Who Is Melchizedek?
In the 14th chapter of Genesis, a king by the name of Chedorlaomer came and took captive the city of Sodom. He carried away all of the treasures of the city and took as captives the people of Sodom. Abraham’s nephew Lot also lived in Sodom at the time of this siege by Chedorlaomer. When Sodom was taken captive, so also was Lot. This compelled Abraham to come and rescue his nephew. Abraham raised an army of 318 well-trained men from his own household and went out to defeat Chedorlaomer. Abraham rescued his nephew and all of his property that had been stolen. Abraham then restored the city of Sodom and her king.
Genesis 14:17-20 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed (Abraham) and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
This is the entire testimony of Melchizedek in the Old Testament. It is not until Paul describes Melchizedek in the New Testament Book of Hebrews, Chapter Seven, that we discover new and exciting details about who this priest of God Most High is.
Here in Psalms 110:4, the Messiah will be both King and Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek.
Psalms 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
New Testament Fulfillment:
Hebrews 5:5-6 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek…”
Hebrews 6:20 …where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
A Priest For Life
Many years ago, a young boy approached me immediately after I had concluded teaching the word of God on Sunday morning. He said to me, “Pastor, you have the best job in the world. You only have to work one day a week.”
He did not realize that being a servant of God is a lifetime appointment—twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
When Jesus took the body of a man at Bethlehem, He did not become a servant to the Father on our behalf for only thirty-three and one-half years. He became a priest forever.
Hebrews 5:4-6 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
The responsibility of becoming our High Priest was not something that Jesus took upon Himself. He was appointed to this position by the Father.
The term, You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, in verse 6, is very strange indeed. The priesthood described in the Old Testament came from the Tribe of Levi; Jesus came from the Tribe of Judah. Here in Hebrews Chapter 5, we see that Jesus is not the same type of priest as those from the tribe of Levi. Jesus is a High Priest, after the likeness of Melchizedek.
The most important principle that we should remember regarding this mysterious King of Salem, from the Old Testament, is that Jesus’ role as our High Priest is modeled after Melchizedek.
The priests of the Old Testament all came from the Tribe of Levi. They were men appointed to minister the things of God before the people.
Melchizedek, as we are told here in Hebrews, is very different:
Hebrews 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.
Melchizedek had different qualifications from those who were priests according to the tribe of Levi.
- Melchizedek is the King of Salem (peace), which means He is The King of Peace.
- Melchizedek is The King of Righteousness.
- Abraham tithed to Melchizedek.
- Melchizedek did not have a father or a mother.
- He had no beginning and no end.
- He was made like The Son of God.
These descriptions give us a clear understanding of who Melchizedek really is, in relation to Jesus’ role as our Great High Priest, in the New Testament.
Who do we know from the Bible that can be called King of Peace and King of Righteousness, with no beginning and no end? Only Jesus could bear these titles. Does this mean that Melchizedek, in the Old Testament, was Jesus? This appears to be exactly what Paul is saying in the Book of Hebrews. It is apparent from what Paul wrote that he believed Jesus and Melchizedek were one and the same person.
The Melchizedek Priesthood
Every Old Testament priest had to come from the tribe of Levi. Why is Jesus coming from this new order of Melchizedek? Why did Jesus come from the tribe of Judah and not Levi, if He is our High Priest forever?
After the battle that Abraham fought against Chedorlaomer and three other kings, he is met on the road by Melchizedek, who brings Abraham bread and wine.
Abraham so highly regarded Melchizedek, that he paid Him a tithe of all that he had taken from these four kings. We learned previously that the name Melchizedek means King of Peace and King of Righteousness. There is no record of when He was born or the day He died.
Melchizedek is called a Priest forever.
The Book of Hebrews describes Melchizedek as being made like the Son of God. In other words, both are described in terms of being uncreated, living forever, and existing as Kings of Righteousness and Peace.
