Hebrews week 5 (Our Hope and High Priest)

Hebrews 6:19–20 CSB

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The Priesthood of Jesus

The “order of Melchizedek” is one of the most important priesthood themes in the Bible because it explains why Jesus is both an eternal King and an eternal High Priest.

The main passages are found in:

Genesis 14:18–20

Psalm 110:4

Hebrews chapters 5–7

Who Was Melchizedek?

Melchizedek first appears in Genesis 14 after Abram’s victory in battle.

He is described as:

“King of Salem”

“Priest of God Most High”

His name means:

“King of righteousness”

And Salem is associated with: “peace”

So Melchizedek becomes a symbolic picture of:

righteousness

peace

kingship

priesthood

What makes him unique is that he was both a king and a priest at the same time. Under the Law of Moses, those offices were normally separated in Israel.

Why Is This Important for Jesus?

Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi.

Under the Old Testament law:

priests came from the tribe of Levi

kings came from the tribe of Judah

So how could Jesus be a High Priest?

The answer is that Jesus does not belong to the Levitical priesthood. Instead, He belongs to a greater and older priesthood: the order of Melchizedek.

Psalm 110: The Prophecy

In Psalm 110:4, David prophesies about the Messiah:

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

This is significant because:

David wrote this long after the Levitical priesthood had already been established.

God was announcing a future priesthood greater than Aaron’s.

The Messiah would not merely be another temple priest. He would be:

eternal

royal

heavenly

Why is this our Hope?

1. Jesus Has an Eternal Priesthood

Levitical priests died and had to be replaced. Jesus lives forever. Because He rose from the dead, His priesthood never ends.

“He holds His priesthood permanently.” (Hebrews 7:24)

This means:

Jesus never stops interceding for believers

there is no successor to Christ

His ministry is complete and everlasting

2. Jesus Offered a Better Sacrifice

Old Testament priests repeatedly offered animal sacrifices. Jesus offered Himself once for all.

His sacrifice:

completely atones for sin

never needs repeated

opens direct access to God

3. Jesus Is Both King and Priest

Melchizedek foreshadows the union of:

throne

altar

Jesus fulfills both perfectly.

He is:

King of Kings

Great High Priest

This is spiritually powerful because Jesus not only rules with authority — He also intercedes with mercy.

4. A Better Covenant

The Levitical priesthood was connected to the Old Covenant.

Jesus mediates a New Covenant:

based on grace

written on hearts

secured by His blood

The priesthood of Melchizedek points to something eternal and heavenly rather than temporary and earthly.

Because Jesus is our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek:

We have continual access to God.Under the old covenant law, only the high priest had access to the holy place with God. But now because of Jesus, the veil has been torn, and we have the access to God that the people of the old covenant never had. Under the old covenant it was the priest job to go in and pray And intercede on behalf of the people concerning their needs and repentance. Now because of the blood of Jesus and Christ being seated at the right hand of the father, he sits, and he intercedes on our behalf. And this intercession is permanent and eternal. Salvation was never secure under the old covenant because it relied on the workings of man and their obedience on your behalf in the priesthood of old. However, because Christ is eternal, and he is the spotless perfect land as long as we remain in Christ, we have a guarantee of salvation. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice that satisfied the requirement of all other sacrifices, and because he is eternal and is raised from the dead it’s satisfied every need for sacrifice. That’s why we no longer have to make sacrifices today instead, we offer ourselves into Jesus to live for him as what Romans calls a living sacrifice.

Anchor for the soul

And this hope anchors our soul. Hope is a powerful thing. Hope is the quiet confidence that tomorrow still holds possibility, even when today feels heavy. It is the light that refuses to go out in the middle of darkness. Not because the darkness is imaginary, but because hope believes darkness is temporary. Hope says, “This is not the end of the story.”

Hope is what keeps a farmer planting seeds after a hard winter. What keeps a parent praying for a child. What keeps a weary soul getting up one more day.

True hope looks directly at pain, loss, and uncertainty—and still chooses to believe that healing, purpose, and redemption are possible. Spiritually, hope is the anchor of the soul. It ties the human heart to something greater than fear. It reminds us that even when we cannot see the path ahead, God does. Our hope is called an anchor because it is not founded on some blind optimism or ignorance. It is not us being naïve about what is going on in our life and in this world. But it is understanding that we serve an eternal priest and king that has made the ultimate sacrifice for us and rules and reigns over our lives and this world. We belong to a greater kingdom than what this world could ever offer. This hope that we have in Christ is a reminder to us that there is something better ahead. That although we may suffer in this world, we have an eternity to look forward to in heaven. Our hope is founded on truth. And that truth is Jesus Christ himself.