Behold...The King

Jesus King and High Priest

It is Christmas eve! There is a buzz in the air. The final Christmas productions, the final preparations for Christmas meal tomorrow, the final wrapping of presents or getting them cause you done forgot. All of it, so we can celebrate the final true king and high priest in our lives. Daniel prophesied it like this.

Daniel 7:13–14 CSB

I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

Here Daniel is talking about Jesus Christ and his kingdom . Behold our king is born, but not only our king but our high priest also. Those of you that normally come to our Wednesday night bible study, we did a study in Hebrews, where we learned that Christ was not born just to be king but high priest in our lives. It all goes back to this prophetic psalm

Psalm 110:4 CSB

The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “You are a priest forever according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”

To understand this prophecy, we must look at a man named Melchizedek. Let’s look at Genesis 14:17-20

Genesis 14:17–20 CSB

After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Historically, this is all that we know about this man, Melchizedek. We do get some more information about his position and what it meant in parallel to Jesus Christ in Hebrews

Hebrews 7:1–3 CSB

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

The author of Hebrews was writing to Jewish believers to encourage them to go on with Jesus and not go back to the Old Testament legal system. He was expressing that Christ established the new covenant when He was born, died and rose again. In this section of text, he is revealing the superiority of Jesus as our great high priest over the Levitical priesthood. He does that by presenting his argument to establishing the superior priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Remember, this is not about Melchizedek, but about Jesus. Jesus, our great high priest could not serve as a priest after the order of Levi, because he was of the tribe of Judah. Melchizedek was a priest of a different order long before the Old Testament Law was given. Melchizedek is a “type” of Jesus Christ. So as we examine Melchizedek, don’t fail to see Jesus in Him. Let’s examine his identity and his greatness.

Melchizedek is both a priest and a king. Jesus also was a priest and a king. None of the levitical priests could serve as a king under the Law. Nor could a king usurp the role of a priest. King Saul did and lost his kingdom. King Uzziah did and developed leprosy. While the priest influenced the king and the king the priests, their roles were different. First, we note that Melchizedek was a:

A. PRIEST: Melchizedek was priest of God Most High . The role of the priest is to represent man to God and God to man. Melchizedek was the first priest to be mentioned in the Bible. This of course was long before the giving of the Law and the Levitical priesthood.

In the New Testament, Jesus is now the one mediator between God and man. He is our perfect high priest. He is the one we pray to, the one that gives us access to God, the one and only intercessor and mediator. Next we notice that Melchizedek was a:

B. KING: The name “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness.”

Jesus is our righteousness. Jeremiah the prophet wrote:

Jeremiah 33:14–16 CSB

“Look, the days are coming”— this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will fulfill the good promise that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is what she will be named: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.

Jeremiah spoke of a branch, the prophet Zechariah spoke of how this branch, Jesus Christ,would be king and priest and that like Melchizedek, it would be a peaceful union.

Zechariah 6:12–13 CSB

You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will bear royal splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.

Melchizedek was also the king of Salem. This may be a reference to the area that would become Jerusalem. But the meaning of the term “king of Salem” is “king of peace.”

Jesus of course is our peace. He paid the price of peace. He gives us peace. There can be no real peace apart from Christ. Isaiah called Jesus, “Prince of Peace.”

C. ETERNAL ORDER: (7:3) It is interesting, that though Melchizedek was both a priest and a king, we have no record of his linage. He was: “Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

There is no record of the beginning of his days. Melchizedek suddenly appeared on the scene. While we know a much more about Jesus, He had no human father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He has always existed. He is the Eternal Christ.

Genealogies were very important to the Old Testament and to the Jewish people. Yet there is no genealogy of Melchizedek; no record of his birth or of his death. How did he die? When did he die, or did he die? Is he as some teach a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ? What is important to see here is the the Levitical priesthood had a beginning and when the Levitical priests died, their priesthood ended.

Jesus is eternal. Oh yes, we know about his birth, but the fact is, He has existed from eternity. We know about his death on the cross. But we also know about his resurrection from the dead. He ascended, and is now exalted above the heavens. He now serves as our great High Priest in the Heavenly Holy of Holies.

Moreover, when Christ went to the cross the Old Testament priesthood ended. Just a few short years after the book of Hebrews was written, Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the invading Roman armies. The Old Testament sacrifices ended. The Levitical priesthood ended. Yet the priesthood of Jesus is forever. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, but he rose again from the dead, triumphant over death and the grave. We see in Jesus the power of an endless life, therefore he has an eternal priesthood and kingship.

Hebrews 7:26–28 CSB

For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

I am going to end with this. In the book Jesus: Knowing Our Savior By Dr S. M. Lockridge He said this about Jesus as King.

My king was born king. The Bible says He is the seven-way king. He is the king of the Jews. That's a racial king. He is king of Israel. That's a national king. He's a king of righteousness. He's a king of the ages. He's the king of heaven. He is the king of glory. He's the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now that's my king.

Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my king? David said, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork." No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore less supply. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

He's enduringly strong, He's entirely sincere, He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my king. He's God's Son. He's a sinner's savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's august. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's preeminent. He's the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest idea in philosophy. He's the fundamental truth in theology. He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my king.

Church today we end our advent series on a high note, cause we now know why Jesus is Lord in our lives. It is because He is both King and High Priest. You don’t have to go to one to get to the other. They are in perfect union. And it all started with a baby crying in a barn laid in a manger.