Prophet Priest King
The coming of Immanuel and the season of Advent
Why I need a King | Week 3
December 18, 2022 • Bruce Stefanik, Jason Treadwell • Isaiah 9:6–7, Isaiah 9:2, Luke 1:26–33, John 19:19–21
If you read this passage in its context you see that Isaiah wrote these words in the midst of great national darkness. Kings and kingdoms were violent, corrupt, oppressive and ever changing. And then…Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. That dawning light he spoke of is a coming Messiah who would come and rule and reign as king like no other. The peace of the throne and the kingdom is said to depend upon the justice and righteousness of the king. The character of this king is described for us so that we might be persuaded to give up the fight and bow the knee before his rule. Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace; but God does not stop at just words. They take on human form and are born and live among us. The angels proclaimed it, the wise men searched for it, Pilate announced it, Jesus died under its banner. This is Jesus, King of the Jews.
Why I Need a Priest | Week 2
December 11, 2022 • Bruce Stefanik, Jason Treadwell • Matthew 1:19–23, Hebrews 4:14–16
Have you ever stood before a judge and felt small and powerless? In that moment it would be wonderful to have someone speak well of us to the judge on our behalf. When we think of the word priest today we usually think of someone in flowing robes leading some sort of religious function. But a priest in the true sense of the word was a mediator, or an intercessor who stood between God and man to make peace and bring reconciliation. If we weren’t lost we wouldn’t need a Savior and if we don’t need a Savior then we don’t need a Christmas. Jesus came into the world to make peace through the blood of the cross and to reconcile us back to God. Our great high priest Jesus graciously shared his righteousness with us though we did nothing to deserve it. Let us savor that idea this Advent.
Why I Need a Prophet | Week 1
December 4, 2022 • Jason Treadwell, Daniel Da Silva
In the Old Testament God dealt with his people through three different offices of man. The Prophet, Priest and King. The prophets were the advocates of God, bringing His words of exhortation and encouragement to the people in difficult times. The priests stood as advocates of the people before God, serving as mediators and intercessors, offering sacrifices of atonement for their sins. The king ruled God’s people in justice and power, governing, defending and providing. However, all three of those offices were just a foreshadow of what was to come. The fulfillment would be found perfectly in Jesus our Messiah. He is our role model and the one who we imitate in this present age. We will be taking a look at each of these roles individually in the next three Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve. My prayer is that in this season we would find in Him the perfect reason for our glad surrender to his Lordship.