Don Stewart :: What Is Jesus' Ministry Today?

The New Testament records that Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection from the dead. Now that He is back with the Father in heaven, what is His present ministry?

Jesus' Ministry Has Three Aspects - Prophet, Priest, And King

The ministry of Jesus has three aspects. At His first coming He functioned as a prophet, one who represented God to the people. At His second coming Jesus will reign as King. Presently He functions as a priest, one who is a people's representative to God.

Today He Has The Job Of Priest

The priest represented the people to God and makes communion possible between God and humanity. The writer to the Hebrews declared.

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it (Hebrews 9:14-16).

He Is The Great High Priest

The Bible speaks of Jesus as being our great high priest. As our high priest, He is representing those who believe to the Father. He is the Mediator, the go-between.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and humankind, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

The writer to the Hebrews noted.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9:24).

Jesus speaks to the Father on behalf of believers.

The Need For A High Priest: God Is Unapproachable

The reason we need a high priest is because we cannot approach God on our own behalf. God's perfect nature cannot be approached by sinful humanity.

Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no human has seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:16).

Jesus Pleads The Case Of Believers Before God The Father

When we sin we need someone to plead the case to the Father on our behalf. We cannot do it ourselves. This is what Christ does for us.

My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1).

The Bible paints the picture of Christ in heaven pleading the case of the believers to the Father. When the Father forgives us of our sins it is because of the mediation of Christ.

The Father Hears Our Prayers Because Of Jesus

There is another purpose for Him being with the Father and that is to relate our prayers. The reason God the Father hears our prayers is because of the Son. He is our access to the Father. Without Him our prayers would not be heard.

Furthermore, as long as believers are in the world, Jesus will intercede on their behalf.

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who will come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

He is there as long as we need Him in that particular ministry.

The Scripture says that Christ is presently in heaven. He speaks to God on our behalf. Apart from Him we would have no spokesman. His interceding allows our prayers to be answered and our sins forgiven. His ministry will continue on our behalf as long as it is necessary. Whatever needs we might have are related to the Father by the high priestly ministry of Jesus. This is what He is presently doing on our behalf.