Jesus Has a Better Priesthood (Heb. 7)

So where in Hebrews chapter 7 and going to be speaking about Melchizedek and the author of Hebrews, his argument has been the Jesus is better so far. He's better than the Angels. He's better than Moses. She's better than Adam. He's a better King that even David. He's the Fulfillment of all the promises and now we're getting into, he's a better priest and he has a better priesthood. That's the title of the message this morning. I was thinking about Jesus his Sermon on the Mount where he says, blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are the peacemakers and that idea of being a peacemaker is a bit of a lost art in our culture, isn't it? The idea of reconciling people to one another in and bringing peace. It sure. Seems like in our culture today, there is a lack of peace and you know, I wonder if some of the new technologies and social media and the way that we can simply vent our frustrations without any consequences and speak past one another has contributed to that but we know the root causes send it it's though we were made in the image of God. Citizen of the world and caused this Brokenness. To Jesus comes in to a world in and there was no peace in in Israel at that time either. And so for Jesus to say, blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of God. He was making a pretty profound statement. There's really two responses we can have to conflict with its three responses. But two sinful responses, we can either attack or we can run away. We can either be a peace Breaker by attacking, or we can be a peace Faker by running away. And just pretending that the problems don't exist. Jesus says, blessed are the peacemakers, these people who actually bring true reconciliation and if you've ever had someone in your life who spend a peacemaker, you find yourself very grateful for them. Maybe in relationships where there's conflict in your at odds and you're not able to reconcile in in someone speaks wisdom into that situation and enables you to to have reconciliation. It becomes an incredible a benefit in a blessing to you. Now the greatest piece that we need is between us and God, of course. And what we have is Jesus is The Peacemaker between us and God the father and he does it by being our high priest. That's the argument of the book of Hebrews and remember the book of Hebrews is a sermon on Psalm 110, and so Jesus being God's Peacemaker embedded in. That idea is Jesus has a better priesthood, then all of the Old Testament priests and Psalm 110, God tells Jesus, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies, your footstool for your feet. And then he says, in verse for, you are a priest Forever After the order of Melchizedek the author of Hebrews as quoted. This verse a couple times. In fact, the rest of from chapter 7 to about 10:30 Ali, going to have an extended sermon on that idea of what it means that Jesus is a priest. Forever and in chapter 7, he leans in on that statement, after the order of Melchizedek this breaks really easily into two parts. The author shows how Melchizedek is a better priest than the levitical priests. And then he argues, because Jesus is a priest, like, Melchizedek and not like the Levites, he's a better priest. That's his whole argument. So he uses milk as a deck like a sermon illustration and talks through this kind of vague person in scripture, at least, you know, obscure person in scripture. And then he says and Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, which means he's a better priest. So, let's begin in chapter 7 verse 14, this Melchizedek king of Salem priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him to him. Also, Abraham a portion to tenth part of all the spoils was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness. And then also, king of Salem, witch is 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, he remains a priest perpetually. Okay. So the author of Hebrews pulls from this Genesis 14 account, will do you can go ahead and start turning over there, but he's going to say no cuz attack his Superior. And let me explain what his name means. His name means king of righteousness and because he's the king of Salem his name, also means king of peace and he just mentions in verse 1, the brief comment that Abraham met Melchizedek when Abraham was returning from the slaughter of the Kings. So, back in Genesis 14, we see this account and you can turn over there if you have your Bibles. Says in verse 1 of Genesis 14. It came about in the days of amraphel king of shinar arioch, king of Eleazar chedorlaomer. King of Elam chedorlaomer sounds like a stinky cheese. I don't know, title of go eme that they made war with Vera king of Sodom, in with burshia king of Gomorrah. Shin AB, king of adma and Schoenherr Burger, King Of Z Boheme and the king of Bella that is. So, are there some baby names for you? You know, if we have any other babies in the church, we Yeah. There's there's lots of names here and I will just pretend. I know how to pronounce them all. That's what I tell everybody when you're reading just confidence just say it with confidence and people will think it's correct. All these came as allies to the valley of siddim that is the salt sea, 12 years, they serve cheddar lomer. But the Thirteenth Year, they rebelled and in the 14th year chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and defeated, the rephaim's ashtaroth car nayeem and in, zuzim in em and the Ami minshaw, vekaria, thaw team, and the whole rights in Mount seir, as far as El porron, which is why the Wilderness places that don't mean much to us today. But there's this conflict. And these kings are at War, then it's going to be a battle of Four Kings. Almost Lord of the Rings Hobbit style and the king of Sodom verse 8, in the king of Gomorrah, the king of admin, the king of Zebco, even the king of Bella came out, and they arrayed for battle against verse 9 chedorlaomer, king of element idle, king of gleeman am Rafael king of shinar and Ariel king of Eleazar for Kings against five. Big battle, big war. And when the war is over, What is most important is, what happens in verse 12. Verse 11, they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed. They