Zechariah 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne… There are three. 1. The office of a prophet. He builds the Church by the Word of the Gospel, which it is His work to promulgate as a prophet. 2. The office of a priest. To expiate the sins of His people, to purchase peace for them, and to manage their cause with God. 3. That of a king: for He has a throne, which denotes His kingly office. He is "a priest upon His throne," denoting the reward of His sufferings. In Him the glory of all these offices is to meet. The text affords foundation for the following doctrine — Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of prophet, priest, and king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation. I. THE VERITY OR REALITY OF THESE OFFICES IN CHRIST. 1. From plain scripture testimony. (1) To His having or being possessed of these offices. (2) To His executing these offices. 2. From His name Christ, or Messiah, the anointed one. The unction signified — (1) His being set apart to the mediatory work. (2) His being fully furnished with gifts and qualifications suitable to these offices, in respect of His human nature, to which the Spirit was given, not by measure, but in fulness. II. THE NECESSITY OF HIS EXERCISING THESE OFFICES. This will be clear if we — 1. Consider our misery by sin, ignorance, guilt, and bondage. We were ignorant of the way of returning to God again; and therefore Christ as our prophet must teach us; our priest must make atonement for us; our king must bring us back again, leading captivity captive. 2. Consider the salvation which the elect were to be made partakers of. 3. Consider Christ as mediator of the covenant, who behoved to deal with both parties, in order to bring them together. 4. Consider the work of conversion; what the soul needs. 5. Consider our daily necessities. 6. Consider the promises, which are the stay and staff of the Christian's life, without which they could never bear up. III. WHEN DID CHRIST EXECUTE THESE OFFICES? As He was the Redeemer of the Church in all ages so did He execute these offices in all ages of the Church. But more especially after His incarnation, and that in His twofold state of humiliation and exaltation. These three offices are not to be divided, especially when they are executed in a way that is effectual for the salvation of the subjects thereof. Wherever He executes one of these offices in a saving way, He executes them all. Inferences — 1. How great and glorious is our Lord Jesus Christ, who was meet to bear all these offices at once, and exercise them at once, so as one does not mar or clash with another! 2. Let this commend Christ to you as a full and a suitable Saviour. 3. You cannot take Christ as a Redeemer, if you take Him not in all His offices. 4. Employ this mighty Redeemer in all the offices wherewith He is invested, and which, as mediator, He exercises for the benefit of the ruined race of mankind. (T. Boston, D. D.). Parallel Verses KJV: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. |
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