The real question is not whether Melchizedek is Jesus, but the point is that Melchizedek was a Priest like Jesus. The phrase in verse 4, made like the Son of God, comes from the Greek word, Aphomoimenos. This word is not used in any other place in the New Testament except here in verse 4 of Hebrews Chapter 7. Aphomoimenos means a facsimile, a copy, or a model.
Melchizedek was a facsimile or a copy of who Jesus is. Jesus is not a copy of Melchizedek. Jesus is the original; Melchizedek is the copy.
So in answer to the question, “Who was Melchizedek?”—He was a copy or model of Jesus. The Father was showing us, in the Old Testament, long before the sacrifices in the Temple ever came into existence, that His true intention was that His Son would be our Priest forever.
This is one of the clear truths that makes Christianity different from all other religions. Only Jesus always lives to make Intercession for us.
Consider how wonderful this is: There will never be a moment, while you are here on earth or when you enter eternity, that Jesus will fail to be praying and interceding before the Father for you.
In·ter·ces·sion is the action of pleading on somebody’s behalf. The action of attempting to settle a dispute or a prayer to God on behalf of someone else.”
Verse 4 also says: Melchizedek remains a priest forever.
There are only two people, found in the Bible, who are spoken of as remaining a priest forever: Jesus and Melchizedek. Either this is referring to the fact that Jesus is a continuation of the priesthood of Melchizedek, or that Melchizedek was actually Jesus appearing in the Old Testament. We never see Melchizedek again after Genesis Chapter 14. We do, however, read and understand that Jesus is our Great High Priest—even to the present day.
Hebrews 7:5-9 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.
The Levitical Priests
The priests of the Bible all came from the tribe of Levi. Melchizedek did not; yet, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe. When you give your tithes and offerings, you are not giving them to your church or your pastor; you are giving them to God as an act of worship and submission to His Lordship over your life. You would not tithe to a pastor. He is no greater than you; he is just a man. Both of you are equal before God.
In the Bible, we see a fundamental consistently demonstrated, that the lesser always tithes to the greater.
This principle being established, even Abraham’s future great grandson Levi from whom all priests will come, who had yet to be born, was also, through Abraham, paying tithes to Melchizedek.
Because Abraham was going to have a grandson who would eventually bring the tribe of Levi into existence, and Abraham himself tithed to Melchizedek, the effect of Abraham’s tithe means that his future descendant, Levi, from whom all priests would come was also tithing to Melchizedek.
This makes the Melchizedek Priesthood of Jesus greater than the Levitical Priesthood.
This also means that our Great High Priest, Jesus, is Superior to all of the Old Testament Priests.
Why Were Priests Necessary?
Because of the law.
- God gave His Law; man broke that law.
- Therefore, God brought legal charges against man.
- The priest acted as a representative of man.
- The priest brought both God and man together by the death of someone who would bear the penalty of the guilty owed to God.
Hebrews Chapter 7 asks the question: “If the Old Testament priesthood under Levi was perfect, what need do we have of another priesthood?”
Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
In other words, the purpose of the Old Testament priesthood was to assist man in doing something about his sin problem. If the priests given through the Tribe of Levi accomplished this goal, why then do we need Jesus to come as a different kind of priest?
Since God changed the priesthood from Levi to Melchizedek, there would also be a change in the law.
Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
Here, we learn that the Old Testament sacrifice offered by the priests of Levi were not complete. All that the animal sacrifices accomplished was to cover sin; they did not remove them. A sacrifice was required for every sin, and these sacrifices had to be offered continually.
Jesus came to end the Old Testament sacrifice by becoming a better, more complete sacrifice.
The Power Of An Endless Life
Hebrews 7:14-17 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
Jesus, coming from the order of Melchizedek, institutes a drastic change in the priesthood from the order of Aaron through the tribe of Levi. The priests under the order of Aaron were limited in how much they could do for you.
A sacrifice brought to the priest was offered to the Lord on behalf of the sinner. All that these sacrifices could accomplish was a temporary covering. Jesus brings His perfect life and offers it for you, as He lays it upon the altar of God for your sins. Because His life is eternal and of infinite value (Verse 16: the power of an endless life), His sacrifice has the power to “remove your sins as though they never existed.”
