The Work of Jesus Christ

Text: John 4:34; Luke 19:10; Deut. 18:18, 19; Heb. 6:20; Rev. 5:5; Isa. 53:9-12; 61:1-3; 1John 2:2; Romans 3:10-20; Heb. 2:9

Theme: We believe the Lord Jesus is God’s Prophet, Priest, King and Savior. His redemptive work required His death.

Aims: I hope to deepen your convictions, fuel your worship, and enlarge your appreciation for the redemptive work of Christ. May God help each of us to respond appropriately to Jesus Christ as our Savior, Prophet, Priest, and King.

Relevance:

Why is the work of Jesus Christ so important?

 Much of the Lord Jesus’ life will remain a mystery if we don’t understand what He did and why He did it. If we don’t, many of His acts will be shrouded in mystery. He will remain a puzzle to us. We will not have as much personal trust in Him, as much appreciation for Him, or as much confidence in sharing Him with others as we could have.

If we don’t believe what Jesus accomplished, the consequences are numerous. We are at odds with the Bible, we deny either the need for salvation or the possibility of salvation, we lose all hope for guidance in this life and for life after death, and we have no encouraging words to share with others who are seeking the answers to life’s most difficult questions. (M. Anders)

Lesson:

I.                  The Offices of Jesus Christ—Why believe Jesus is the real Messiah?

These three offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King are the key to the purpose of the incarnation. His prophetic office was involved with the revealing of God’s message; the priestly office was related to His saving and intercessory work; His kingly office gave Him the right to reign over Israel and the entire earth. All the divine intention of these three historic offices was perfectly culminated in the Lord Jesus Christ. –Enns, Paul P.: The Moody Handbook of Theology

A.   The Lord Jesus is God’s Prophet—How can we be sure Jesus is God’s Prophet?

1.           Clear Declarations of Christ as God’s Prophet

                                                                   i.            As Prophet He satisfied what Moses predicted about the Messiah-Prophet (Deut. 18:15-19; Luke 24:19; 22:64; John 7:40; Matt. 13:57).

                                                                 ii.            As Prophet He represented God before humanity.

a.      He had hindsight. He knew the secrets of the past (Gen 1& 2; Matt. 19:1-6).

b.     He has insight. He knew the problems and needs of the present (Mark 2:5-12; John 2:23-25).

c.      He had foresight. He knew the secrets of the future (Matt 24 & 25).

                                                              iii.            As Prophet He was Anointed of God by the Spirit (Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:14-32; Matt. 3:16-17; Heb.1:9).

2.           Christ Fulfilled the Ministry of God’s Prophet

                                                                   i.            He Revealed God (Matt. 11:27; Jn. 1:18; 14:9; 17:6, 26; 1Jn. 5:20).

                                                                 ii.            He Declared God’s Word

a.      According to Peter (Acts 10:36-43)

b.     According to Matthew (Matt. 4:23-25)

                                                              iii.            He Performed Many Miracles (Acts 2:22; Mark 5—over demons, disease, death)

a.      Jesus performed miracles to validate the message of salvation He declared (Matt. 11:20-30). What is the validation for our message?

b.     Jesus did not purpose to heal everyone nor perform miracles for everyone. He did honor real faith wherever He found it (Matt. 8:5-13; 15:22-28). What does this imply for us?

c.      Jesus did perform miracles out of pure compassion and humanitarianism to glorify God (Matt. 15:29-39). What are the implications of this?

                                                               iv.            He Confronted Corrupt Religion

a.      Therefore, He required a righteousness that exceeded that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:17-20). What bearing does this have on authentic Christian expression?

b.     Therefore, He confronted the religious leaders misunderstanding of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-13). What are some ways we press biblical requirements to unbiblical expectations?

c.      Therefore, He confronted them for exalting human tradition over the truth of God (Matt. 15:1-20). What are some ways that American tradition is chocking the vitality, creativity, relevance, and power out of church ministry and preventing real growth?

d.     Therefore, He publicly denounced the religious elite as hypocrites (Matt. 23:1-39). Where do we see hypocrisy today? How should we confront hypocrisy today?

                                                                 v.            He Pointed People to a Saving Relationship with God (Luke 19:10)

a.      Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). How can we evangelize social outcasts effectively?

b.     Israel as a nation (Matt. 23:37-39). How can we undertake effective missions to the world?

c.      Nicodemus (Jn. 3). How can we win the religious person to Christ?

d.     Woman at the Well (Jn. 4). How can we launch an effective cross-culture evangelism strategy?

e.      How should we respond to Jesus Christ as God’s Prophet?

