, Jesus Christ our Lord. So a few points of application, and then we will close. First, Christ as king must give us confidence in the midst of unjust rulers. Christ as king must give us confidence in the midst of unjust rulers. This point has been appropriate through many ages and many times, but certainly still true today. We must not shrink back or be paralyzed with fear over foolish and unjust rulers because Christ is king. He is sitting on the throne. And despite how it may look from our times and from our perspective, Christ is still in full control of all things. Grasping hold of this truth is an act of faith, though. One commentator notes this. And we must be comforted amidst our trials and knowledge that one day soon he will come to manifest his kingdom over all creation, destroying his enemies with the rod of his might, and inviting his faithful servants to enter into the joy of his kingdom. As the writer of Hebrews points out in 2, 8 to 9, we'll get there, quoting in Psalms 8, at present we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. And this is the cause of our unbelief and our fear. But by faith we know that he is even now crowned with glory and honor. And someday soon every eye will see him, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Secondly, as Christ as prophet pushes us to lean solely on his word and none other. We can confidently refute or ignore all that contradicts the word of God because we can be assured that it is here. It is here where God has fully and finally spoken. The fullness of all prophecy and all revelation has been given to us in Christ, completed for us in the Holy Scriptures. There is no change in Him. Nor are there any amendments that are going to be added to His word. There is great comfort and assurance knowing where God stands with us and where we stand with Him. Okay, and finally, Christ as priest means that our sins have been forgiven and nothing more is needed. And further, we can be assured by this that we have direct access to God in Christ, our high priest who intercedes for us. This great high priest offering unlimited and unconditional intercession for us now also happens to be the final prophet and the high king of heaven and earth. This high priest who is offering unlimited and unconditional intercession for us also happens to be the final prophet and the high king of heaven and earth. A man whose throne sits atop all thrones, whose reign will never end. A man whose prophetic voice reveals perfectly the glory of God and whose power upholds all things. A man whose sacrifice has covered all our sins, past, past, present, and forevermore. What a privilege it is to know this man, to be saved by this man, to be called into the royal family by this man who is much more than a man. Far superior to man. He is God in flesh. Let us serve and worship the prophet, priest, and king. Amen. Let's pray. We thank you again, Lord, for revealing to us the supremacy of Christ, the offices that He has held for our benefit, Lord, and for His glory. Let us cling and bow down to Christ our King. Let us hear and honor Christ our prophet. Let us give thanks for the forgiveness of our sins by Christ our priest. We are so very grateful. Ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.