Under the old order, the titles of Prophet, Priest, and King were separate appointments that could not be held at the same time.
Jesus is revealed to us as occupying all three offices on our behalf, simultaneously. This is a precedent that is not seen anywhere else in the Bible.
Prophet:
Jesus spoke fourteen predictions during the time when He was conducting His ministry here on earth. All the words of these prophecies came to pass exactly as Jesus spoke them.
Priest:
When you come to Jesus, He can minister to all of your needs as your Priest. He can bring you to the Father, perfect and acceptable, apart from the failures of your life.
King:
Jesus is also King of kings. When we speak to Him, we are speaking to the King of the Universe. We have direct access into the very presence of God any time we desire, because our Great King has made this possible for us.
See the chapter, Prophet, Priest, and King, for an in-depth study on how Jesus fulfilled these three offices.
Since we have such a Great High Priest, a Mighty King, and an all-knowing Prophet of God, this should give us great confidence in coming to Jesus with any need we might have.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
In the Book of Revelation, those who have given their lives to Jesus before the Tribulation begins will be both kings and priests during the Millennium.
Revelation 1:6 …and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.
The priests under the order of Aaron ministered in the Temple daily. Their work never ceased.
If you study the furniture that is located in the Temple, you will see the table of showbread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. There are no chairs in the Temple. There is no place for the priests to sit, because their work of bringing sacrifices to cover the sins of the people was endless. When Jesus came by His one sacrifice, He completed the entire purpose of the Old Testament sacrifices—to remove our sins forever. Therefore, when Jesus had finished His sacrifice for us on the cross and ascended back to heaven, the Bible says that He sat down at the right hand of God.
Hebrews 1:3 Jesus, who being the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…
Hebrews 10:12 But this Man Jesus, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…
Hebrews 12:2 …looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
For a complete study on the meaning of the different components of the Tabernacle, see the chapter, A Tabernacle, a Sanctuary.
Why Did Jesus Sit Down, While The Priests Serving In The Temple Were Prohibited?
This is a further example of how Jesus’ priesthood is different from those of the Levitical priesthood. The priests of the Old Testament could never sit down because their work was never done. Jesus sat down because all the work of salvation was accomplished by His death and resurrection.
Because the Work of Salvation is finished, there is nothing else that needs to be done. This is why there is nothing you can do to make yourself acceptable to God, except to take Jesus as your Savior. When you give your life to Jesus and accept His sacrifice for your sins, you can also sit down and cease from trying to be acceptable to God by your good works.
You Are Complete In Jesus.
This is why it is a mistake for anyone to try and add further requirements to Jesus’ completed sacrifice. If a church, an organization, or an individual tells you that you must keep their rules of conduct to be acceptable to God, they are mistaken. Jesus sat down because the work is finished.
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Prophecy Fulfilled
The prophecy of Psalms 110:4 is fulfilled by Jesus as the Messiah—who is a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, not the priesthood of Levi.
Hebrews 7:13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar…
According to the Old Testament Book of the Law, the tribe of Levi was the only tribe that could represent the people before God.
Jesus is from the Tribe of Judah, the “Royal Line,” from where King David was descended. Our Lord, now being from the order of Melchizedek—all those who follow and believe in Jesus as their Messiah are also from this Royal line. When we belong to Jesus, we are also royalty—the sons and daughters of the King of the Universe.
The son or daughter of the king does not have to go through someone else to gain access to the king. Because they are a member of the king’s family, they have direct access into the throne room of the king at any time. You are the son or daughter of the greatest King in the Universe. You, therefore, have access to your Father any time you need His help, His love, His encouragement, His healing, His power, His protection; whatever you need, you can enter into His presence boldly at any time.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16
Let us also remember to live our lives like we are the sons and daughters of such a great King. Let us bring honor and glory to His name, and not shame, by the way we live.
The Law Of The Old Testament Has Been Annulled
Jesus as the Messiah, originating from the order of Melchizedek, annulled the former sacrificial law based on animals, and established a new law based on the giving of His life for us.
