Jesus: Priest Prophet King

Main Idea: Jesus meets our greatest needs when we recognize him as our Priest, Prophet, and King

Many of you are familiar with the name Adolf Hitler I assume? Now how many of you know how he rose to power? Let me tell you a little bit about his rise to power.

In 1918 Germany had just finished a world war that they had lost. It was a complete embarrassment to the nation of Germany.

He began his ascent to power as a young man by first joining the German army in 1914.

Then after the war in 1919 he joined a political party called the workers party and by 1921 he became the leader of the party renaming it the National Socialist German Workers Party.

Between 1921 and 1930 his political party would rise in rank in the nation of Germany and by 1933 Hitler himself become chancellor of Germany and makes himself dictator.

Then in 1934 hitler became more than chancellor he became both chancellor and president

Hitler’s ability to rise to power was his promise to make Germany respected and well-off again. But in the end hitler’s rise to power led the detriment to the people of Germany.

Though this was the case for the citizens of Germany this is not the case for those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God.

In fact because Jesus holds the three primary offices in the Old Testament and because he does Jesus meets our greatest needs.

So tonight we are going to look at the beauty of Jesus as Priest, Prophet, and King!

Before we do I want to briefly explain what were the roles of the priests, prophets, and kings of the old testament.

Priest: The role of priests in the Old Testament was to act as mediators between God and humans. Priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of people for the pardon of sins.

Prophet: Prophets speak on behalf of the Lord. They say what God is saying and prophesy what is to come.

King: In the Old Testament, the monarchy was established for the peace, prosperity, and welfare of the nation.

Luke 4:1-41 Jesus our Priest Prophet & King RECEIVE HIS MINISTRY

Jesus as our High Priest (Vs. 1-13)

Luke 4 includes two very well-known passages of Scripture often appealed to by various sections of the Christian church.

The first is the temptation in the wilderness. Which follows the identity of Jesus being revealed (Luke 3:22) and the genealogy of Jesus found in chapter (Luke 3:23-38.)

Which leaves off with the significant words “Son of God”. Luke 3:38

The main issue that at stake in the wilderness is the identity of Jesus. Satan essentially is testing is this really the son of God because the last son of God I was able to have my way with!

The immediate context of this temptation harks back to others who were previously called “son of God.” Adam receives mention in Luke 3:38.

You will recall Satan’s temptation of Adam in the garden, where Adam failed the test. Now Jesus is presented to us as the second Adam.

The passage also reminds us of Hosea 11:1-3 where God calls Israel his son.

Hosea 11:1-2 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

2  The more they were called,

the more they went away;

they kept sacrificing to the Baals

and burning offerings to idols.

Israel, too, failed to be God’s perfect son, and their wilderness temptation lurks in the background of Luke 4 as well.

But here we are finally presented with God’s true Son and the true Israel, which is Christ.

The Temptations

First, the devil tempts Jesus with provision. Verse 3: “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

But Jesus quotes from Israel’s wilderness wanderings in Deuteronomy 8:3: “It is written: ‘Man must not live on bread alone’” (v. 4). Matthew adds, “but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (4:4).

Then Satan tempts Jesus with power. Verses 5-7: “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.”

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 “13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.” Satan attempts to put himself in the place of God but Jesus reserves worship alone for God.

Finally, Satan tempts Jesus with protection in verses 9-11. Satan himself now begins to use Scripture. He twists Psalm 91:11-12.

Satan turns God’s word into an occasion not to trust God but to test God. Jesus responds by quoting with Scripture in verse 12: “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God” (Deut 6:16). God is to be trusted, served, and worshiped. But he is not to be tested. Then Satan left Jesus until a later time.

Now, typically at this point in the exposition, teachers encourage Christians to face their temptations by standing on God’s Word. Preachers tell us if we hide God’s Word in our hearts we will not sin against God (Deut 11:18; Ps 119:11). They tell us we are to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4).

But no human boxing with Satan is likely to be as effective as Jesus in that fight. So resisting temptation cannot be merely a matter of “take two Bible verses and call me in the morning.”

We would need to know the word as well as Jesus knows it in order to do what Jesus does here.

It is probably not best to think of this as primarily a pattern for resisting temptation.

The question is: “Why is this text given to us?” Is it so that we may trust God’s Word or trust God’s Son? “Trust God’s Word” is a secondary application.

So Why? Application

Our primary application is “Jesus is God’s Son; trust him.”

The Lord endured temptation in our place. So in our temptation, we must flee to Christ!

He defeated our enemy. The Son stands in our place to defeat the temptation that often defeats us.

He does not do this to say, “Okay, now, that’s how you do it.” As Jesus endures this temptation, he becomes our Great High Priest.

Hebrews 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Verse 14 declares Jesus as Son of God

That’s what Hebrews 4:15 teaches us. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Right now Jesus reigns in the heavens as a priest who can “sympathize with our weaknesses” (v. 15) verse 15 makes verse 16 possible for us

so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (v. 16). Our Lord didn’t endure this so we would have a model to follow.

He did this so we would have mercy when falling. Christ delivers us. He stands in as priest for us, offering both a sacrifice and righteousness for us.

The ultimate issue here is whether Jesus is the Son of God. That’s why Satan keeps coming at him this way. Satan’s real aim is to destroy Jesus’s sonship so that he might destroy our salvation, for if Jesus were to fall in any of these temptations, he could not be the sinless sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.

