Is Jesus your High Priest and King of Peace?
The writer of Hebrews taught how the historic Melchizedek was a ‘type’ of Christ – “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated ‘king of righteousness,’ and then also king of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace,’ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.” (Hebrews 7: 1-3) He also taught how the Melchizedek high priesthood is greater than the Aaronic priesthood – “Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.” (Hebrews 7: 4-10)
From Scofield – “Melchizedek is a type of Christ the King-Priest. The type strictly applies to the priestly work of Christ in resurrection, since Melchizedek presents only the memorials of sacrifice, bread and wine. ‘According to the order of Melchizedek’ refers to the royal authority and unending duration of Christ’s high priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood was often interrupted by death. Christ is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as King of righteousness, King of peace, and in the endlessness of His priesthood; but the Aaronic priesthood typifies His priestly work.” (Scofield, 27)
From MacArthur – “The Levitical priesthood was hereditary, but Melchizedek’s was not. His parentage and origin are unknown because they were irrelevant to his priesthood…Melchizedek was not the preincarnate Christ, as some maintain, but was similar to Christ in that his priesthood was universal, royal, righteous, peaceful, and unending.” (MacArthur, 1857)
From MacArthur – “The Levitical priesthood changed as each priest died until it passed away altogether, whereas Melchizedek’s priesthood is perpetual since the record about his priesthood does not record his death.” (MacArthur, 1858)
The Hebrew believers needed to understand how different the priesthood of Christ was from the Aaronic priesthood they were familiar with. Only Christ bears a Melchizedek priesthood because only He has the power of an endless life. Jesus has entered the ‘Most Holy Place’ once for all, with His own blood in order to intervene and mediate for us.
In New Testament Christianity, the idea of the priesthood of all believers applies in that clothed, not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ, we can intercede in prayer for others.
Why is the priesthood of Christ important? The writer of Hebrews later states – “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” (Hebrews 8: 1-2)
We have Jesus in heaven intervening for us. He loves us perfectly and wants us to trust Him and follow Him. He wants to give us eternal life; as well as an abundant life filled with the fruit of His Spirit while we are on earth.
REFERENCES:
MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010.
Scofield, C. I. The Scofield Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