also took lot Abraham's nephew and his possessions and departed for he was living in Sodom. So Sodom and Gomorrah and those kings lost and lot was living in Sodom and so he's taken captive as a spoil of War. So this means Abraham is going to go to battle verse 13, fugitive came and told Abraham the Hebrew. He was living in the Oaks of mamre ammonite, brother of escal and brother of an heir. And these were allies with Abram. And when Abram heard his relative had been taken captive, he let out his trained men. Born in his house, 318, and went in Pursuit, as far as Dan he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants and defeated them and pursued them as far as a ball which is north of Damascus and he brought back all the goods and also brought back his relative lot with his possessions and also the women in the people. So Abraham Did a rescue mission with 318 men and rescued. These captives and brought him back including lot. Now, here's where we run into. Milk is a deck, brush 17th after his return from the defeat of cheddar, lomer and the King Sooper within the king of Sodom, went out to meet him at the valley of Shabba Verse 18. In milk has a deck king of Salem brought out bread and wine. And now he was a priest of the most high God and he blessed him and said, Blessed. Be Abram of God. Most high possessor of having a nurse and blessed. Be God, most high, who is delivered your enemies into your hand and he that is Abram gave him milk as a deck, a tenth of all So there it is. That's the extent of milk. Is a deck not much to go on. Well, Melchizedek is absent from scripture until you get to Psalm 110. I didn't Psalm 110, David inspired by the holy spirit says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies, your footstool for your feet. And then he says, in verse for the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever. According to the order of Melchizedek, Okay, there's all our data that's it. That's all we have on Melchizedek and the author of Hebrews then picks up on this and he says, Jesus is like Melchizedek now, I'm sort of getting ahead of the story here, but you know, that as well, what the author of Hebrews says, is this milk has a deck, was a priest of God. He was also a king. He was a king priest, he was a priest of God most high, and he was the king of Salem. That's in verse one. Now, his name comes from two Hebrew words Melech, which means, king and Sadiq, which means righteousness. So his name means king of righteousness. And then, he's also called the. King of Salem Salem is an English way of saying Shalom, which is peace. So he's the king of righteousness and he is the king of peace, and he's a king priest who blessed Abraham way back in Genesis 14 and Abraham gave 10% a tenth of the spoils from the war to Melchizedek and the author of Hebrews picks up on the story. And says, Jesus is like Melchizedek. He's a king of righteousness. He's a king of peace and he's greater than Abraham and Abraham owes, honor and glory to Jesus, just like you. And I do, he's pictured. In other words, this Melchizedek is pictured. As a type of Messiah, who is a king priest, who loves righteousness, in fact, in Hebrews 1, the author, it already said that. Jesus, loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, anointed him with the oil of gladness far above his companions. And he's also the king of Peace. Isaiah 9:6. Jesus is not just the one who brings peace. He's the Prince of Peace. That's what his name will be called, and he's the one who is the ultimate Peacemaker, who makes peace between God, and man is the argument of the author of Hebrews here in 7:3, then he brings out something interesting. He says, you know, we only got two verses on Melchizedek in Genesis 14 and we didn't know where he was born. We didn't know where, what are the end of his life was like, so, in verse 3, back in Hebrews 7, he's without father, without mother without genealogy. Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life. Another words we don't know about, no, kassatex birth is Mom and Dad. We don't know the end of his life in the author of Hebrews picks up on this and says, oh, this is also what Jesus is like, he's a turtle priest. He's a priest forever, like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually forever. And so, in the name of milk, has a deck in in the story, the author of Hebrews says, Melchizedek is superior to the levitical priests because he's the king of righteousness. He's the king of peace and he's an eternal King, and in Eternal priest, any remains perpetually, and he can't help but sneak in Old just like, Jesus, the son of God. Then in versus 4210, he says now let's look at how Melchizedek is related to Abraham verse for now. Observe how great this man was Melchizedek to whom Abraham, the patriarch gave a tenth of the choicest spoils and those indeed of the sons of Levi, who received the priests office, have commandment in the law, to collect at 10 from the people that is from their Brethren. Although these are descended from Abraham, but the one who's genealogy is not traced from them. No kiss attack collected, a 10 from Abraham and bless the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the Lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case, mortal men receive Tides but in that case one receives them of whom, it is witness that he lives on. And so to speak through Abraham, even Levi, who received tithe paid tithe free was still in the loins of his father, windmill kezdetek met him. so, you have The author of Hebrews makes this argument that Abraham blast. I'm sorry, no kezdetek blessed Abraham in Abraham gave 10 a tenth of the spoils to milk. Has a deck and because Abraham is the father of Levi down the road, and Levi is still quote in the loins of his father. As it were Levi also, then glasses or a paid tithes to Melchizedek is the nice summary. The Lesser is blessed by the greater, the Lesser is blessed by the greater, so Levi is lesser than Melchizedek that's the whole argument. He's trying to get at and even though the levitical priests are the one who receive the tides of his real and use that in the temple. They paid ties to milk has a deck.

