The Power of Christ’s Threefold Office
Preaching the Whole Christ
Imagine sitting in a sermon, captivated by the story of Daniel in the lions’ den or the conviction of sin as you walk through the Ten Commandments. But just as you’re about to be left inspired or crushed, the preacher suddenly shifts gears and starts talking about “The Jesus bit.” It’s a familiar phenomenon, and one that can leave listeners feeling like they’re getting a formulaic presentation rather than a genuine exploration of the Bible.
But what if there was a way to preach the whole Christ, without reducing Him to a predictable formula? What if we could explore the full richness of His person and work, without neglecting the complexities of the human experience?
The Threefold Office of Christ
One key to unlocking this kind of preaching is to understand the threefold office of Christ: prophet, priest, and king. These three offices are not separate roles that Jesus plays, but rather different aspects of His single office as Messiah.
As prophet, Jesus speaks the word of God to us, revealing His character and will. As priest, He offers Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, making atonement for us. And as king, He rules over us with wisdom and justice, defending us from harm.
The Heidelberg Catechism puts it beautifully: “He has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher… our only high priest… and our eternal king.”
Exploring the Threefold Office
When we explore the threefold office of Christ, we begin to see how each aspect of His ministry informs and enriches the others. We see how His prophetic word reveals His priestly sacrifice, and how His kingly rule defends and establishes His people.
For example, in Matthew 12, Jesus claims to be greater than Jonah, greater than the temple, and greater than Solomon. He is explicitly called a prophet, priest, and king. And in the cross, we see all three offices on display: Jesus speaks the word of God to us, offers Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and conquers death and sin as our king.
Implications for Preaching
So what does this mean for preaching? It means that we need to move beyond formulaic presentations of “The Jesus bit” and instead explore the full richness of Christ’s threefold office. We need to show how each aspect of His ministry informs and enriches the others, and how He speaks to the complexities of the human experience.
We need to preach the whole Christ, and the whole cross. We need to show how Jesus not only pays our debts but speaks life to our withered souls. We need to explore how He not only makes us clean but also gives us sight and sets us free.
Conclusion
The threefold office of Christ is a rich and powerful framework for understanding His person and work. By exploring this framework, we can move beyond formulaic presentations and instead preach the whole Christ, in all His complexity and beauty.
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