Sunday: Jesus as Prophet
Daily Lesson for Sunday 18th of October 2026
Moses predicted that “ ‘the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear’ ” (Deuteronomy 18:15, NKJV). Who was the prophet? Scripture itself makes it clear: it was pointing to Jesus Himself. “ ‘For Moses truly said to the fathers, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you” ’ ” (Acts 3:22, NKJV; see also John 6:14).
What is the prophetic role of Jesus? How was this question answered in Jesus’ time? (Matthew 16:13-16, Mark 8:27-29, Luke 9:18-20).
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Jesus, as the Christ, the Messiah, is the One to whom all the Old Testament prophets pointed. In the New Testament, Jesus is recognized as the fulfillment of their Messianic prophecies. In Luke 24:13-35, He presents Himself as the One to whom the Messianic prophecies pointed.
In fact, in John 1:1-5, the description given of the Word here does not fit any human being or mere human prophet. The Word is identified as the Creator, for “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3, NKJV). That is, He created all that was created, which is the entire cosmos, now estimated to be 93 billion light-years wide.
In every “and God said” of Genesis 1:1-31, we hear Jesus speaking. He who said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) is also the “light of men” (John 1:4), and through the plan of salvation (John 1:4-5), He was dispelling earth’s darkness.
God’s prophetic words are certain and confirmed. When heeded, they are “a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, NKJV). Prophecy will continue to bring light to our sinful world until Jesus, “the Morning Star,” and Source of that prophetic light, will usher in His eternal kingdom.
Until then, through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ offers us all eternal life. The only question is whether or not we will accept it.
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Dwell on the fact that Jesus, the Creator (John 1:1-3), is also the One who died on the cross for your sins. What does this amazing truth teach about the reality of God’s love for us? |
The really challenging thing about Jesus is he took the Old Testament prophecies and applied them to himself. Without Jesus, those prophecies appear localised. Now if Jesus was a man we would probably judge him as a narcissist and dismiss his claims.
C S Lewis points out the dilemma and provides a forceful answer:
Jesus’s prophetic office and his prophetic messages were indeed unique compared to those of the human prophets. Jesus Himself was the fulfilment of the previous prophecies. What was Jesus revealing about the future that had not yet been fully revealed?
Jesus did not simply predict future events, but He announced the coming of the eternal kingdom of God, warned about the impending judgment, foretold His own death and resurrection, and He declared the final destiny of mankind. It is important to remind ourselves of some key prophecies of Jesus.
1. Time and time again, Jesus foretold His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 20:18–19; Mark 8:31). He did not simply tell what could happen to Him, but what would be accomplished through Him. Jesus was the authority in the prophetic messages.
2. Jesus declared the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple thereof (Luke 19:41–44; Luke 21:20–24). This historical event happened as Jesus declared. We are being reminded, for sure, that those who cling to sin will ultimately be destroyed at the end of time.
3. Jesus forewarned of the rampant deception, persecution, wars, disasters, and the proclamation of the gospel throughout the whole world before He comes again (Matthew 24:4–14; John 16:1–4). Jesus wanted His disciples to prepare for His return and not to be caught unprepared. This is our warning.
4. Jesus prophesied about His return and final judgment (Matthew 24:29–31; Matthew 25:31–46). This is not simply an event in the future; Jesus declares that He will be the Judge.
The essence of Jesus’s prophecy is the completion of God’s redemption plan. It is an invitation to all mankind to become Children of God.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, NLT).
The theme Jesus as a Prophet reveals how God communicates His truth, reveals His character, and calls humanity back to Himself. Jesus faithfully proclaimed God’s message, exposed spiritual hypocrisy, called sinners to repentance, and announced the good news of the kingdom of God. When the people witnessed His mighty works, they declared, “A great prophet is risen up among us” (Luke 7:16). Yet Jesus was more than a prophet in the ordinary sense; He was the Son sent by the Father to reveal God fully. As He explained, “The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:24). His ministry also reminds us that God’s messengers are not always welcomed, for Jesus declared, “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country” (Matthew 13:57).
Throughout history, God spoke through prophets to guide His people, correct wrongdoing, and reveal His purposes. However, Jesus stands at the centre of God’s ultimate revelation to humanity. Hebrews 1:1–2 explains that although God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at different times and in various ways, in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son. Jesus did not merely deliver a message from God; through His words, actions, compassion, and sacrifice, He revealed what God is like. In a world filled with competing voices and spiritual confusion, the lesson challenges us to recognise Christ as the faithful Messenger of God, test what we hear against Scripture, and respond obediently to His Word. The essential question is not simply whether God speaks, but whether we are willing to listen to what He has revealed through Jesus and allow His truth to transform our lives.
