Christ: servant, Sacrifice and Almighty God
Reflections on The Work of Christ by Robert Letham
The Disciples plucking corn on the Sabbath by Gustave Doré
“What Christ has done is directly related to who he is. It is the uniqueness of his person that determines the efficacy of his work” (Letham, p.24). The person of Jesus cannot be separated from his works, as the authority and access he had in performing his deeds reflect his perfection and unity with the Father. What was failure for fallen humanity became triumph for the Messiah. Those who understand the depth of Christ’s essence can grasp the purpose and perfection of his earthly work. When John the Baptist’s disciples approached, asking if he was the expected Messiah, Jesus replied:
“So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me’” (Luke 7:22-23).
This response reveals what Jesus expects of those who believe in him. In him, we are given the opportunity to produce holy and pure fruit—fruit that reflects Christ's perfection. Since an imperfect being cannot produce fruit worthy of God’s essence, it is only through the merits of Christ that this becomes possible. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).The gospel is not merely what Jesus declared; as the Son of God, he is the gospel made flesh. Each of his actions manifests God’s truth, including his Passion. “His obedience and atoning death are both dependent on who he is” (p.25).
Just as Christ’s essence cannot be separated from his works, the Lord cannot be separated from his work of redemption. Letham explains, drawing on the views of various thinkers and theologians, that the new covenant in Christ is a sovereign administration of grace toward sinners—a divine intervention for humanity's fallen condition. This is similar to the establishment of the covenant of law, which was divinely imposed on a people freed from captivity to make them holy for the Lord. Access to God’s covenants requires submission, an act that leads us to acknowledge our unequal standing before God, who has complete authority over what happens to us and within us. Without God’s sovereign action, no covenant can be active within us.
Nevertheless, the law includes regulatory dynamics that define sin and represent God’s purity and holiness. According to the book, the covenant of grace builds upon the law as its foundation and amplifies it. The covenant in Christ Jesus fulfills the law—not annul it, but elevate it with a greater significance in accordance with divine purpose and Christ's merits.
Paul never advocated abandoning the law in his epistles; rather, he presents the law as a framework to be completed by the covenant of grace, a foundational guide for social harmony—not the path to salvation, as that role is fulfilled solely by Christ himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7). In addition to being the true way of salvation, Christ’s incarnation establishes a connection with humanity; divinity took on humanity to save humankind so that all could be one in him.
In his book, Letham analyzes the spiritual offices that Jesus came to fulfill through his incarnation: Prophet, King, and Priest. As the Son of God, Jesus’ prophetic ministry surpasses that of the prophets of old, who were imperfect men used as instruments of God. This elevated status is evident in Revelation 19:10, “For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” He does not merely hold a prophetic position; he is prophecy. This becomes even more remarkable because, in the Gospels, Jesus never sought to associate himself with the prophets of scripture, even when people attempted to make that connection: “‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets’” (Matthew 16:13-14).
This leads to a complex question when examining the fullness of what Christ embodies. How can the one who represents all fulfilled Old Testament prophecies also hold a greater prophetic role? The book emphasizes that while his prophetic role is crucial, it does not fully encompass who he is and what he accomplished. In his humanity, Jesus is the perfect servant of God; in his divinity, he is the second member of the Trinity and the essence of divine truth. Not only does he testify of the Father in his prophetic role, but God the Father himself testifies of Jesus as his Son—something no Old Testament prophet ever achieved.
This duality is also present in his priestly role. Jesus, as the incarnate sacrifice, offers his own body as a priestly offering and also receives it in the divine realm as part of God’s Trinity. Here we see the distinct identities within Jesus’ testimony: the submitted servant, the perfect sacrifice, and Almighty God. It is impossible to fully encapsulate Christ, who is “all in all” (Colossians 3:11). The depth of the gospel, as the testimony of the Son of God, never ceases to amaze me, and this wonder leads me to worship him in Spirit and in truth.
