Priest, Prophet, and King
Basic Info
Jesus is often understood as having the roles of priest, prophet, and king. His priestly care of Christians is manifest in both his healing work and in his sacrifice for the sinfulness of human beings. Images of Jesus as Priest outside of the context of Healings and his Crucifixion and Resurrection are rare and so will not be treated separately.
One of Jesus’ roles was as God’s messenger about the Kingdom and about the mission entrusted to his followers. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus witnessing to God’s priorities and love. His teachings and his witness are the roles that lead Him to be called Prophet. Yet, beyond the biblical accounts of his Teachings and Life, we see few artworks portraying Jesus as Prophet.
Jesus was referred to in the Bible as Lord, often spoke of the Kingdom of God, and made allusions to taking his seat in that kingdom when the time came. That idea of Jesus enthroned as King in God’s Kingdom took hold in the Christian imagination and has been addressed frequently in artworks. Artworks with a different theme often include references to Jesus’ kingship in his clothing, a throne, a crown, a scepter, or some other regal accoutrement. Sometimes Jesus is shown as King in Heaven; other times he appears to be a king in an earthly setting.
Jesus’ kingship is multivalent. His is King of God’s Kingdom and that can mean something as simple as the one who reigns over a cloudly place (Heaven), can refer to Jesus as Judge at the Last Judgment, or can mean that he is the sustainer of the universe, beyond anything created. The latter is the understanding behind the common icon of the Pantocrator, in which he is making a gesture of blessing or teaching with his right hand and holding the Scriptures in his left. Artworks have even depicted the Infant Jesus as a king with a crown, a brocaded cape, and an orb with a cross on top.
When Christianity first became the official religion of the Roman Empire, Christians thought that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Eternal Kingdom in the line of King David. What a victory for Christ after all of the persecutions and years as an underground religion! Human imaginations have used the trappings of earthly kings and kingdoms to symbolize Jesus as King because they couldn’t think of anything higher than King to symbolize Jesus’ authority and leadership.
Historical Notes
The motif of Jesus enthroned or in otherwise kingly attire became popular shortly after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 (whether because of the tendency to depict the Emperor in such attire or because of the old Roman custom of depicting their gods this way is debated among scholars). It continued throughout the Middle Ages and only dropped out of fashion in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Only recently have kings and lords gone out of favor in most of the world (king can refer to a few ceremonial heads of state or Elvis; lordis often used in less favorable lights than it once was: drug lord, slum lord). Christian art that emphasizes the regal motif can seem awkward and embarrassing in a democratic age. Or it can seem to refer back to an age of kings and knights that seems mythical or fantastic today. Beyond seeing the regal attire as symbolic of Jesus as almighty or as a leader, it may help to put oneself in the shoes of a typical viewer in the artist’s day.
What to Look For
- Jesus’ authority and attitude (expression, gestures, etc.)
- Crowns, thrones, scepters, orbs, gold, luxurious cloaks, etc.
- What Jesus seems to be ruling over or leading (Heaven, earth, the universe, etc.)
- Whether the kingly image seems to exclude any hint of Jesus’ priestly or prophetic roles
- The presence of other people who also have regal garments or objects
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
In what ways does the artwork suggest that Jesus does, or should have, authority over either nations or individual lives?
What is the relationship between Jesus’ authority and political or church authorities in the artwork?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
What do you find attractive about the kingly Jesus depicted here? Is this depiction of an authoritative Jesus someone to whom you could submit?
Notice the postures or gestures of the people toward Jesus. Can you see yourself assuming that kind of posture toward Jesus?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
What was going on politically between the local king and the Church at the time the artwork was created? How might this have influenced this work (Church asserting Christ the King as having authority over the earthly king or earthly king aligning himself with Jesus to boost his earthly authority)?
