The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q23. What offices doth Christ excecute as our Redeemer?

A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king,
both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.[1]

Proofs

[1] Acts 3:21ם22; Deuteronomy 18:15–19; Hebrews 12:25; 2 Corinthians 13:3;
Hebrews 5:5–7; 7:24–25; Psalm 2:6; Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 21:5; Psalm 2:8–11.

Comments

In questions 20–22, we were presented with the good news that sinners may be saved. In the next six questions, we shall be examining the way in which Christ, our Redeemer, works out salvation for His people.

He does so, according to this question, by discharging the duties of His threefold office as Prophet, Priest and King, both while He was on earth (in His estate of humiliation) and currently, in heaven (in His estate of exaltation).

It is interesting that the three offices of Christ are presented both in the New and Old Testaments.

That Christ has the office of a Prophet is seen in Deuteronomy 18:15–19, where Moses prophesied that the LORD will raise up a Prophet “like unto me.” In the NT, in his sermon at Solomon’s Porch, Peter appealed to this prophecy as being fulfilled in Christ (Acts 3:22).

Similarly, Christ’s office of a Priest is prophesied in the messianic Psalm 110. In verse 4, David had written: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” In the NT, the author of Hebrews appeals to this verse (cf. Heb 5:6) to show how Christ could be a Priest to offer up Himself (Heb 7:27), when He was born in the tribe of Judah rather than Levi.

The kingship of Christ is not only prophesied in Isaiah 9:6–7, but also in the messianic Psalm 2:6–7, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.… Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” In the NT, the kingship of Christ is affirmed in numerous places, such as Matthew 21:5 and Revelation 17:14; 19:16.

Each of these offices will be discussed in the following comments; but briefly, as a Prophet, Christ delivers us from our misery of ignorance; as a Priest, He delivers us from our guilt; and as a King, He frees us from our bondage to Satan.