Apr 12
30

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #24

Doctrinal Standard #24

Q. How is Christ a prophet?
A. As a prophet, Christ reveals the will of God to us for our salvation by His word and Spirit.

Memory Verses

“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, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV).

Scripture

Study Passage: John 1:1-5, 9-18
Support Passages: Deuteronomy 18:18-19; Daniel 9:24; John 14:18-24; Acts 3:11-26
Bible Story: Luke 24:13-35

Thoughts

The statement that Christ is a prophet has the potential of being easily misunderstood. Wayne Grudem in chapter 29 of his Systematic Theology book provides a great explanation on what it does and does not mean.
“Why did the New Testament epistles avoid calling Jesus a prophet? Apparently because, although Jesus is the prophet whom Moses predicted (Deuteronomy 18:18-19), yet he is also far greater than any of the Old Testament prophets, in two ways:”

“He is the one about whom the prophesies in the Old Testament were made. When Jesus spoke with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he took them through the entire Old Testament, showing how the prophecies pointed to him: ‘And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27)… The Old Testament prophets looked forward to Christ in what they wrote, and the New Testament apostles looked back to Christ and interpreted his life for the benefit of the church.”
“Jesus was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like all the other prophets), but was himself the source of revelation from God. Rather than saying as all the Old Testament prophets did, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ Jesus could begin divinely authoritative teaching with the amazing statement, ‘But I say unto you’ (Matt 5:22). The word of the Lord cam to the Old Testament prophets, but Jesus spoke on his own authority as the eternal Word of God (John 1:1) who perfectly revealed the Father to us (John 14:9; Heb 1:1-2).”
“In the broader sense of prophet, simply meaning one who reveals God to us and speaks to us the words of God, Christ is of course truly and fully a prophet. In fact, he is the one whom all the Old Testaments prophets prefigured in their speech and in their actions” [1]

Discussion Questions

What is a prophet?
What did prophets do in the Old Testament?
How is Jesus Christ a prophet like the prophets in the Old Testament?
How is Jesus not like the prophets of the Old Testament?
Explain how the Road to Emmaus account (Luke 24 does:13-35) teach us that Jesus is much more than a prophet?
What word does John 1:1-5, 9-18 use to refer to Jesus? Why?

[1] Grudem, Wayne (1994). Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; Zondervan Publishing House.

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