Carefully choosen words; competing voices and Spiritual confusion
Jesus I love you, Thanks for laying your life down for a sinner like me. I surrender all you, my family and this entire Generation 🙏🏾
The officers answered. Never man spake like this man. John 7:46
As we read the life story of Jesus, one of the things that strikes you is the fact that Jesus was aware in a pretty detailed manner of the events that would occur in his life in the future whilst He was on the Earth ( Luke 24:13-35). Of course one can intelligently argue, that since He had “derobed” Himself of His Divinity and became like one of us, He declared it by faith through His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures.
However this line of thought is challenged by the fact of the quality Jesus’s knowledge of future events as demonstrated in His detailed prediction of the total destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem ( Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2) or even of Peter’s actions before His crucifixion.( Mark 14:30, Mark 14:66-72)
I am aware of today’s theme – ” Jesus as Prophet” but I couldn’t help it relate to my human experience as a follower of Christ. Please do not misunderstand me I am not in the mildest of terms seeking to ascribe to myself the Prophetic gift. Nevertheless in my experience { which I have come to recognize in hindsight} certain occurences , always quite unusual; I have grown to realize God as telling me about an event prior to its fulfillment.
To some of us the gift of prophecy is not some strange ,distant phenomenon – it is real. I have personally ,on more than once, experienced it in my life.
John 1:1-10
John the Baptist believed, Jesus deciples believed that the Word was God and with God. God’s Word Incarnate, His Living Word – His Son as His Message, not only as a messenger but our Savior, was given to us. If prophets were sent to speak/relate the Word of God, Jesus was more than that, He was and still is the Incarnate Word of God.
Seeing Jesus in this Light is new to me and very comforting. Last and this week’s topic focuses on ‘prophets’. I am interested to read other’s comments to my understanding of Jesus. I want to say again that we ought not to divide the Word of God into separate components, as Jesus Christ is the Father’s Living Word – complete and indivisible.
Jesus, as man, is God’s First-fruit to demonstrate the rescue -efforts of mankind through/by His ‘Living Word’. His Living Word is complete and contains all aspects of Righteousness – humility, trust, repentance and faith. As ‘God’s Living Word, the Father imparts to us Jesus’ Righteousness by faith. He is more than a prophet, a healer, or a teacher. He is LIFE incarnate – as man, He is the Firstfruits of many more to come – 1 Cor.15:20-23; Matt.5:20; Matt.7:21; John 3:16; John 3:3-5; Matt.4:17; Mark 1:15.
I’m not really sure we’ll ever really understand God’s love for us, especially in the person of Jesus. Can we love someone as much as Jesus loves us? A son, a daughter, a spouse — none can be compared to the love Jesus has for us. For Jesus is love Himself! We can’t beat that!
The thing that makes it interesting with today’s lesson is the fact that Jesus is our Lord, Saviour, and Messiah. He came into this world to seek and save the lost, and fulfill prophecy. Luke 19:10. Mark 15:28. Isaiah 53:12. We are all lost without a Saviour.
Now, though when we think about it from a prophet standpoint Jesus was sent from of God having the character of God, as we know Him the Son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, a counselor, spiritual guide to those who would hear, and take action of their lives, and also to all, and presented God’s messages to God’s people and all , as well as foretold the future. Yes, He carried out these functions of a true prophet, a very special prophet. He was a perfect example of a prophet. Matthew 5, 6, 7, 24.
Yes, indeed a wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Saviour to me. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see.
https://www.sdahymnal.org/Hymn?no=520
Jesus was truly a prophet, but He was far more than a prophet—He was the Messiah and the Son of God. The prophets spoke for God and pointed forward to the coming Messiah; Jesus was the fulfillment of their message. They proclaimed the Word of God, while Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14).
Like other prophets, Jesus called people to repentance, confronted error, warned of judgment, revealed truth, and experienced rejection. Yet He was unique: the prophets pointed to Christ; Christ was the One to whom they pointed.
This is an important principle when studying the prophetic gift. Genuine prophecy never competes with Christ but leads us to Him. Jesus is therefore not simply another example of a prophet—He is the supreme revelation of God and the center of the prophetic message.
That “God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son”
There is no other love like jesus, I could never imagine the complete exsistence of our Fathers love for his children.
I just know that his love for us as his children is unmesurable.
Thank You Yahweh🙌🏾💜