Why does the Bible refer to Jesus as a prophet?

[Sky_River]

Deuteronomy 18:18.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

Most Christian websites and theologians believe this verse is referring to Jesus. But Jesus is not a prophet in Christianity like he is in Islam. He is God incarnate in the flesh. He is the Angel of the Lord mentioned in the OT. Colossians says that Jesus is the fullness of God.

Unless Deuteronomy 18:18 is referring to a different person, why does God refer to himself as a prophet?

 

[Pilgrim_333]

Firstly, Christianity and its understanding of Christ and the New and Eternal Covenant antedate Islam and its flawed understanding of Christ as but one in a series of Prophets. The Apostolic Faith recognizes in Christ the fulfillment of the threefold vocation of the Messiah, for He is anointed to fulfill and unite, to the glory of the Father, the offices of Priest, Prophet and King. In Luke 4 Jesus announces His prophetic message: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” A Prophet is one who speaks for God, bears witness to the power of God and calls the people to conversion. Furthermore, in Luke 4:24 Jesus refers to Himself as a prophet.
As Prophet Jesus points the Children of Israel and all Nations to the Father and in doing so, He points to Himself (“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” and “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father”)
Through Faith and Baptism by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, by whom the Father anointed the Son, the People of God enter into Christ and participate in the threefold majesty of priest, prophet and king (cf. CCC 783).
The error lies with those who see in Jesus a prophet and nothing more or a priest and nothing more or a king and nothing more. We must accept the whole Jesus which the Gospels attest to, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church proclaims and the Spirit bears witness to. This Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

 

[adrian_charles]

God has three roles as a Prophet to spred the word into the world as a king to guid us people and Prist to heal us

 

[hansard]

In Matthew 24, for example, he speaks in rather unequivocal language about the events of the “end times”.

 

[Dorothy]

Jesus is the most excellent Prophet, being God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

The Word made flesh.

 

[Neofight]

Deuteronomy 18:18.

Unless Deuteronomy 18:18 is referring to a different person, why does God refer to himself as a prophet?

Thank God for the Doctors of the Church!

When I get stuck on the meaning of a verse, I’ve often found a good answer in the writing of the Fathers.

Here’s what St. Augustin says in his Tractates on the Gospel of John, that clears it up:

***The Lord is a prophet, and the Lord is the Word of God, and no prophet prophesies without the Word of God; the Word of God is with the prophets and the Word of God is a prophet. Earlier times were granted the prophets inspired and filled with the Word of God; we have been granted the Word of God himself as the prophet. But Christ, the Lord of the prophets, [is] a prophet in the same way as Christ, the Lord of angels, [is] an angel. For he himself also was called an angel of great counsel. But even so, what does the prophet say elsewhere? That not as a legate nor as an angel, but he himself, coming, will save them, that is, for saving them he will not send a legate, he will not send an angel, but he himself will come. Who will come? The angel himself. Assuredly not through an angel, except that he is an angel just as he is also Lord of the angels. For in Latin angels are messengers (nuntii).

If Christ were to announce nothing, he would not be called an angel; if he were to prophesy nothing, he would not be called a prophet. He has urged us to faith and to the attainment of eternal life. He announced something present and predicted something future. From the fact that he announced a present thing, he was an angel; from the fact that he announced a future thing, he was a prophet. And from the fact that the Word of God was made flesh, he was the Lord of both angels and the prophets.***

Hope this helps you as much as it helped me!

 

[Sky_River]

Jesus is the most excellent Prophet, being God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

The Word made flesh.

What does the Bible mean what it says that Jesus was the fullness of God? Somebody told me that that verse means that Jesus was also the Father and the Holy Spirit incarnate, but that doesnt make any sense, because of the fact that the Bible doesnt say the Father and Holy Spirit died on the cross, and Jesus refereed to the Father as being separate from him.

 

[surritter]

A prophet is a messenger from God. Jesus is THE Prophet – he is God in the flesh, come to deliver the message personally. There is no contradiction; just a fuller sense of the word.

