Hebrews 7: 11; 17–28 (NIV)
“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?
“For it is declared: “You [Jesus] are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
“Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
The history of Melchizedek
In science, there’s a common phrase that says, “we stand on the shoulders of giants.” It conveys a sense of humility that what a scientist discovers today is only made possible by the discoveries of those that have gone before him/her. Scientists often remark that even failures contribute to their body of knowledge because it shows them what doesn’t work. It’s through understanding previous work, its context, and worldview that researchers and academics can produce new and meaningful contributions for future generations.
This is what we are doing when we read and study Hebrews 7 and Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews is trying to focus our attention on who this priest and king is so that we can better understand who this Jesus is. This portion of the New Testament offers us a unique understanding of Jesus that is more significant than you may have ever imagined.
First, who is Melchizedek? Like we explored in Hebrews 5, Melchizedek makes two appearances in the Old Testament. In Genesis 14 Abraham returns from battle looking for a priest to give his tithe to from the plunder that he had reclaimed for his people. Then, about 1000 years later, in the book of Psalms, Melchizedek is used as the example of the type of priest that the prophesied Messiah will be like. What’s unique about this obscure man is that he was both a king and a priest. This was unheard of.
According to the author of Hebrews, Melchizedek is more than just a king and priest. Let’s look at verse 3 again, He’s also one “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”
Then in Hebrews 7:4–10, the author is saying that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham and greater than all the Levitical priests. So how does Melchizedek help us understand Jesus? Well, the short story is that the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is the Messiah that will also be king and priest, except he’s perfect in every way and will never die. Jesus will be like Melchizedek but will also be so much more.
While priests lived, they continued to offer the same sacrifices time and again because their work was temporary. These priests also died and needed to be replaced. But the author of Hebrews wants this Jewish audience to know that there is something so much better available to them. And it’s available to you and me.
How Jesus compares
Hebrews 7:24–28 states that “because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
This portion of scripture offers us a deep well to draw truth from but let’s look at 3 things it communicates clearly.
Jesus guarantees our relationship with God
In verse 19 Jesus is described as “a better hope.” All of Hebrews points to the supremacy of Christ over anything else in all of creation. Then in verse 22, the author says that because of God’s word that was spoken over Jesus, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Jesus didn’t come just for the individual; he came to establish a new covenant between God and anyone that would believe Jesus as the son of God that offered his life as a sacrifice for all.
The word used in verse 22 in Hebrews 7 is NOT the same as “mediator” that is used elsewhere to describe Jesus. In this verse, the author of Hebrews uses the Greek word for someone who guarantees the work or commitments of another, even at the risk of losing property and even life itself. In other words, Jesus was making a way for God to eternally be in a new relationship with ANY person that joins this community of believers.
Jesus is our eternal intercessor
In verse 25 we find the central message of Hebrews 7, “therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them.” This idea of “complete” salvation is predicated on two affirmations about Jesus that are central to the Author of Hebrews’ theology. First, Jesus lives forever, and because he lives forever, he continues to do his priestly ministry for all eternity.
In Matthew 26, Jesus was in the Jewish courts awaiting his death on the cross and in response to the High Priest’s interrogation of Jesus, Jesus boldly claims that “from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” [Matthew 26:64b]. Jesus was telling the world that he will sit on God’s right hand and continue to intercede on our behalf forever.
The meaning behind this intercession is an image of “pleading on behalf of someone.” This doesn’t mean that Jesus needs to keep pleading for our salvation, that is done and complete. Instead, it is an image of Jesus, alive and in the Father’s presence, ministering on behalf of all believers that helps us answer the question of how the blessings of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection continue to mean something for us today. This means that you can be assured that you’re never alone. You don’t ever have to wonder if someone cares about what you’re facing. The entire world can be against you, but you have the promise that Jesus will always be with you and for you!
Jesus offers himself for us
Throughout the New Testament, we are reminded time and again that Jesus gave himself for us. John covers this sufficiently in his writings, as does Paul. It’s only in Hebrews that the image of a high priest offering himself as a sacrifice for sin is portrayed. It is through the image of Melchizedek that Jesus is understood as a priest that not only intercedes on behalf of his people but is willing to stand in the gap “as the sacrifice” that abolishes the need for continued sacrifices.
Just as Melchizedek is portrayed as a priest that is greater than the priests of their day, the Jewish audience would have been perplexed by the idea of a high priest giving himself up as a sacrifice on the altar. It’s one of the craziest things about the Christian faith. But it’s also one of the most compelling reasons to believe in this Jesus. Remember what Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
So where does this leave us? Well, it means that we can know at least two things unequivocally. First, we are never alone. Jesus is always interceding on our behalf in this life and the next. Second, what keeps us from God is not our sin, it’s our pride. That piece of your life that is never fulfilled by anything that you can create, obtain, earn, or even be given will never compare to the gift of Jesus and his eternal intercession on your behalf. And if you’ve never made that decision to follow Jesus and trust in his promises, all it takes is a simple prayer either out loud or in your heart that accepts Jesus’ sacrifice and his place at the right hand of God and you’re in. So, let’s run to Jesus because he is our perfect priest, king, and saviour.
— Notes from Pastor Luke Gordon’s sermon on May 22nd, 2021
CLICK HERE to watch the Hebrews 7 sermon on YouTube.