In what way was Jesus mighty in deed and word?
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| Prophet Elijah, Russian Orthodox icon from first quarter of 18-th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
A prophet speaks for another. Throughout redemptive history, God called prophets to speak to His people. Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, and others proclaimed judgment to the rebellious, comfort to the penitent, and promises to the children of God. In every instance, the prophets spoke by God’s authority, not according to their own wisdom. They served as God’s mouth-pieces.
God communicates to the prophet, and the prophet in turn proclaims the message to the people. God said that Jeremiah would be His mouth as he spoke to the nation (Jer. 15:19). A prophet, therefore, always speaks in the name of God (Deut. 18:18–19). Unlike a teacher who expounds on the Word of God, but who is not given direct revelation himself, a prophet is inspired by God. Anyone who receives direct revelation from God is a prophet. That revelation comprises instruction, blessings and curses, and predictions concerning future events. Because the canon of the Scripture is complete, we no longer have prophets in this sense.
We find many prophets in the Old Testament—Moses, Ezekiel, Elijah. Like them, the Messiah was expected to proclaim the mind of God to man. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He proclaimed that the word He spoke was not His own but His Father’s (John 14:24). Luke confirms this prophetic role: “Jesus of Nazareth who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word …” (Luke 24:19).
In eternity past, Christ executed His prophetic office as the eternal Word. He embodied knowledge and truth. In Him dwelt all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. In early redemptive history, He served as the ultimate Prophet, making known His knowledge through prophets who spoke His Word. During His life on earth, He exercised His office by proclaiming woes and blessings, and giving instruction about the kingdom. And since His Ascension into heaven, He performs the duties of His office through Scripture and the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the truth of the Bible in the hearts of people whom the Father has loved from before the world.
Because Christ is the Word of God, we must not resist His Word. If we follow God, then we must follow the words of His Son.
Read the passage for today. How did Christ act as a prophet to His disciples in this passage? What standard did Christ use for truth? What was the response of the disciples? How about yours? Try this before you read the Bible: Pray along with Christ, “Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).