All of the little vehicle. Priests were descended through Aaron and the greater person glasses and receives gifts from the Lesser person. And since Melchizedek is superior to Levi than any priest, like Melchizedek would be superior to Levi. It's a logical argument. So now he's moving in verse 11, to Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, which means he's Superior to Levi, which means don't ever leave. Jesus, don't ever depart from Jesus. Don't Drift Away from Jesus. Everything he had been warning earlier, Jesus is better and versus 11228 demonstrate. The superiority of Jesus as a priest. His priesthood is perfect. Look at verse 11. If Perfection was through the levitical priesthood, run the bases of it. The people received the law. What further need was there for another priest to arise, according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron for, when the priesthood has changed of necessity, there takes place a change of the law. Also, for the one concerning whom, these things are spoken belongs to another tribe with from which, no one is officiated at the altar. It was evident that our Lord was descended from Judah. The tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clear. Still if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek who is become such, not on the basis of a lot of physical requirement. But according to the power of an indestructible life for it is a test of him, you were a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So what's he getting on? Getting out here verse 11, here's the arguments for a change in the priesthood. The Levites were in perfect, Jesus is perfect. The levitical priesthood can't save it, can't deliver furthermore, inverse 12. The law in the priesthood, or woven together, and which means that the law of Moses has to also be set aside. We've talked about that before when we were in the book of Galatians. Now it's called The Law of Christ. With a change in priesthood, comes a change in the law and then he says, look at the genealogy of Jesus. He's not descended from Aaron, he's not a levitical priests. He's descended from Judah, verse 13 and 14. And the law, of Moses said, nothing about priesthood from Judah. This is another argument that the priesthood is changed, then, and verses 15 to 17. Jesus is appointed a high priest, not because of his heredity. But because of his resurrection, this is sort of the Crux of his argument verse. 16, he has become such not on the basis of law of physical requirements. Is a descendant of Levi is Heritage is his genealogy, but instead of cording to the power of an indestructible life, what's he getting at? Jesus was raised from the dead. He was exalted to the right hand of the father, he ever lives to intercede for us. And so by the power of an indestructible life of being exalted to the right hand of the father. According to Psalm 110, he is now a better priest, which is why the author then quotes. Psalm 110 verse for you are a priest forever. According to the order of Melchizedek I use this illustration a couple weeks ago.

Under the levitical priesthood, your lawyer needed a lawyer. That your priests even though he was making sacrifice for sin under the levitical priesthood, he needed someone to make a sacrifice for his own sin. In fact, he had to offer sacrifices first for his own sin then for the sins of others. That's where chapter 6 told us. But Jesus, who is perfect, who's been exalted to? The right hand of the father. He doesn't need a lawyer to advocate for him. He doesn't need a peacemaker. He is God, and he's the one who brings peace, because he is peace. He's God. This is the author of Hebrews saying, don't drift away from Jesus, don't think that you're going to go back to to the old Covenant in the law of Moses and the living to go priesthood and find a better priest. Cuz even if you had a good priest that you liked, he was going to die and be replaced probably with the priest. You didn't like But now we have Jesus who remains a priest forever. So in verses 18 and 19 on the one hand, there is setting aside of a former commandant because of his weakness and uselessness the law could never save anyone. He says, in verse 19, the law made nothing. Perfect. On the other hand, there is bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. Do Melchizedek as an illustration, and the argument that the priesthood has changed. And that Jesus is a high priest, the main points in verse 19. Don't miss it. Now we have a better hope through which we draw near to God. We are able to draw near to God. That's the whole point of having a priest. The Old Testament, the temple, the Tabernacle it had the outer Court.

