Jesus' job description

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King.

Jesus is a prophet. The job description for prophet is this: listen to what God says and then repeat His words to the people on earth. This is what Jesus did during His years walking among us—He spoke God’s words. He told us of the LORD’s great love for humanity. He warned us how much God hates evil—behavior that includes telling lies, stealing, breaking promises, being abusive, ignoring the law, taking God for granted, or acting as if He doesn’t exist. And Jesus made sure His words were preserved in the Bible, so people of every generation can know the truth of things.

Jesus is also a priest. The job description for priest is this: offer sacrifices to God on behalf of sinners so they can be forgiven. This is what Jesus did on the cross for us. The simple truth is this: everyone is a sinner. We all anger God with evil thoughts, cruel words, and wicked behavior. We deserve His punishment and nothing else. But God loves us despite our sinfulness, so He sent His Son to serve as priest. Jesus offered Himself as the greatest sacrifice of all time, giving His life as the payment for our transgressions. Christ accepted the punishment we deserved, sparing us from hell by the shedding of His holy blood. Because of this, we can be forgiven and be welcome in heaven when we die.

And Jesus is a king. The job description of king is this: rule and protect the people under your charge. This is what Jesus does for us every day. After dying to pay for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven. God the Father honored Christ’s work by giving Him full authority over everything created. Jesus is our king, the one who rules and protects us. He rules us through our hearts, teaching us to love His law and helping us to obey it. He protects us from our great enemy the devil, who would like nothing better than to lure us away from God and trap us in lies, degradation, and eternal misery.

Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King. Show Him the respect He deserves, and your life will be the better for it.