B.    The Lord Jesus is God’s Priest—What distinguishes Christ as God’s Priest?

The very existence of a priesthood and a system of sacrifices gave evidence that man is estranged from God. It was an act of grace on God’s part that He instituted the whole Levitical system. Today, that system is fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is both the sacrifice and the High Priest who ministers to God’s people because of His once-for-all offering on the cross.

1.           Clear Declarations of Christ as God’s Priest (Heb. 3:1-3; 4:14-16; 7:15-28)

See the Lord Jesus as your great High Priest and rely on Him to provide grace, understanding, empathy, and assistance. Turn to Christ when you are failing, when you feel guilty and ashamed because you have failed Him, or when you feel inadequate for the challenges before you.

2.           Christ is Uniquely Qualified as God’s Priest

                                                                   i.            Priests were chosen by God and consecrated to God (Numbers 16:5; Heb. 5:4; Lev. 21:6,7)

                                                                 ii.            Priests were men of God compassionately serving men of sin (Heb. 5:1-2).

                                                              iii.            Jesus Christ satisfied all the unique qualification of God’s Anointed Priest (Heb. 4:14).

a.      He was a Man (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:15)

b.     He was chosen by God (Heb. 5:4-6)

c.      He was consecrated by God (Heb. 7:26)

3.           Christ Performs the Ministry of God’s Priest

                                                                   i.            Christ ministry as Priest began at Calvary on the Cross and will end at His Second Coming.

                                                                 ii.            Christ offered Himself as the Sacrifice upon Calvary (Heb. 2:9; 10:10-14)

                                                              iii.            Christ prayed and made intercession for His people (Jn. 17; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25).

                                                               iv.            How should we respond to Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest? Because Jesus is both God and Man, He is an adequate link between us and the Father. So, the Scripture says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (v. 16). When we fail and are ashamed, or when we are overwhelmed and need help desperately, we need never draw back. Jesus, human like us, will understand. And Jesus, like the Father, can aid.

                                                                 v.            It is important, when we have heard the voice of God calling us to act, and still feel inadequate, that we turn to Jesus as High Priest and realize all that He is able to do for us. —Richards, Larry

C.   The Lord Jesus is God’s Potentate (King)—How can we be sure Christ is the coming King?

1.           The king is the individual who ruled for God.

2.           The King was to come from the Tribe of Judah and David’s family (Gen. 49:10; 2Sam 7:8-17; Ps. 89:3, 4). The Lord Jesus is wonderfully qualified (Matt. 1:1, 17; 1Tim. 6:13-16; Rev. 5:5; 17:14).

3.           The Lord Jesus will return to earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom and He will reign over the entire world from Jerusalem (Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 42:1; Matt. 24:23-51; Rev. 19:11-20:7).

4.           How should we respond to Jesus Christ as God’s King?

II.               The Death of Jesus Christ—Why believe Jesus’ death has redemptive value?

A.   The Awesome Nature of His Death—Did the Creator really die?

1.           It was the Meditation of the Old Testament Prophets (1Pet. 1:10, 11; Luke 24:25-27; Isa. 50:6; 53:4-7; Ps. 22:1, 6-8, 16-18).

2.           It was the Prediction of the Lord Jesus Himself (Matt. 17:22, 23; John 16:16, 17).

3.           It was the Conversation of the Prophets during a Special Visit from Heaven (Luke 9:28-31).

4.           It was the Consideration of the holy Angels (1Pet. 1:12; Eph. 3:10; Matt. 26:53). They watched their celestial Creator experience the horror of slaughter at the hands of wicked men. No doubt they were astonished, and outrage must have flooded their being.

5.           It is the Celebration and Grand Theme Songs of Heavenly Worship (Rev. 5:8-12).

6.           It is the Culmination of Ancient Bible Prophecy (Isa. 53:10-12; Luke 24:25-27; Matt. 26:52-56).

7.           Do you stand in awe of the death of Christ?

B.    The General Scope of His Death—For whom did Christ die?

1.           The Death of Jesus Christ was for the Entire World (Jn. 3:16; 1:29; 1Jn. 2:2; Titus 2:11; 2Pet. 2:1; 3:9; 1Tim. 2:6; 4:10).

2.           The Death of Jesus Christ is Effective for the Elect of God (Jn. 10:26-28; 17:9; 2Tim. 1:9, 10; Eph. 1:4).

3.           The Death of Jesus Christ was for Each Individual Person (Heb. 2:9). Everyone must repent and believe on Christ for a personal salvation experience. Salvation is not automatically bestowed on each person (John 3:14-18).