Then it had it in her building. Which was the Holy place and then inside that building was a room called the holy of holies. And in the holy of holies is where the presence of God was And who could go into the holy of holies? Not just anyone, not just any priest, only the high priest, and how many times a year could that high priest go in once a year and he went in with fear and trembling and he took the blood of bulls and goats and he sprinkled it, it's in chapter 8, you'll hear about this next time, I preach in heat. They could go in once a year and offer blood. That's the closest. Anyone could get to the presence of God. But all of those rules of clean and unclean. All of the Old Testament, practices of animal sacrifice. They were not meant to push people away from God. They were meant to be a means by which people could draw near to God. So if you were an Israelite worshipping God in the old Covenant, and you went up to the Passover, and you offered up, your animal sacrifice, and you were a God-fearing, you were doing it with a clean conscience by faith, you were doing it. You would have your conscience satisfied for a year. Your sins were covered for a year and God wouldn't punish you for a year, but you knew the next year, you'd have to go up again. Jesus, on the other hand has entered into the holy place. At the right hand of the father. And he has cleansed us from our sin forever. We don't have to have sacrifices over, and over because Jesus offers himself once for all, that's a good news of the gospel and hallelujah. What a savior.

So, the main point is we have a better hope. We have a hope that will never put us to shame and were able to draw near to God. And so not only is the priesthood of Jesus, perfect his law, his Covenant is better versus 2228 and as much as it was not without a note for indeed, they became priests without a note. But he with enough through the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever, so much. The more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better Covenant. The former priests on the one hand existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by Death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently, So, Jesus is the guarantee verse 22. Of a better hope of a better Covenant. A New Covenant that was accompanied by an oath. What is a covenant? It's something stronger than a promise. The closest thing we have in our culture to a covenant is marriage When we stand before that audience, and we say, For Better or Worse in sickness and in health for richer or poorer till death, do us part what we're saying is I'm making Covenant to be with you as long as I live and nothing's going to break that common covenant, not money, not sickness, not even death until death. Do we part would break the Covenant? That's the only thing that's the goal, is this partnership? And Covenant is the closest thing we have. Stronger than a promise.

The covenants in God says, I've made a covenant. With Jesus. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. Jesus is a priest forever. That's on 110 verse 4. Now, Jesus is our priest. Which means he's our priest forever. Which means when he forgive sins are forgiven forever, when he intercedes for us, he's interceding forever, he ever lives to intercede for us, which means, if we have access to God through him, we have access forever. It's not temporary. There's there's no terms and conditions that we scroll through too fast and then click the checkbox and realize that we signed our life away or we cannot change the, you know, we can't sue anymore. I saw that Disney plus thing was in the news that if you have Disney plus you can't sue Disney. If you're injured on their premises, I don't know the details, I probably have it wrong but I thought those terms and conditions that gotcha when you had that that's not what this is like. This is god making a covenant with you through his son that you will be forgiven forever simply by believing in Jesus and that he's your high priest and you can draw near to the father And I was just preaching this morning on prayer at Luke 11 us being able to draw near means, we can ask God whatever we want. And we're always heard because we're always loved and got proven is Love by. Giving us his son, he gave us his best when we were at our worst. And Jesus is our priest. He died. Only gives us his son, he gives us his spirit in the New Covenant and that's the point. He begins to make hear that. Jesus is the guarantee of a better Covenant. He's the pledge of the New Covenant, he's guaranteeing, its effectiveness. I can remember when I had my career in town here in high school delivering pizzas that I got was given a counterfeit $20 bill, one time right over on 5th Street. And I was really bummed because I had to talk to the police. And I couldn't keep making tips, so, messed up my whole night, but then shortly after that, the $20 bill, they added that little bar woven into the side. What was that meant to be? It was meant to be a guarantee that it was a genuine $20, bill. And I can remember when that came out, I thought, well, that's that's amazing. And then it was like, I didn't want any bills that didn't have the bar because I didn't want anybody to think. I had a counterfeit bill on a why I was filled with fear but it was like, maybe I just wanted to new bills, you know I was from Vallejo. I needed some Chris dollars. But that idea of a guarantee. What is the guarantee of this New Covenant? What is the guarantee that God's going to keep his promises? What is the guarantee that he's going to forgive our sins? That he's going to bring us into his presence and we're going to be with him forever. The guarantee is Jesus. You look to the cross and you see he died for you. He bore your sins in his body on the cross so that you could be forgiven that is the guarantee of a better Covenant by which we draw near to God. He says, in verse 23, the former priests they were prevented from by Death from continuing but Jesus, verse 24 continues forever and he holds his priesthood permanently. Now, here's the mic drop from the preacher verse 25. Therefore, he is able to save forever. Those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.

