Heb.7:1-3 – For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and 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 emphasizes the eternal nature of the priesthood of Jesus. The levitical priests were all fallen men from a fallen race, just like all of us they were in need of a priest themselves. They offered animal sacrifices again and again signifying that we were still in our sin and had no access into the presence of God. Jesus was part of the human race but conceived by the Holy Spirit without a fallen nature. He had two advantages over the levitical priests; He was born without sin and He was the eternal Son of God Who lives forever. He offered His own blood for our sins once and for all and took His place at the father’s right hand to be our Mediator and our Intercessor. Here is how F.B. Meyer describes Jesus as our eternal high Priest.
“CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD IS CONTINUAL (ver. 3). The priests of Aaron’s line were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But of him “it is witnessed that he liveth” (ver. 8). Hallelujah! a Priest has arisen “after the power of an endless life” (ver. 16). “The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever” (ver. 21). “Because he abideth forever, his Priesthood is unchangeable” (ver. 24). “He ever liveth to make intercession” (ver. 25). “Consecrated forevermore” (ver. 28). What explicit and abundant testimony! Our High-Priest shall never ascend Mount Hor to be stripped of his robes of office and die. The secrets confided to him need never be told again to his successor. The tender love which links him and us shall never be snapped or cut in death. No one else will ever be called in to take his place in the superintendence of our souls.”
This is the heart of the mystery of God. God Himself became a man and walked among us. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins and became a priest forever to bring us to God. His humanity enables Him to sympathize with us in our suffering, His Deity gives Him the power to help us in all of our troubles. Jesus has become our priest and the good news is that He is our priest forever.
