A Prophet in the Home
Men's Breakfast this Saturday, November 14th. Register Here
Why are you called a Christian?
To answer the 32nd question of the Heidelberg Catechism, we first must ask and answer Question 31:
Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?
A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit[1] to be our chief prophet and teacher[2] who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance;[3] our only high priest[4] who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body,[5] and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;[6] and our eternal king[7] who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.[8]
In summary, Christ fulfills the threefold office of Prophet, Priest and King, so what does it mean that we are called “Christians” or “little Christs”?
Q. But why are you called a Christian?
A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ[1] and so I share in his anointing.[2] I am anointed to confess his name,[3] to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks,[4] to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life,[5] and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.[6]
While Christ perfectly fulfills these three offices, those who belong to him by faith share in his anointing. Because we belong to Christ, we are called to confess his name (prophet), present ourselves as living sacrifices of thanksgiving (priest), and fight against sin and the devil as we await the day when we will reign with him (king). Over the next few weeks, we will explore each of these offices, looking first at how Christ serves us and then at how our participation in his anointing shapes the way we serve our families.
Christ our Chief Prophet
The job of an Old Testament prophet was to bring the word of God to the people to make him known. Jesus himself was the very Word of God from the beginning that became flesh and dwelt among us. Why? Because “no one has ever seen God” and for his glory and our good, “he has made him known” (John 1:18).
In Hebrews 1, it says God formerly spoke to man through the prophets, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Why? Because “he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.”
Simply, God is made known through the person, work, and word of Jesus. And because Christ has made God known to us, we are now called to make him known to others. We share in his prophetic anointing not by bringing a new word from God, but by faithfully confessing and proclaiming the Word he has already given us.
Prophets in the Home
Every Christian is called to confess the name of Christ and make him known to others. But for those of us who are husbands and fathers, that calling begins with the people God has entrusted to our care. So first, we must consider whether we are faithfully making him known within our own homes.
From Deuteronomy 6 we receive the charge, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
In Ephesians 5, we learn that we are to love our wives as Christ loved the church whom he cleansed by the washing of water with his word. Then in Chapter 6, fathers are specifically charged with bringing their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In Psalm 1, the man is blessed who meditates on the word of God day and night.
His Word is clear. Because we belong to Christ and bear his name, we are called to be men of his word. It is to be on our minds, hearts and lips as we sit, walk and lie down. We should be diligent to learn it, not merely for our sake, but to teach it diligently to those whom God has entrusted to us.
Getting Started
So, are you faithfully bringing the word of God to your family?
If the answer is no, my encouragement to you is to start and to start small. It can look something like this:
“Honey/Kids/Family, I need the Word of God to renew my heart and my mind. To shape my life. To know and love Him more. I need Jesus. Will you come with me as I seek him through reading his Word?”
You could start by reading the Gospel of John together out loud. You can simply read and pray and be done. Or add in discussion by asking: What does this reveal about God? What does this reveal about us? What is God asking us to believe or do?
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to lead your family in the word. You simply need to be a man who knows his need for Christ and faithfully invites his family to know him too.
Join us this Saturday, November 14th for our Men’s Breakfast for further teaching and encouragement on Leading Yourself and Your Family in the Word.
REGISTER HERE
Resources:
How to Lead Your Family by Joel Beeke
Family Worship by Donald Whitney
Heidelberg Catechism Q31 References:
1 Luke 3:21-22; 4:14-19 (Isa. 61:1); Heb. 1:9 (Ps. 45:7)
2 Acts 3:22 (Deut. 18:15)
3 John 1:18; 15:15
4 Heb. 7:17 (Ps. 110:4)
5 Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14
6 Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24
7 Matt. 21:5 (Zech. 9:9)
8 Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:28; Rev. 12:10-11
Heidelberg Catechism Q32 References:
1 1 Cor. 12:12-27
2 Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28); 1 John 2:27
3 Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 13:15
4 Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9
5 Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:18-19
6 Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 2:12