In the Gospels, Jesus has many titles, such as Messiah (or Christ), Son of David, Son of Man, Son of God, and Lord. In Luke, an important title is "Prophet." Jesus is the prophet Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15.
As a prophet, Jesus preached God's word and performed miracles like the great prophets of the Old Testament. When Jesus raised a widow's son, the people exclaimed, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” (Luke 7:16). The disciples told Jesus that people were calling him a prophet (Matthew 16:13–14). The disciples on the road to Emmaus described him as “a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19).
Like other prophets, Jesus suffered for his message (see 1 Kings 19:1–18; Jeremiah 11:18–19; 18:18; 20:1–2, 7–18; 26:7–11, 20–23; 38:1–6). People connected Jesus' role as a prophet to his miracles and teaching. But Jesus linked it mainly to his suffering. In Nazareth, he stated that “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24). He later accused Israel’s leaders of killing their prophets (11:47–51). As he traveled to Jerusalem, he said, “it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem” (13:33).
In the Old Testament, when Israel ignored God's prophets, divine judgment came. Similarly, God's people would encounter judgment if they did not listen to Jesus (see Acts 3:22–23).
The revelation that Jesus is the Messiah (God's chosen one) shows he is the savior for all people. His role as a prophet shows his message is from God. His words are truly God's words, which people must hear and follow.
Passages for Further Study
Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew 5:12; 23:34–37; Luke 4:22–24; 6:23, 26; 7:16; 11:47–52; 13:33–34; 24:17–21; Acts 3:22–23; 7:37, 52