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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll be encouraged to learn that Christ continues His work as our High Priest today and will return to reign as King.

Key Verse

Hebrews 7:25: Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Introduction

In the Old Testament, the Children of Israel were governed by three types of leaders who each had distinct roles. Prophets represented God to the people, speaking His word and revealing His will. Priests represented the people to God, offering sacrifices and interceding for them. Kings ruled as God’s representatives on earth, leading the nation with divine authority.

Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills all three of these roles for us. In our previous lessons, we saw that He was a Prophet sent from God during His earthly ministry, declaring the Father’s truth and revealing God’s heart to humanity. We also studied His redemptive work, discovering that Christ is our High Priest who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. In this lesson, we will continue to examine His ongoing priestly work for us in heaven, and we will also look forward to His future work as our King when He returns to establish His eternal kingdom.

Christ’s work didn’t end when He ascended to heaven. Right now, He continues to serve as our faithful High Priest, and one day He will return as the King of kings to reign forever. Understanding both His present and future ministry gives us great encouragement for our daily walk with Him and fills us with hope for what lies ahead.

Here are the main points we will study together in this lesson:

• Christ’s present work as our High Priest
• Christ’s future work as our King

Christ’s Present Work as Our High Priest

Jesus Christ has “passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14) and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. But His work for us didn’t stop when He entered glory. He continues His ministry on our behalf right now through three essential works that demonstrate His love and care for His people.

First, Christ fellowships with us. Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus made a wonderful promise to His disciples that would sustain them through every trial and challenge they would face.

Matthew 28:20: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

This is more than a comforting thought: it is a living reality! The apostle Paul understood this well. Paul experienced Christ’s presence in very personal ways throughout his ministry, especially during times of difficulty and danger.

Acts 18:9-10: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Even when Paul was abandoned by friends and facing death, he knew that Christ stood beside him and gave him strength.

2 Timothy 4:17: But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.

How can Christ be with us when He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven? The answer reveals the beautiful work of the Trinity in our lives. He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to minister His very presence to us. The Spirit exalts Christ and draws us into real communion with our Savior.

John 14:16, 18: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever… I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Through the Spirit’s ministry, we can experience genuine fellowship with Christ. This fellowship is so real that when believers gather together, Christ Himself is present among them in a special way.

Matthew 18:20: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

Second, Christ intercedes for us. He continues to serve as our mediator, representing us before the Father as our faithful High Priest. This is one of the most encouraging truths in all of Scripture.

1 Timothy 2:5: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

Unlike the Old Testament priests who eventually died and had to be replaced, Christ lives forever and continues His priestly service on our behalf.

Hebrews 7:24-25: But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

As our mediator, Christ intercedes for us especially when we face temptation. Because He experienced every kind of temptation we face—yet without sin—He understands our struggles and knows exactly how to help us.

Hebrews 2:18: Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus demonstrated this intercession even during His earthly ministry. When He knew that Peter would face severe testing, He prayed specifically for his disciple’s faith to endure.

Luke 22:31-32: Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

Even when we sin and feel distant from God, we have a faithful advocate who speaks on our behalf before the Father. (Notebook Moment: How does it encourage you to know that Christ is praying for you right now, especially when you’re struggling with temptation or dealing with the consequences of sin?)

1 John 2:1-2: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Third, Christ leads and equips His church. As the Head of the church, Christ continues to build and strengthen His people through the gifts and ministries He provides.

Ephesians 2:20-22: Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Christ has given specific gifts to the church to help believers grow and mature in their faith. These gifts work together to build up the entire body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-16: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Since Christ is the Head of the church, we must follow His example in all things. We must have the mind of Christ, demonstrating the same humility and gentleness that He showed during His earthly ministry.

Philippians 2:5: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

Matthew 11:29: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Most importantly, we should show the same sacrificial love to one another that Christ has shown to us.

John 15:12-13: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to give one’s life for one’s friends.

Christ’s Future Work as Our King

The Bible ends with the glorious promise that Christ’s work is not yet finished. The book of Revelation gives us detailed glimpses of what Christ will accomplish when He returns. His future ministry will demonstrate His absolute authority as King of kings and Lord of lords.

What are the main aspects of Christ’s future work?

• He will return for the church
• He will defeat His enemies
• He will judge the world
• He will reign in glory

First, Christ will return for the church. This is the blessed hope that sustains believers through every trial and difficulty we face in this world.

Matthew 24:30-31: Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples a personal promise about His return that applies to every believer.

John 14:3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

The apostle Paul described this glorious event in detail, showing us that Christ’s return will be visible, audible, and transformational for all believers.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

This hope should fill our hearts with anticipation and motivate us to live with eternal perspective. (Notebook Moment: How does the promise of Christ’s return change the way you view your current circumstances and daily priorities?)

Titus 2:13: while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Second, Christ will defeat His enemies. When He returns, He will execute righteous judgment upon all who have rejected His gospel and opposed His kingdom.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

The book of Revelation describes Christ’s victorious return as a conquering King who will defeat all rebellion against God’s authority.

Revelation 19:11-16: I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war… On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

Even Satan himself, the great deceiver who has caused so much suffering and evil in this world, will be completely defeated and banished forever.

Revelation 20:10: And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Third, Christ will judge the world in righteousness. God has appointed Jesus to be the judge of all humanity, both the living and the dead.

John 5:22, 27: Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son… And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

This judgment will be perfect and fair because Christ Himself lived on earth as a human being and understands our nature completely.

Acts 17:31: For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.

The final judgment will separate the righteous from the wicked for all eternity, and every person will give account for their response to Christ.

Revelation 20:11-15: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books… Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Fourth, Christ will reign in glory. After defeating all His enemies and judging the world, Christ will establish His eternal kingdom where He will rule in perfect righteousness forever.

1 Corinthians 15:25: For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The Old Testament prophets spoke repeatedly about this glorious kingdom that the Messiah would establish.

Psalm 2:6: I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.

In this eternal kingdom, Christ will rule with perfect justice and righteousness, bringing peace and blessing to all creation. The Old Testament kings we read about—even the best ones like David and Solomon—were imperfect pictures of the perfect King who was coming. They failed, they sinned, and their kingdoms eventually fell, but they pointed us forward to the King whose reign will never end.

Psalm 45:6-7: Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

The glory of Christ’s presence will illuminate the entire new creation, and there will be no more darkness, sorrow, or pain.

Revelation 21:23: The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Conclusion

What should our response be when we consider the present and future work of Christ? Understanding these truths should transform both our daily lives and our eternal perspective.

We should be encouraged and comforted by Christ’s faithfulness. He who began a good work in us will continue it until the day of His return. We can face every challenge with confidence because we know that our High Priest is interceding for us and our King is coming for us.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

We should have faith and hope that Christ will complete the work He began. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand will fulfill every promise He has made to us.

1 Thessalonians 5:24: The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Philippians 1:6: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

As we wait for Christ’s return, let us live with hearts full of gratitude for His present ministry on our behalf and with eager anticipation for the glorious kingdom He will establish. (Notebook Moment: In what specific ways can you live today with greater awareness of Christ’s present intercession for you and His future reign as King?) The Christ who fellowships with us, intercedes for us, and equips us today is the same Christ who will return for us, defeat our enemies, judge the world, and reign forever.

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