Christ’s Offices – Some Lessons Thomas Boston

1. How great and glorious is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was suited to bear all these offices at once – as Prophet, Priest and King – and to exercise them at once, so that one does not clash with another! He is glorious indeed in whom all the glory scattered amongst the typical persons is perfectly centred. If it was an honour for Melchizedec to be both a priest and a king and for David to be both a king and a prophet, how much more glorious it is for our divine Mediator to be a Prophet, a Priest and a King, really possessed of these offices and exercising them in their full extent, in a more effective manner than any person that was ever invested with any of them!

2. Let this commend Christ to you as a full and a suitable Saviour. There is no situation a poor sinner can be in, but he will find the remedy in these offices of Christ. Are you, sinner, under spiritual darkness and ignorance? There is knowledge and instruction to be had from Him. He is the light of the world and can give you understanding to know Him that is true; He can give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself. Are you under guilt and condemnation, laden with sin that is likely to sink you to hell? There is righteousness in Him as a Priest to remove your guilt. He is the atonement and propitiation for sin. He saves from sin and wrath. Are you a slave to sin and Satan? He is a King, who came to destroy the works of the devil; He can break the dominion of sin in you, knock off your fetters, and subdue all your spiritual enemies.

3. You cannot take Christ as a Redeemer if you do not take Him in all His offices. He offers Himself to sinners in no other way. And what God has joined together let no man put asunder. Many pretend to take Christ as a Saviour to save them from hell and wrath, but do not hearken to Him as a Prophet to teach them the saving knowledge of God; nor do they submit to His laws. How many call Christ their Lord and yet do not the things that He says! O the folly of the world that reject Christ’s teaching, saying, “Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways”! O the stupidity of those who despise Christ as a Priest and think of recommending themselves to God’s favour by their works of righteousness, which they substitute for His righteousness! O the madness of those who contemn Christ as a King, refusing to submit to His royal authority and spurn His laws and government! And how foolish are the princes of the earth that will not suffer Christ to reign freely in their dominions but encroach on His authority and make laws inconsistent with His!

4. Do you receive Christ in all His offices, giving up yourselves (1) to be taught by Him as a Prophet in all things relating to your salvation, renouncing your own knowledge and wisdom; (2) to be justified by His righteousness, and washed in His blood, renouncing all your own righteousness as filthy rags, saying, In the Lord alone have I righteousness; and counting all things but loss and dung that you may win Christ and be found in Him, not having your own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God by faith; and (3) to be guided and governed by Him as your sovereign Lord and King, yielding a hearty and cheerful obedience to all His laws and commandments and saying, “Other lords besides Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name”?

5. Make use of this mighty Redeemer in all His offices, which as Mediator He exercises for the benefit of the ruined race of mankind. You have absolute need of Him in all these offices. You are foolish and stand in need of His wisdom to guide you; you are ignorant both of yourselves and of God; and so you require saving knowledge and instruction. You are guilty, condemned sinners – indeed daily offenders – and so stand in need of continual pardon. You are weak, having no strength to combat your spiritual adversaries; so you require the exertion of His mighty power as King of kings to enable you to stand against your adversaries. If you knew yourselves, and were exercised to godliness, you would see the absolute necessity for all Christ’s offices that you might be saved, and you would every day bless God for such a complete and all-sufficient Redeemer. O make use of Him daily in all His glorious offices; honour Him by making use of Him as your Prophet, Priest and King.

1Taken, with editing, from Boston’s Works, vol 1.