Melchizedek, king of righteousness, king of peace

(Hebrews 7:2) “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.  And said 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:18-19).  Many have wondered what exactly Jesus meant  when He told the  Pharisees “You search the Scriptures…and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Also what Jesus shared with the  disciples on the Emmaus road  when  “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to  “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke24:27).

In particular what is it in all of the Scriptures that we need to see in  Melchizedek the Priest of the Most High God. A concordance (an alphabetical list of the principal words used in a book) comes in handy here.  We next meet him in Psalm 110. In verse 1 we read “The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'” Through this verse Jesus identifies Himself as both Messiah and Lord (Matthew 22:42-44). Speaking of Jesus then, we read the Lord declared Him to be  “a priest forever,  according to the order of Melchizedek'” (verse 4). It's  a little puzzling, because Jesus could not a Levitical priest, a priest  under the Law,  seeing He is of the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:11; Luke 3:23-34; Hebrews 7:14).

So then Jesus is a priest of a different “order,” namely the order of Melchizedek.  This new “order” is given out of a declaration of the Lord. God is God,  and Jesus is who God says He is. He acts accordingly. Likewise,  we are who God says we believer are, namely we're saints, and beloved children of God (Ephesians 1:1; John 1:12). We  need to embrace this in our lives, and live them  out of that identity. It will change us!

But what is new about this Melchizedek order? Well,  sacrifices under the Levitical priesthood could not make anyone perfect, otherwise they would not have needed to be repeated every year (Hebrews 7:11; 10:1). Under this new order, Jesus of course,  is both priest and sacrifice,  and His one time offering perfected forever those who are being saved (Hebrews 10:14).  Secondly, concerning the “forever” part of the new priesthood,  we read that  Melchizedek  (in Jewish thought) was “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 11:3).   Melchizedek then is what we call a type of Christ, a picture,  or allegory of some deeper spiritual truth. This does not deny that He  was historical, for Joseph is also a type of Christ!  

Two further insights, firstly Jesus our High priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He  was tempted as we are, yet without sin. We can therefore come boldly before the throne of grace, to  obtain mercy and to find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4: 15, 16).  Secondly,   He always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).  

Lord Jesus,  we thank You this morning that You are our lawyer, our advocate,  and that You intercede before the Father on our behalf,  declaring the price for our sin has already been paid by Your sacrifice (1 Peter 3:18). You perfected forever those of us who are being saved. Thank You! We come boldly this morning, before Your throne to obtain mercy and help,  and to thank and glorify Your precious and Holy Name Amen