Overview of the Work of Christ

Question 1

What is the basis for seeing Christ’s work in terms of the threefold office?

Answer 1

• Covenantal framework within Scripture
o Person: Covenantal-Lord and covenantal partner 🡪 truly God and truly man
o Work: mediate the covenant between God and man 🡪 Christ as mediator
o Calvin’s Christology of Christ as mediator
o Only the Mediator alone can help fallen man
o Christ becomes man to fulfill the office of Mediator
o Unions of two natures of the mediator in one person
o Threefold office of Christ

• Jesus as eternal mediator, made manifest in flesh in time
o Heresy: Christ is not eternal mediator, only after incarnation
o OT does have a mediator: active as prophet, priest, and king
o Jesus as eternal mediator

• Biblical basis of Jesus in threefold office
o Even Jesus might not claim for himself these offices, neither he denied any attribution
o God appointed him to this threefold office

• Threefold office, rather than three offices
o Christ’s activities involve all offices
o e.g. proclamation of law  prophet, but also show authority of king

Question 2

How is Jesus’ prophetic/kingly/priestly work seen?

Answer 2

Prophetic: revelation, incarnation

Kingly: ruler, sustainer, provider, redeemer, eschatological king

Priestly: intercession, atonement

Note – No single activity of Christ can or should be exclusively restricted to one office

Question 3

How is Jesus humiliation and exaltation seen?

Answer 3

Humiliation: incarnation, obedience, death, descent

Exaltation: resurrection, ascension