That is good news. that is good news because we live in a fallen world and we still send and the world lies to us and Satan lies to us and tells us that we're not forgiving tells us that we've outs in the grace of God. That old. What did you do this week? You think God still happy with you. You think God's going to let you in his kingdom? Because of what you did? And we begin to think that maybe I'm not a Christian. Maybe God hasn't forgiven that sin, or maybe it's maybe it's sort of a lifelong sin that you've struggled with. And you think will, I don't see other Christians struggling with a lifelong stand and I do and I can't seem to shake it, man. Maybe I'm not a Christian know. If you believe in Jesus. He's your high priest and he's able to save forever. Those who draw near to God through him, why he's always interceding for you. Chino Christian that in the moment of your sin Jesus is interceding for you. Saying your ears at 8. Let me re create what might be said. At the right hand of the father, as you are sinning, Jesus is leaning over to the father and saying, father, forgive that sin? I died for that sin. That's in there, committing right now. Father, be faithful to forgive it because I died for it.

That's remarkable. And that doesn't make, you want to send the grace would abound. That doesn't make you want to just go live a crazy life that makes you want to worship, God, and gratitude and draw near to him. Because you have a savior like that. Well, he doesn't stop there. Verse 26. It was fitting for us to have such a high priest. What it was statement He didn't say it was fitting for God to make Jesus, such a high priest. He says it was fitting for us to have such a high priest. What does he mean by that? The only one that can save us to the uttermost, is a perfect high priest will, what kind of high priest was Jesus? He was holding an innocent and undefiled in separate from Sinners and exalted above the heavens. This is who he is. He's God and he's perfect. He's holy, he has no sin in him. He's undefiled, he's exalted to the heavens and he doesn't need daily verse 27, like those High priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people because this he did once for all when you offered up himself, For the wall points, men is high priest who are weak, but the word of the oath which came after the law, appoints, a son made perfect forever. So what you're saying is the rent, wash, repeat cycle of the levitical priesthood. That's over no more head and shoulders rinse wash repeat. Jesus died, once for all. He's offered once. For all Jesus has a better priesthood because he's after the order of Melchizedek and I don't think it's an accident. In verse, 28 did, what he does is rather than use. All the other names that he's used for Jesus, is he goes back to the name of sun, the law, the the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints, a son made perfect forever, because what did he say? In chapter one, God who spoke at various times in various ways to our fathers through the prophet as in these last days spoken to us in his son. So what you getting at? Jesus is our perfect high priest. He's a son, listen to him. Don't listen to Moses anymore, listen to Jesus, not as if I'm putting the Old Testament against the New Testament, we're not under the law of Moses, as a rule of life anymore. Even Moses was saying when Jesus comes listen to him, we went through that in chapter 4, What are the main purposes of this letter is to assure Christians? That their sins are forgiven, because Jesus is a perfect high priest. We don't have to go anywhere else to secure a perfect conscience. We have one who Reigns at the right hand of God and his, once for all sacrifice dealt with our sins forever. So, why would we go back to that? Why would we drift away from Jesus? This is the burden of the author. He's able to save to the uttermost. Those who draw near to God through him. If you're not yet a Christian come to Jesus is a wonderful savior. He gives you hope gives you peace. He's the Prince of Peace. He gives you his righteousness. He's the king of righteousness and he reigns forever and he brings you to God. What a glorious. Father, thank you for this time and your word. Credible that we have a Saviour like this. Would you encourage my brothers and sisters with whatever they're going through, whatever sin? They battle, whatever sins they've committed this week, they're forgiven in Christ. Jesus is a perfect high priest who is able to save to the uttermost. He ever lives to intercede for us. So, maybe not drift away from Jesus, but may we draw near to him and cling to him. As we sang, I will glory in my redeemer. That should be our boast in our glory, in our lives, not our accomplishments, not our strength, not our finances.

We boast in Jesus and him alone. I pray this in his name, amen.