The Prophetic Ministry Of Jesus

from The Patmos Paper E-magazine

Jesus is Prophet, Priest and King. Much has been written about the Priesthood ministry of Jesus. He was Our high priest and became our sacrifice. He came to save that which was lost and His death, burial and resurrection are the central redemptive theme of the work of Christ. The priesthood aspect involves sacrifice and intercession. He is our mediator who prayed for us on earth (John 17:20) but even in heaven... “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25

Much has been written about the Kingship ministry of Christ. We worship Him as King. We preach the kingdom of God is at hand. We call him King of Kings and laud him above all rulers, principalities and dominions. Jesus when asked by Pilate if he was a King replied: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world”.

But little has been written about the Prophetic Ministry of Jesus. Jesus operated as a prophet under the old testament and until his resurrection it was under this mantle that most people saw him. Yes he was a great teacher and thus called Rabbi or Raboni by many but Jesus miracles don’t fall under his teaching ministry.

Miracles, a Sign of a Prophet

Jesus was a doer not just a teacher and he went about doing good and healing those who were oppressed by the devil. Many of his signs and wonders attested to the prophetic ministry of Jesus. Just as many signs, wonders and miracles were done by the old testament prophets so we see Jesus doing the same. Elijah rased the dead as Jesus did. Elisha defies the law of nature and causes an axe head to float on water. Jesus defies nature and walks on water. Moses turned poisonous waters to drinkable waters. Jesus turns water into wine. Jeroboam”s hand becomes withered when he tries to seize a prophet. Jesus heals the withered hand of a man and makes him whole. Elijah causes oil and meal to multiply for a widow and Jesus multiplies fish and bread. Elisha healed Naaman from leprosy and Jesus healed the leper. The point is that a prophet often demonstrated the power and presence of God by performing miracle and Jesus did the same to confirm his prophetic ministry

Moses called Jesus a Prophet :

Moses spoke of the Prophet to come referring to Jesus.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly [when the law was given], when you said, "Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. And the LORD said to me, "They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, [God said] and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:15–118).

Moses appeared with Jesus at the The Mount of Transfiguration where God’s voice spoke from heaven the same commands of Moses :

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matt. 17:5).

“Listen to Him!”; the same words spoken in Deuteronomy 18 by Moses confirming by God himself that this was the Prophet that was to come.

He would be the ultimate Prophet through whom God would make Himself known to His people through prophetic word and deeds!

After Pentecost, in the book of Acts. Peter is preaching, and he quotes Deuteronomy 18. You’ll find this in Acts 3:18 he says, in essence: “Moses was talking about Jesus!”

The People called Jesus a Prophet:

After the feeding of the 5,000, The people knew it was a sign that Jesus was a prophet sent from God.

“When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” John 6:14

When Jesus raised the dead son of the widow of Nain the bible says,

“And they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” (Luke 7:16)

When Jesus came riding on a colt into the city of Jerusalem which is often called the triumphal entry as the multitude where crying out Hosanna, they recognized him as the great prophet and many knew he was Messiah:

“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ John 21:10-13

Jesus displayed his prophetic authority as one who drives out wickedness from his temple as a prophet often rebukes sin and calls his people into holiness.

On one occasion after speaking in the temple:

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them... ...On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” John 7:37-41

The woman at the well obviously saw Jesus not only as a prophet but The Prophet as Jesus told her about her adulterous life and yet offered grace.

“Sir I perceive thou art a prophet.” John 4:19)

She said! Jesus did not deny it. Then she left and went to tell all the men of the city.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

The religious leaders also were looking for “The Prophet “ and thought that John the Baptist was him but John denied being the messiah or prophet but pointed later to Jesus as the Messiah.

“Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levities to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

What is the Work of a Prophet

On the road to Emmaus, when Jesus met the two disciples who at first did not recognize Him, they asked Him if He was only a stranger since He did not seem to know of the things that had been happening in the city. When He said, “What things?” they said,

“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.” Lk. 24:19

A prophet’s work is action and utterance. “In word and deed means he speaks for God and displays the works of God. We have spoken of signs, wonders and miracles. This is the Work of God. But a prophet also speaks for God. Often we think this is foretelling and indeed that is part of it bur mostly it is forth telling, speaking Gods word forth whether it applies to the past present or future. Jesus who was and is and is to come (past, present and future) knows all things so often spoke prophetically to all three realms. We already mentioned the woman at the well and how Jesus knew her past.

One of the first prophetic words of Jesus was in the calling of Nathaniel.

“Philip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the man that Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathaniel said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip answered, “Come and see.” As Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him, he said, “Here is truly an Israelite. There is nothing false in him.” Nathaniel asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip told you about me.” Then Nathaniel said to Jesus, “Teacher, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus said to Nathaniel, “Do you believe simply because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?“

Nathaniel was a bit skeptic when Philip told him of Jesus. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? But when Jesus saw him and complimented him on his character Nathaniel was puzzled and said “Do you know me?” Jesus had an interesting answer and said:

“I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip told you about me.”

Often an old testament prophet saw things as they were occurring or soon after. Nathan saw the sin of David and Bathsheeba. Elisha saw the plans of the King of Aram against the king of Israel. When he wondered How the King of Israel knew his troop movements one of his men said:

“The prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” (See 2 Kings 6:8-23)

Jesus knew the Samaritan woman’s past and Nathaniel present but he also knows the future.

Jesus prophecies Peter and Johns fate. (John 21:18- 23)

Jesus prophesied the persecution and martyrdom of saints. (John 16:2 Matt 10:17)

Jesus prophecies end times and last days. (Matt. 24,Mark 13, Luke 21)

Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and temple (Mark 13:1-4)

The Book of revelation is full of the prophetic revelations of Christ. The prophetic spirit is actually the spirit of Christ.

“...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Rev. 9:10

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son . Heb 1:-2

Jesus was more than a prophet but was Messiah. Messiah comes from the Hebrew word mashiach and means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” The Greek equivalent is the word Christos or, in English, Christ.)

The threefold office of Prophet priest and King is the depiction of the Messianic office. The very first thing Jesus did was claim this Messianic anointing when he started his ministry and read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1–3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The prophetic Spirit of Christ still speaks today; still preaches good news, still heals, still does wonders and miracles and is still mighty in word and in deed!