DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What does Psalm 110:4 teach us about God’s faithfulness and how it underpins Jesus' priestly role?
How does Jesus being both the priest and the sacrifice transform our view of his love and his work on the cross? How can this bring us rest and confidence in our salvation?
Why is Melchizedek considered significant in understanding Jesus’ priesthood, and how does he resemble Christ?
How does Jesus being the "king of righteousness" and "king of peace" impact our lives and our relationship with God?
How does the connection between Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine and Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper deepen our appreciation for communion?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

Last week, we saw the kingly nature of the Christ, Jesus. Today, we will see the priestly nature of the Christ, Jesus. If Jesus is the divine king, he is worthy of our fear, respect, adoration, and submission. If Jesus is the divine priest, he deserves our faith and trust. Jesus is the anointed king-priest who has come to save and lovingly rule over his people.

Today, I hope we can rest in peace tonight and have a deeper understanding of Jesus as our priest forever. My hope for us is that we will be able to see that our salvation is safe and secure in Jesus, that we have access to the Father, and that we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus.

Let’s dive in.

“[4] The LORD has sworn

and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek.”

As David prophesies about the coming Messiah, we discover here that he will be a priest forever. The divine king who sits at the Father's right hand will also be a divine priest. And the basis of his priestly rule is nothing other than God’s faithfulness. The basis of his priestly rule is the fact that the LORD has sworn it to him. God is faithful and dependable. When he says he will do something, he will do it. He will never change his mind. Therefore, we can trust what the Bible says about Jesus to be true.

PRIEST FOREVER

Now, let’s take our mouse and double-click on the word “priest” momentarily. What is a priest? What was the role of a priest? Why is it significant that the Messiah will be a priest forever?

A priest served as an intercessor between God and his people, acting as their representative before God. Think about an intercessor as someone who helps you talk and interact with someone; a priest would be like a bridge between God and his people, helping them stay close to him. When this Psalm was written, God dwelt within a tabernacle. And, within the Tabernacle, not everyone could go. So, the priest was to guard the tabernacle, making sure the congregation and the furnishings were safe (Num. 3:5-10), “offer sacrifices and gifts on behalf of the people to reconcile them to God (Ex. 29:38-42; Lev. 1-5, 16, 23),” and teach God’s people God’s law (Lev. 10:11).

Now, if a key role of a priest was to make sacrifices on behalf of God’s people in hopes of atoning for their sins, I think the necessary question is, “Why were sacrifices for sin necessary?”

Well, for starters, you’ll find the reality that sin brought death in the Old Testament. Death is the natural fruit of sin. But, on a deeper level, sacrifices were intended to atone for our sins. God is just and holy. Therefore, their sin had to be dealt with for a just God to allow sinners to dwell with him. Blood had to be shed. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.”

These sacrifices symbolized a payment for sin and the restoration of the covenant relationship between God and his people. God doesn’t simply overlook your sin. He doesn’t turn a blind eye to it. He’s not ignorant of what we do in darkness. He sees all things, hears all things, and knows all things. Yet, the all-knowing God has made a way for us to dwell with him through the shedding of blood. By laying a sacrifice on the altar, you confessed your sins, acknowledged your guilt, and sought forgiveness through God's mercy.

As we will see in a moment, this sacrificial system was ultimately intended to be a shadow of a greater sacrifice to come. Hebrews 10:10 says, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Jesus took upon himself the condemnation that we all deserve. So, paradoxically and beautifully, the forever priest was also the perfect sacrifice. He was the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. By his wounds, we are healed. Because Jesus offered himself up on the cross as the spotless lamb to be slaughtered, we have restoration with God. Our sins are forgiven, and we enjoy a peaceful relationship with God. And now we have power over sin and death because sin has been defeated.

In summary, the priest is responsible for standing between God and his people and ensuring their sins are forgiven by offering sacrifices on behalf of his people.

AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK

David prophesies that the Messiah would be a priest forever “after the order of Melchizedek.”

Who in the world is Melchizedek?