Hebrews 7:18-19 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
There is an annulling of the former commandment which stated that by obedience to the Law, a person could be seen as righteous before God.
The problem with the Old Testament sacrifice was that it did not have the power to make a person perfect. When the animal was brought to the Temple and offered for their sins, it did not remove those sins; it only covered them. This covering was to exist only until the Messiah came to offer His life for the sins of all people. When Jesus rose from the dead, the old law instituted by the sacrifice of an animal was ended. The new law based on the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah became effective and is the only way that God can save us today.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. (NLT)
Jesus became the one sacrifice that is so perfect, that it lasts forever. Because Jesus has paid for all of your sins if you accept His sacrifice, then you become perfect in the eyes of the Father.
The Price Has Already Been Paid
The sins of every person born on the earth have been paid in full by Jesus’ sacrifice. Salvation is available to every one of us, but this salvation is voluntary. God will not force anyone to love Him nor to spend eternity in His presence. Each individual must, of their own free will, ask God for this salvation that He has so richly made available to us in Jesus Christ.
What we decide, either for or against Jesus, will determine our eternal destiny. It is important to understand that this is the only offer God has made to redeem human beings. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, God is seeking to reconcile the world to Himself. The cost required to make this salvation available to us was so high, and the penalty exacted against Jesus for our sins was so great, that God will not permit a person to come to Him and be saved by any other way.
At the moment of death, the decision we have made during our life—either for or against Jesus—is sealed; and there is no possibility of change once we enter eternity.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
The angels who lost their right to God’s presence by their sin, all received eternal judgment without any hope of redemption. We, human beings, are a unique creation of God. We are the only beings who have been given a second chance to redeem our life, if we follow the procedure God has ordained.
There is, however, a time coming when each person who has lived their life on the earth and has had the opportunity to be saved, yet rejected Jesus, will stand before God. They will give an account to Him as to why they would not receive Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins and be saved. Each person will stand in silence before God, realizing the error they have made, and be without excuse. No one who stands before God at the Great White Throne judgement will say a word. Each person will be aware of their mistake in rejecting Jesus, and realize that there is no valid excuse that they can offer to God for why they would not receive “the love of the truth and be saved.”
It is written, concerning this Great White Throne judgment, that those who arrive at this place are there because “there was found no place for them.” They have rejected Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, so there remains no other way for them to be saved. It is at this final judgement that they will be sentenced to eternal separation from God, and depart into “the blackness of darkness forever.” They will stand before God speechless, with no ability to offer a valid excuse for why they did not receive Jesus as their Savior.
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
Jude 13 … for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
Psalms 139:4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
Isaiah 41:28 (The Lord) For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
I have spoken to many people who have told me that they don’t believe God will judge them for their sins. They have stated that if they are to stand before God, they will explain to Him why they did not receive Jesus as their Savior:
- “I didn’t know what church to go to.”
- “I didn’t really understand what God required of me.”
- “I didn’t see any evidence for God, so I didn’t believe.”
- “I was a good person during my life.”
- “I thought that I still had time to decide.”
These and many more excuses are imagined by those who expect to explain to God why they did not believe in Jesus Christ.
At the Great White Throne, no one will offer a single excuse. At that time, it will be completely obvious to all those who are present that whatever excuse they had determined to use, they will all be useless and empty. The reality is that God will not hear any defense for why a person did not receive Jesus as their Savior. In fact, God takes it as a personal insult when someone lives his entire life without acknowledging Jesus’ sacrifice as the only acceptable way to be saved.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other (than Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Imagine that you have given your only son to die for a guilty person’s crime. The person who was forgiven by the death of your son will not even stop to thank you for your gift nor acknowledge that your son’s sacrifice had any importance in his life. What would you do?
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
God Has Made Himself Known By The Things He Has Created
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…
God has given to all of us the full counsel of His word in the Bible. Everything He requires for eternal life is clear and understandable in the Bible.
Ephesians 1:7-9 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.
God has spoken to us, in these last days, by His own dear Son who has taken the penalty for our sins and died for us.