 

[Dorothy]

What does the Bible mean what it says that Jesus was the fullness of God? Somebody told me that that verse means that Jesus was also the Father and the Holy Spirit incarnate, but that doesnt make any sense, because of the fact that the Bible doesnt say the Father and Holy Spirit died on the cross, and Jesus refereed to the Father as being separate from him.

Three Persons, One God …Blessed Trinity

First Person, Second Person, Third Person.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Each one is God.

God is Infinite, we are finite. Our limited understanding cannot penetrate the depth of this Truth.

 

[porthos11]

It’s also one of the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet and king.

Jesus is indeed a prophet; in fact, he possesses the fullness and perfection of the prophetic office.

 

[porthos11]

What does the Bible mean what it says that Jesus was the fullness of God? Somebody told me that that verse means that Jesus was also the Father and the Holy Spirit incarnate, but that doesnt make any sense, because of the fact that the Bible doesnt say the Father and Holy Spirit died on the cross, and Jesus refereed to the Father as being separate from him.

This is a heresy called Modalism, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are said to be different “modes” of the same Person. But orthodoxy teaches us that (cf. Athanasian Creed):

The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. But they are not three Gods but one God.

The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father. The Father is neither created nor begotten. The Son is not created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit neither created nor begotten, but proceeding. There is one Father, not three Fathers, one Son, not three Sons, and one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

When the Bible says the Jesus is the fullness of God (i.e. fullness of divinity), it means just that: Jesus is fully, 100% God. But other verses clearly state that Jesus is not the Father (to whom he prays separately and speaks of as the one who sends him and to whom he returns), and neither is he the Holy Spirit (Jesus speaks of “sending” the Spirit, and John the Baptist sees the Spirit descend on Jesus).

Only the Son was made incarnate.

 

[WilT]

Firstly, Christianity and its understanding of Christ and the New and Eternal Covenant antedate Islam and its flawed understanding of Christ as but one in a series of Prophets. The Apostolic Faith recognizes in Christ the fulfillment of the threefold vocation of the Messiah, for He is anointed to fulfill and unite, to the glory of the Father, the offices of Priest, Prophet and King. In Luke 4 Jesus announces His prophetic message: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” A Prophet is one who speaks for God, bears witness to the power of God and calls the people to conversion. Furthermore, in Luke 4:24 Jesus refers to Himself as a prophet.
As Prophet Jesus points the Children of Israel and all Nations to the Father and in doing so, He points to Himself (“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” and “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father”)
Through Faith and Baptism by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, by whom the Father anointed the Son, the People of God enter into Christ and participate in the threefold majesty of priest, prophet and king (cf. CCC 783).
The error lies with those who see in Jesus a prophet and nothing more or a priest and nothing more or a king and nothing more. We must accept the whole Jesus which the Gospels attest to, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church proclaims and the Spirit bears witness to. This Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

 

[WilT]

I agree with many posters, Jesus is the most perfect Priest, Prophet, and King in which God was pleased.

New American Standard (NAS) New International Version (NIV)
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
MT 17;5

 

[Sky_River]

It**'s also one of the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet and king.**

Jesus is indeed a prophet; in fact, he possesses the fullness and perfection of the prophetic office.

In which part of the Bible does Jesus serve as a priest?

 

[TypesAndShadows]

In which part of the Bible does Jesus serve as a priest?

Hebrews 7 is the most unambiguous statement of Christ’s eternal priesthood, but I would say he served as a priest at the Last Supper when he offered himself as the Sacrifice, if you wanted to pin it to an event.

 

[PJM]

=Sky River;12435574]Deuteronomy 18:18.

Most Christian websites and theologians believe this verse is referring to Jesus. But Jesus is not a prophet in Christianity like he is in Islam. He is God incarnate in the flesh. He is the Angel of the Lord mentioned in the OT. Colossians says that Jesus is the fullness of God.

Unless Deuteronomy 18:18 is referring to a different person, why does God refer to himself as a prophet?

In context the title also means “teacher”