Melchizedek is a somewhat mysterious character in the Bible. He’s only mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Psalm 110:4 and Genesis 14). However, despite his mysterious and aloof nature, he plays a significant role in New Testament theology. In the book of Hebrews, his name is mentioned eight times between chapters 5 and 7. To understand the author of Hebrews' points regarding Jesus and Melchizedek, we must first understand the context of Genesis 14. So, let’s look at what’s going on in this passage.

At the start of chapter 12, God calls Abraham and tells him to “go from his country to a land that he will show him.” God promises to make him into a great nation, bless his name, and make him great so that he will blessothers. At the age of 75, Abraham packs up his family and possessions and leaves Ur. They make it to Canaan, and God tells him this will be the land he gives his offspring. So, there, Abraham makes an altar to the LORD, calls upon the name of the LORD, and then continues his journey.

They make it to Egypt. In Egypt, Abraham becomes afraid the Egyptians will find Abraham’s wife, Sarah, beautiful and want her to be his wife and kill him. So, he has Sarah lie and tell the Egyptians that she’s Abraham’s sister. Pharaoh takes her to be his wife, but the LORD afflicts Pharaoh and his house with great plaguesbecause of Sarah. So, the Pharaoh finds out the truth, sends her back to Abraham, and sends them away.

This leads Abraham and his family to return to the place where he first made the altar, between Bethel and Ai. They dwelled there for some time. However, because Abraham’s family was large and rich in livestock, silver, and gold, they started to experience family strife. With Abraham was his nephew Lot, and Lot also had flocks, herds, and tents. It says, “The land could not support both of them together.” So, there became strife between their herdsmen.

Therefore, Abraham says to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, I will go to the right; if you take the right, I will go to the left.” Lot chose the beautiful land in the Jordan Valley, and he journeyed east, and Abraham settled in the land of Canaan.

*** Again, the LORD promised Abraham that he would give him the land of Canaan, and Abraham once again built an altar to the LORD.

Fast-forward some time, and a large war breaks out among the kings of the area. Lot, his family, and possessions are swept up in the middle of this battle and taken as captives. Someone from Lot’s tribe eventually escapes and goes to Abraham to tell him the news. This leads Abraham to embrace his inner James Bond. He leads his 318 trained men into the night to rescue Lot and his people. He and his servants defeat the captors and freeLot and his people.

And here’s where we’re introduced to Melchizedek.

Genesis 14:17-24 says,

“[17] After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). [18] And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) [19] And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

[20] and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. [21] And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” [22] But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, [23] that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ [24] I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

That’s all we know of Melchizedek.

We know that long before the law was given, he was a priest of God Most High. We know he’s from Salem, which many believe could be Jerusalem. We know he brought Abraham’s army bread and wine while Sodom’s king did not. We know he spoke a blessing over Abraham while Sodom’s king did not. We know Abraham treated Melchizedek as a priest (long before a priestly order in the law) by giving him a tenth of everything.

From this brief encounter with Melchizedek, David describes the coming Messiah as “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” So, David is saying that the Messiah will be an eternal priest from the line of this mysterious priest/king.

But what does that mean?

Well, the author of Hebrews, at the end of Hebrews 6, says, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

ETERNAL PRIEST

The author of Hebrews says Christians have an immovable hope in Jesus because Jesus is our eternal priest. He is our intercessor with God, our representative before God. He is the one who guards and protects the church. He is the one who has offered the perfect sacrifice to God, which was himself. He is the one who teaches God’s law to the hearts of his people. We have an immovable hope in Jesus because he is our high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Following this statement about our immovable hope in Jesus as our high priest, the author of Hebrews says at the start of chapter 7, “[1] For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, [2] and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. [3] He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.”

The first thing I want to draw our attention to here is the end of verse 3– “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.”

Notice the intentional language. Jesus doesn’t resemble Melchizedek; Melchizedek resembles Jesus. Melchizedek was intended to be a shadow of the one to come, Jesus, and the one to come existed long before Melchizedek. So, I want us to notice how Melchizedek resembled Jesus.