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…
There are three primary ways in which God has revealed Himself to man and His plan of Salvation:
- Through Nature, by the things He has made
- Through His Word, by the Bible—the revelation of Himself and His plan
- Through His Son, to whom He has revealed His entire purpose for mankind
If a person refuses God’s offer to save them by Jesus Christ, there remains no other way for this person to be saved.
In the parable of the wedding, Jesus describes a story in which the Father invites guests to the wedding of His Son. We see those who made light of it, others who persecuted those who came to invite them, and those who rejected the invitation—all of these people were “cast into outer darkness.”
Matthew 22:2-14 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king (The Father) who arranged a marriage for his son (Jesus), and sent out his servants (Old Testament Prophets) to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come (Rejected the Invitation). Again, he sent out other servants (Apostles/Christians), saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding (The Invitation).” ’ But they made light of it (Didn’t take it seriously/were too busy) and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, (Not only rejected the message but persecuted the messengers) treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies (Angels from heaven), destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy (Worth is by Jesus’ sacrifice). Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good (The invitation is to everyone). And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment (One who tried to come without Jesus’ righteousness). So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless (There is nothing you can say; you will know you are guilty). Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen (Few are chosen because few accept the invitation).”
Those who choose darkness and will not come into the light of Jesus’ sacrifice because they love darkness, they will spend eternity in darkness.
This is the main point of this Old Testament Prophecy:
The Messiah will be a Prophet, Priest, and King, and the only one in the history of the world who has the power, privilege, and exclusive right to save human beings.
Hebrews 7:20-22 And inasmuch as Jesus was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The LORD has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
Jesus, as the fulfillment of the Messiah, is our surety.
Sur·e·ty: “Someone who assumes responsibility for another’s obligations in case of default, particularly by giving a guarantee. The condition or quality of being sure.”
Jesus became the one responsible for our eternal life at the moment we accepted His sacrifice. It is Jesus who holds the responsibility for saving us, not we ourselves. There is nothing we can do to lose our salvation as long as we abide in Jesus for our entire life. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, except receive Jesus as our Messiah and Savior.
Notice that Jesus becoming our Surety also applies in those situations where we default, that is when we fail to be perfect ourselves. Jesus became the guarantee and the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins, so that even when we sin after we have accepted Jesus, His Blood continues to cleanse us.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation (Payment) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 1:7 … and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The blood that was shed for us on the Cross was the life of the living God, poured out for a redemption that was otherwise impossible.
Hebrews 7:23-25 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
The uttermost is the lowest place you may descend into, during your life. You can never come to a place where Jesus cannot reach you. There is no sin you could ever do that Jesus will not come and lift you out of and cleanse you from, to make you perfect and without sin.
Here is the condition to those who come to Him (vs 25):
You have to come to Jesus with your messed up life. You must make the decision that you are going to come and give Him all of the failures, disappointments, errors in judgment, misspoken words, and sins committed with your body. You must be willing to walk away from a life dominated by sin, and work towards never sinning again. Although you will sin again, a lifestyle of sin will not be a normal part of your life.
You will not, in this life, be sinless; but after you receive Jesus, you should sin less.
And to those who do come to Him, “He ever lives to make intercession for you.”
Every moment of your life, now and forever, Jesus is interceding for you…
Hebrews 7:26-28 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
There was an elderly woman who was badly crippled by arthritis. When she was asked if she suffered much, she said:
“Yes, but there are no nails here.” As she pointed to her hand, she said, “He had the nails; I have the peace.”
Then she pointed to her head, and said, “There are no thorns here. He had the thorns; I have the peace.”
Then she touched her side, and said, “There is no spear here. He had the spear; I have the peace.”
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled…who died once for us all, and has perfected us forever.
This prophecy of the Messiah coming from the order of Melchizedek is fulfilled by Jesus Christ. He is our Prophet, Priest, and King.
Categories: Jesus, Jesus is the Messiah, Melchizedek, Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus, Robert Clifton Robinson, Salvation through Jesus
Robert Clifton Robinson 
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