C.   The Significance of His Death—Why does Jesus’ death matter?

1.           Christ’s Death is Significant because it was Absolutely Necessary (Jn. 3:14-15; Luke 24:46; Acts 4:12).

                                                                   i.            The holiness of God required it (Prov. 15:9, 26; Ps. 7:11; Isa. 59:1, 2; Hab. 1:13; 1Jn. 2:2).

                                                                 ii.            The salvation of man required it (Heb. 9:22-28; 1Cor. 15:3).

2.           Christ’s Death is Significant because of Man’s Exceeding Sinful Condition (Rom. 1:18-32; 3:10-20; Eph. 2:1-5; Ps. 51:5; Gal. 5:19-21).

3.           Christ’s Death is Significant because of its very Nature (Rom. 3:24-26).

                                                                   i.            It was predestined and not an accident (Acts 2:23; 1Pet. 1:20).

                                                                 ii.            It was a sacrifice for all sin (1Cor. 5:7; Isa. 53:10; Heb. 9:14)

                                                              iii.            It was completely voluntary (John 10:17, 18; Heb. 10:5-7).

                                                               iv.            It was propitiatory. It satisfied the righteous demands of God’s holy and righteous nature as the payment for sin (Rom. 3:25; 1Jn. 4:10; 1Pet. 2:24; 3:18).

                                                                 v.            It was redemptive, a ransom (Matt. 20:28; 26:28; Gal. 3:13; 4:4, 5). Note the results of this satisfactory ransom payment to the justice of God (Rom. 8:1-2, 32; 6:18, 22; Jn. 8:32, 36; Gal. 5:1).

                                                               vi.            It was substitutionary (Isa. 53:6; 2Cor. 5:21; 1Pet. 2:24; 3:18).

                                                            vii.            It was a reconciliation (Rom. 5:10; 2Cor. 5:18, 19; Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:20).

4.           Christ’s Death is Significant because of its Results and Achievements.

                                                                   i.            Justification from sin was secured (Rom. 4:24, 25; 5:9).

                                                                 ii.            Reconciliation to God is realized (Rom. 5:10; 2Cor. 5:19).

                                                              iii.            Forgiveness of sin is enjoyed (Eph. 1:7; Col.1:14).

                                                               iv.            Condemnation has evaporated (Rom. 8:33, 34; Jn. 3:18; 5:24).

                                                                 v.            Cleansing from daily sins is provided (1Jn. 1:7, 9).

                                                               vi.            Enslavement to sin’s power is broken (Rom. 6:6).

                                                            vii.            Fear and Intimidation by death is Eliminated (Heb. 2:14, 15; Rom. 8:1-4; Phil. 1:21).

                                                         viii.            Victory over Satan was Established (Heb. 2:14; 1Jn. 3:8; 1Cor. 15:54-57; Rev. 12:9-11).

Conclusion:

As the little chorus goes, “He paid a debt He did not owe, we owed a debt we could not pay.” We have one hope: Forgiveness. And that hope lies in Jesus. No, His life was not meaningless. His was not the futile eruption of an overzealous optimist. He is God, who came to earth and became a man and died in our place. Because of that, we can know God and be with Him forever. How wonderful! What words can we use to say, “Thank You” to God? What can we do to show our appreciation? Giving back to Him the life we owe is the only measure complete enough.

Why do we need to know about the work of the Lord Jesus?

1. If we don’t understand what Jesus accomplished for us, we miss the very meaning of Christianity itself. We miss the very mind of God and intention of the Lord Jesus coming to earth. If we don’t understand that the central purpose in the Lord’s coming was to deliver us from our sin, we miss the whole message of the Bible. We may be blinded into thinking that Jesus was merely a good man who lived an exemplary life which we would do well to model.

2. Because we would have completely misunderstood the intention and strategy of God, we would be useless in helping others deal with the central problem in their lives. We would have a message of goodness to share, but so do many other people. What we need is a message of deliverance, and no one can deliver humanity except the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

3.  If we don’t believe the resurrection is true, then the Lord Jesus cannot be God. He is just another human. The Bible cannot be trusted, and there is no hope for life after death, for divine guidance, or for truth or morality in this life. Human history pivots on the resurrection. If it is true, there is hope: if it is not true, then there is no reason to hope for meaningful earthly existence or life after death.  (M. Anders)