This means that in our temptations our best strategy is to run to Jesus. He is our strength. He is our shield. He is our High Priest who prays and intercedes for us. He is our victory and our confidence.

However well we know the word of God, let us not begin to think we know it so well that we don’t need to first flee to Jesus, our High Priest who has overcome the tempter on our behalf.

So cling to the High Priest in your hour of need church!

Are you struggling with temptation tonight?

Are you struggling with sin tonight?

Are you feeling the lust of the world surrounding you tonight?

Run to the High Priest!

Jesus as our Prophet (Vs. 14-30)

Verses 14-15 tell us that Jesus was really popular. However, this isn’t the praise that goes along with true worship. This is worldly popularity.

This is where Jesus preaches his first recorded public sermon in Luke’s Gospel. It’s a dramatic scene. He stands to read. They hand him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus keeps unrolling it slowly, respectfully, until he gets down near the end of the scroll, what we would call Isaiah 61:1-2.

Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,”

Once Jesus reads this passage, he sits down, and everyone watches him. Can you feel the drama here? People lean in wondering, What will he say?

Isaiah 61 prophesies the coming Messiah who brings the salvation of God.

This is Jesus saying to us that the prophecy in Isaiah refers to his own life and ministry.

This is the ministry of the prophet Jesus would include hope for the

good news for the poor

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Jesus still saves today not just at salvation but everyday he is saving me from me.

sight to the blind

freedom to the oppressed

freedom to the captives

this is Jesus as our prophet and let me say he has not abandoned this office and he still functions in this ministry tonight!

Tonight he desires to heal people who are sick, spiritually blind, oppressed, captured, etc just as he did in 1st century Israel!

the one who has come into our broken world with the promise of rescue and deliverance. His promise comes to people while they are in their misery.

Jesus as our King (Vs. 31-41)

At Capernaum Jesus reveals something more about what it means for him to be the Son of God. Jesus repeatedly demonstrates that as the unique Son of God he has authority over all things.

In our text the Son of God is a King with authority in three domains.

Authority with his word (Luke 4:31-32)

Jesus no doubt was preaching the good news of Gospel that he was there to usher in the kingdom of God

Authority over demons (Luke 4:33-36)

Consider where this demon possessed man was. In the very house of God. There are people who enter in the house of God still being ruled by demons. The religious leaders couldn’t do anything but Jesus could

Authority over sickness (Luke 4:38-41)

Jesus is the Son of God he has power and authority

This text screams authority that Jesus has authority over all things!

It screams that Jesus is Christ and as such he is Lord over sickness and demons

Consider what happened when Jesus exercised his authority in Luke 4

people recieved the Gospel

people were delivered from demons

people were healed from sicknesses and infirmities

When Jesus exercises his authority it is not as a cruel king who builds his own kingdom while his citizens suffer.

He is not hitler but he is the life giving king

consider the Crucifixion of Jesus! Jesus ultimate display of authority

That was authority exercised! No man exercised authority over Jesus! He exercised his authority and sufferer gruesome death!

John 10:18 “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

skin peeled

thorns shoved into his head

nails in his nerves and hand

shoulders and wrist dislocated

breathing out of control

heart pounding to the point of exploding

pushing off nails to even get a breathe of air

Why?!!! why did Jesus exercise his authority for this?

So You and I could be his citizens in his kingdom. So we could benefit from his rule over our lives

This is why surrendering to Jesus as King isn’t some type of pain! It is life giving

John 10:10-11 “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus is the king who gives life abundantly so surrender to him gladly you and I will never regret it.

Application

Missing the ministry of Jesus (vs 21-27)

They think Jesus is a nice preacher, but they are too familiar with him. All they see is “Joseph’s son” (v. 22). They miss the very fulfillment of the Scripture and only see a hometown boy who has made good.

They are so familiar with Jesus that they miss his ministry.

Sometimes the familiar hides the fantastic.

That’s why most automobile accidents happen within a few blocks of the driver’s home. People are so familiar with the routine that they lose focus!

Becoming too familiar with “Jesus,” church, the Bible,

So they’ve become familiar, and they miss the ministry of Jesus. Don’t be too familiar with Jesus. Look hard. Listen long. Be certain you recognize him for who he is. He is someone who gets deeper the deeper you look.

I think Luke 4 compels us to consider if we’re like the people in the synagogue who miss Jesus. Perhaps you’ve been brought up in church the way they were raised in synagogue. You know the language of the church. You know the culture and the rituals. You know the routine, but you are not presently experiencing the ministry of Jesus in your life.

This is our Jesus my friends! This is our Priest, Prophet, and King

He is beautiful beyond description!

So let me ask you a few questions tonight

What temptations are commonly attacking you? and where are you going with them? I encourage you to run to you high Priest

What do you need saving from tonight? there is an anointed one here tonight to save you

are you captured by sin

are you oppressed by the enemy

are you in need of good news of a Savior

are you blind tonight

are you sick!

Is your life in dismay by your own doing our you in need of a King to lead you! if so come to Jesus

I Must say that tonight isn’t something I can tell you to do but It’s something I can plea, beg, cry for you to receive!

Receive him as Priest, Prophet, and King!

Come to alters if you need him in those ways tonight!