125 – Christ the Prophet
CHRIST THE PROPHET
§ 125. Christ is the promised Prophet 1 to mankind inasmuch as, being Himself the wisdom 2 and the truth 3 and having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,4 He in the days of His visible conversation on earth proclaimed unto man the will and counsel of God and the only true way of salvation,5 predicted future events,6 confirmed, by manifold miracles wrought in His own power, the divine authority of His doctrine,7 imbued with the Holy Ghost and commissioned as His infallible witnesses and messengers His holy apostles,8 charged all Christians to preach the Gospel unto every creature,9 gave the power of the keys and the sacraments to His church on earth,10 instituted the holy ministry,11 and still performs His prophetic office wherever in His name and by His order, publicly or in private, His truth and doctrine is preached and applied and His ordinances are administered.12
1. Christ is the promised Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:18 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.
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.
Matthew 17:5 This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
Ephesians 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Acts 3:22 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.
2. to mankind inasmuch as, being Himself the wisdom
Proverbs 8:12, 22, 31 I Wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. (22) The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. (31) Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.
3. and the truth
John 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.
4. and having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Isaiah 11:1–2 And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
Colossians 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I Corinthians 1:30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
5. He in the days of His visible conversation on earth proclaimed unto man the will and counsel of God and the only true way of salvation,
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:20:22 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (22) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
6. predicted future events
Luke 18:31-33 Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death: and the third day He shall rise again.
Matthew 21:2-3 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto Me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
Luke 21:5-35. (Christ foretells the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem and speaks of the signs which shall come before the last day.)
7. confirmed, by manifold miracles wrought in His own power, the divine authority of His doctrine,
Luke 7:14 And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.
John 10:25, 38 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. (38) But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
John 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not.
John 3:2 (Nicodemus said,) Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with Him.
Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.
8. imbued with the Holy Ghost and commissioned as His infallible witnesses and messengers His holy apostles,
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
John 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning.
Luke 24:48-49 And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
9. charged all Christians to preach the Gospel unto every creature,
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
10. gave the power of the keys and the sacraments to His church on earth,
John 20:21-23 As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Matthew 18:18-20 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
11. instituted the holy ministry,
II Corinthians 5:18, 20 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. See also the texts sub 12.
12. and still performs His prophetic office wherever in His name and by His order, publicly or in private, His truth and doctrine is preached and applied and His ordinances are administered.
Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
II Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.
I Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
I Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
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