Jesus was a Priest-King
Jesus was not only of the royal lineage of Judah but also of the priestly lineage of Levi. He got his Kingship through his biological father Joseph, and his priesthood through his mother Mary.
Many Christian apologists, strangely enough, will object to the idea of Jesus having been a priest. Why? Because if Jesus was a priest, then he had to have a parent that was of the tribe of Levi. For them, since the Holy Spirit is supposed to be his father and he had no biological father, that means that Mary would have had to be the one to have the lineage of Levi.
That would ruin their theory that the lineage in Luke was Mary’s, since it is a lineage that can be traced back to King David and they need a royal lineage for Jesus to be the Messiah and of course, for Christians the Holy Spirit has to be the father of Jesus, not Joseph. Why? So as not to create a contradiction with their dogma of Jesus being the second person of the Holy Trinity Godhead. However, they don’t take into account that King Solomon has to be in the lineage of the Messiah according to messianic scripture.
If Jesus was born of a virgin, then that would make him “the” Son of God, or God come in the flesh, or God the Son. But what I’m about to show you makes things very complicated for them to prove their theory.
Old Testament Prophesy of applying it to Jesus as being a Priest
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH (Messiah); and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall…
…build the temple of the LORD (Zec 6:12)
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 (Zec 6:13)
According to messianic prophecy, the Messiah builds the temple, is a king and a priest on his throne. Jesus became the Messiah at his baptism. Contrary to popular belief, the word messiah, which means “anointed one”, doesn’t only apply to the kingship or messiahship of Jesus.
Priests, prophets and kings received anointing. In Jewish messianic tradition and eschatology, messiah refers to a leader anointed by God and in the case of Jesus it meant the literal future king of Israel. Anointing was a ceremony that dedicated special people, to signal their service of God.
So though Jesus is the most commonly known messiah, or “anointed one”, he was not, according to definition, the first or only messiah. Anyone who was anointed and dedicated to the service of God, be he king, prophet or priest, was technically a messiah or “anointed one” — that’s all it meant.
Now, “The” Anointed One, or “The” Messiah, is a different story, since this One was to be the “Deliverer” of Israel (or “Savior”). The Messiah was understood to be a warrior king like King David, who was to deliver Israel from their enemies.
Jesus’ life was centered around the Temple
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. (Luk 2:46)
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. (Luk 2:47)
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luk 4:16)
…and He taught there and in Jerusalem as an accepted Rabbi, even in the temple, none hindering Him. (GON 6.15)
Jesus was called rabbi (teacher or priest)
Rabbi was a very respectful title used only for high priests, patriarchs and presidents.
The same (Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews) came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (Jn 3:2)
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (Jn 1:49)
Jesus was a priest or rabbi and, to believers, a literal king. If a prominent leader of the Jews called Jesus rabbi, he regarded him very highly and respectfully, and certainly Jesus must have already been seen as a high priest, maybe not in the main stream of Judaism, but certainly in the Nazarene sect and the Essenes of Judaism that recognized Jesus.
The term (rabbi) was first used for Rabban Gamaliel the elder, Rabban Simeon his son, and Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai, all of whom were patriarchs or presidents of the Sanhedrin. A Greek transliteration of the word is also found in the books of Matthew, Mark and John in the New Testament, where it is used in reference to Jesus. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi)
The epistle of Hebrews calls Jesus a High Priest, who was made a priest the way all priests were made, “as was Aaron”, as it plainly states in Heb 5 at his baptism.
And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest (“as was Aaron”); but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (Heb 5:4-5)
Wherefore it behooved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest before God… (Heb 2:17)
He was also a high priest after the order of Melchisedec:
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Heb 3:1)
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Heb 4:14)
Jesus the Prophet
Just like the OT prophets, Jesus received messages, that were not his but of God.
My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me. (Jn 7:16)
then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (Jn 8:28)
I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee… (Jn 17:8)
Next: Who Was Jesus Part 2 | The King of the Jews