Was Jesus a Prophet?

Do you remember the story where Jesus challenged injustice, flipping over tables in the temple in his righteous anger? That was Jesus being a prophet.

Do you remember when Jesus withdrew to lonely places to spend time connecting with his Father in prayer to get insight and direction? That was Jesus being a prophet.

Do you remember when Jesus had a word of knowledge for the woman at the well, confronted her sin, and emphasized worshipping the Father in spirit and truth? That was Jesus being a prophet.

Depending on where you grew up and which churches you’ve been a part of, it’s highly likely that you were rarely - if ever - taught specifically that Jesus was a prophet.

It’s funny cause if you have had conversations with Muslims they are very quick to acknowledge and honor Jesus as a prophet (which is a great bridge-building conversation by the way, to then ask what the job of a prophet is, and then quote truth of John 14:6 and ask whether what this prophet said is true.)

Unfortunately, there is often stigma associated with the word prophet, and maybe the first thing you think of is “foretelling the future.” But when we look throughout Scripture, that function is peripheral. Primarily, a prophet is someone who speaks on God’s behalf. It’s about listening, obeying and speaking.

For starters, let’s look briefly at some instances where Jesus was explicitly named as a prophet.

The Samaritan Woman at the Well

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet." -John 4:19

The Triumphal Entry

“And when he (Jesus) entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” -Matthew 21:11

On the Road to Emmaus

“Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’

And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.’’’ -Luke 24:18-20

Jesus Living it Out

Okay, so Jesus was identified as a prophet, but how did he live it out? I gave some brief examples at the beginning (challenging injustice, spending time in prayer, etc); here are a few specific passages in Scripture:

Jesus communicates in relationship

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” -John 10:27

Jesus calls people to hear and obey

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” -Mark 4:23 (and many other places)

Jesus calls people to repentance

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” -Mark 1:15

Jesus prioritizes prayer and worship

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” -Luke 6:12

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” -John 4:23

Jesus confronts evil

“Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.” -Mark 1:25-26

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” -1 John 3:8

These are all examples of Jesus’ prophetic ministry. And this leads us to know Jesus deeper — this aspect of his character and his ministry — so as to become more like him.

This simple graphic from the book Holy Disruption shows how Jesus was the perfect prophet and the bridge between the old and new covenant prophets.