PRIEST AND KING

In verses 1-2, Melchizedek is described as both priest and king— “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God…” That’s important because, according to the law, priests couldn’t serve as kings, and kings couldn’t serve as priests. Priests came from the tribe of Levi, and kings came from the tribe of Judah. In the law, priests served in the Tabernacle/temple, offered sacrifices, and interceded for God’s people, and kings were responsible for governing and leading the people as God’s anointed ruler. When King Saul offered sacrifices himself without waiting for Samuel, he violated God’s order, which led to him losing his kingdom (1 Sam 13:8-14). When King Uzziah attempted to burn incense in the temple, he was struck with leprosy because he violated God’s order (2 Chron. 26:16-21). Yet, here we find Melchizedek being treated as a priest and declared king, which means the Messiah will be priest and king, our advocate and our ruler.

KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

But notice the character of this priest/king highlighted by the name Melchizedek. Melchizedek means “king of righteousness,” and Salem means “king of peace.” So, if Jesus became a priest after the order of Melchizedek, that means he was a righteous king. He is the embodiment of right living, the source of righteousness. Unlike all other kings, he is not flawed or broken. He is “holy, innocent, unstained, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Heb. 7:26).” Paul tells us, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." So, where all other kings and rulers demand like the king of Sodom, Jesus (the righteous king) freely gives like Melchizedek.

KING OF PEACE

As indicated by his name, Salem, he is also the king of righteousness and peace. This tells us that those who dwell in his holy city will dwell in peace. In Jesus, we find peace with God, peace with his people, and peace in all seasons of life.

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So, because Jesus is our high priest, our relationship with God has been restored. For those who are in Christ, there is no hostility between them and God. But then we find that peace with God leads to peace with God’s people. Jesus is our peace. And those who have peace with God find that Jesus offers them an internal peace that surpasses all understanding. The promised Messiah brought his people the gift of righteousness and peace.

A GREATER PRIEST

Now, notice how the author of Hebrews describes Melchizedek in verse 3, “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” What I think the author is highlighting here is the eternal nature of the Son of God, and he does this by drawing our attention to how Melchizedek didn’t inherit the role of a priest. Unlike every other priest in the Bible, there is no Biblical reference to the lineage of Melchizedek, which means his priesthood wasn’t inherited by someone else. Melchizedek’s position as priest didn’t depend upon the institution of the Levitical priesthood. It transcended above it, existing before it, and it has no indication of it ever ending. So, like Melchizedek, Jesus’ priesthood was not inherited from someone else or transferred to someone else.

As you continue to read, the author of Hebrews highlights how Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, highlighting Melchizedek’s greatness. The revered patriarch of Israel paid Melchizedek a tenth of his spoils from victory, not out of obedience to the law but out of respect and awe, which implies Melchizedek is greater than Abraham. But not only did Abraham pay tithes to Melchizedek, but Melchizedek also blessed Abraham, further demonstrating his greatness. And Levi (the father of the Levitical priesthood) descended from Abraham, which means Melchizedek was superior to Levi. Melchizedek was greater than Abraham, which means he is greater than the Levitial priesthood. And, if Melchizedek was intended to be a shadow of the one to come, then that means that Jesus is greater. Jesus is not a temporary king; he is an eternal king. Nor is he a temporary priest; he is an eternal priest.

A GREATER BREAD AND WINE

Now, I want to draw our attention back to Melchizedek's gift to Abraham. Weary from their journey, what does Melchizedek offer Abraham? Bread and wine. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, what did Jesus offer his disciples? Bread and wine.

Melchizedek’s gift of bread and wine was a shadow of a greater bread and wine that the Son of God would offer one day. In the same way that Melchizedek offered Abraham bread and wine in the Valley, Jesus offered us a better bread and wine, his body. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread, and when he gave thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise, the cup after they had eaten said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Church, we have a great high priest who willingly gave himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. Where priests would stand daily at his service, repeatedly offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, Jesus came and offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins (Heb. 10:11-14)… so that our sins might be forgiven (Heb. 10:18).” And that sacrifice was himself. He is the great high priest and the spotless sacrifice.

Are you tired and weary today from battle? Are you beaten down and exhausted? Are you heavy-laden with the guilt of sin and shame? Come to Jesus’ table and have your fill today. Jesus offers you bread and wine that will never run out. The king of righteousness offers you peace today. With him, you will find joy and life forever.