As promised in my last post...I'm back at it with Calvin's Institutes.
Chapter 15 of Book 2 describes Jesus’ threefold offices.
1. This God-man, our Redeemer perfectly executes the offices of Prophet, King, and Priest to secure redemption.
2. The prophet of Israel spoke of the coming true and eternal Prophet. [Is 55:4; 9:6; 28:29; Jer 32:19; Heb 1:1-2; Ps 74:9; Dan 9:24]
3. Jesus Christ the perfect Prophet proclaimed perfect truth. “The perfect doctrine He has brought has made an and to all prophecies....the prophetic dignity in Christ leads us to know that in the sum of doctrine as He has given it to us, all parts of perfect wisdom are contained” (Pg., 496).
4. Jesus the Mediator is also King. This Kingship is real, yet spiritual in nature. Therefore it is eternal and victorious. Christ’s kingdom is the church and “God surely promises here that through the hand of His Son He will be the eternal protector and defender of His church......Whenever we hear of Christ as armed with eternal power, let us remember that the perpetuity of the church is secure in this protection” (Pg., 497).
5. As Christ is King over his kingdom so is he king over his people. This means that he blesses us spiritually. He rules us “more for our own sake than for His” (Pg., 498).
6. What are these blessings? (1) Eternal salvation. (2) “Courage to stand unconquerable against all the assaults of spiritual enemies” (Pg., 498). (3) Victory over the world, flesh, and devil. (4) Spiritual hopes and Joys. (5) Eternal communion with the King Himself. [Rom 14:17] See the middle paragraph on page 499.
7. Christ is a sovereign King (1 Cor 8:6; Phil 2:9-11), and “believers stand unconquered through the strength of their King, and His spiritual riches abound in them. Hence they are justly called Christians” (Pg., 500).
8. Jesus the Mediator is also our great High Priest. He was and is great and high, because he was both Priest and sacrifice. He offered himself up to God. “The priestly office belongs to Christ alone because by the sacrifice of His death He blotted out our own guilt and made satisfaction for our sins [Heb 9:22]” (Pg., 502).
9. His sacrificial work was offered once and is not an eternal activity, but his priestly intercessory work is eternal. Not only is he our satisfaction and reconciliation before God; but he is now and forever receiving us as “his companions” in his priestly work. In other words, we through him are priests before God.
10. “For we who are defiled in ourselves, yet are priests in Him, offer ourselves and our all to God, and freely enter the heavenly sanctuary that the sacrifices of prayers and praise that we bring may be acceptable and sweet-smelling before God” (Pg., 502).
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