The Priest You Need

NOTE:

This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.

Engagement

You may have seen the story a couple months ago of an Arizona priest who got one word wrong when he “baptized” thousands of infants. Reverend Andres Arango mistakenly said, “We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son of the Holy Spirit” rather than “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. According to the Catholic Church that made the “baptisms” invalid because it is not the “we” of the congregation doing the baptizing but the “I” of Jesus Christ, working through the priest. As a result, Arango resigned from his parish and was reassigned to the task of making right the botched baptisms.

Since it’s not really relevant to our message this morning, I’m not going to address the fact that biblically speaking what Reverend Arango did was not really a “baptism”, but rather a “christening”. And I’m not going to focus on the words he used either. But what I do want to talk about is the need for a priest in our lives.

Priests have actually been around since the beginning of history, probably because man innately senses that he is incapable of approaching God on his own. In the book of Genesis, we read that other cultures had their own priests long before God appointed Aaron to be the first priest for the people of Israel.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a priest like this:

someone who is authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God

So in a sense a priest is essentially a bridge between God and people. He represents God to people and people to God. That is what Arango was supposed to be doing when he baptized those children.

Tension

So let me ask you a question this morning. And before I ask it, let me caution you to think about this before you answer:

Do you need a priest?

The answer to that question is the main idea in the passage we’re going to look at today. So I’m going to give you that answer right now and then we’ll use our passage to explain why that is the correct answer:

I need a priest and Jesus is the only one qualified to fulfill that role in my life

Truth

The passage that we’ll look at this morning doesn’t directly address why we all need a priest, so let me talk about that briefly. We’ll get to this verse eventually in our study of Hebrews, but it’s essential to understanding why I need a priest, someone who can build a bridge between me and God:

Hebrews 12:14 ESV

14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

We are commanded to strive for holiness, because without it, no one can draw near to a God who is completely holy. But the problem is that on our own none of us can achieve that kind of holiness. Most of you are probably familiar with Paul’s take on that idea:

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Because of that we need a priest who can bridge that gap between us and God. In the Old Testament, God established a priesthood for Israel. But that priesthood was always intended to be temporary and to point ahead to an eternal priesthood that would provide a permanent way to have a relationship with God. And nowhere do we see that truth so clearly expressed than in the book of Hebrews.

This morning, we’re going to return to our study of that book. Because it’s been a while since we last spent some time in Hebrews, let’s take a few minutes to remind ourselves of what we’ve learned so far.

Although we don’t know who authored this letter, the contents give us a pretty good idea of its intended audience and its purpose. The author is writing to a group of Jewish Christians who are undergoing persecution for their faith and who are considering returning to their Jewish religion. So the overall theme of the letter, which is the basis for our series title, is that Jesus is “Greater Than” every facet of their Jewish religion. He is greater than angels. He is greater than Moses. He is greater than the high priest and system of sacrifices that characterized the Jewish religious system. But these Jewish Christians were considering going back to that system. So the author of Hebrews is making the case that Jesus is the perfect great high priest and that His priesthood was far superior than the one that his readers were used to and comfortable with.

That idea is at the heart of this letter. It begins at the end of chapter 4 where we learn that Jesus is qualified to be our great high priest because even though he is fully man who was tempted just like us, He lived a sinless life. That section continues through the middle of chapter 5. At the end of that section, the author quotes from Psalm 110 and calls Jesus a high priest after the order of Melchizedek:

Hebrews 5:6 ESV

6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:9–10 ESV

9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

When we first looked at that passage back in October, I promised that we would go into a lot more detail about Melchizedek when we got to chapter 7, so this morning, that’s what we’re going to do.

Right after verse 10 in chapter 5, the author inserts what is essentially a “parenthesis” in which he warns against falling away from their faith in Jesus. He reminds his readers that they need to continue to mature in their faith and move on from spiritual milk to solid food. But now in chapter 7, he is going to return to the idea that Jesus is a high priest in the order of Melchizedek and he will continue to develop that idea all the way through the end of chapter 10.

So go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 7 and follow along as I begin reading in verse 1:

Hebrews 7:1–10 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Melchizedek is an interesting character in the Bible. He is mentioned only two places outside of Hebrews:

In Genesis 14:17-20 we read about an encounter that Abram has with Melchizedek after defeating four kings and rescuing his nephew, Lot. I’m just going to read that passage without any commentary right now, but we will come back and look at a few key elements throughout the message.

Genesis 14:17–20 ESV

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

He is also mentioned in Psalm 110, which is a Messianic Psalm. That is the verse that the author of Hebrews quoted back in chapter 5.

Psalm 110:4 ESV

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Up until the book of Hebrews that is all the information we have about Melchizedek. And yet, the author of Hebrews devotes a significant portion of his letter to explain how Melchizedek is a type of Jesus. So this must be really important.

Let me explain what I mean by a “type”.

“type” =

a person or thing in the Old Testament that foreshadows another in the New Testament.

Probably the clearest example of a type is found in Romans 5:

Romans 5:14 ESV

14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Paul specifically tells us here that Adam is a “type” of Jesus. When we say that someone is a type of Christ, we are saying that a person behaves in a way that corresponds to Jesus’ character or actions in some way. It is important to note that all types fall short of the reality of who Jesus is. But they are helpful in giving us a deeper understanding of the character and ministry of Jesus. So while Melchizedek is in no way equal with Jesus, the author uses him as an illustration to prove why Jesus is greater than any human priest.

Remember the purpose of the author’s argument here. He is trying to convince his readers not to go back to their Jewish religion and depend on any Jewish priest because that was inferior to the priesthood of Jesus. And the way he is going to make that argument is by showing them that even the priesthood of Melchizedek, though imperfect and temporary, was superior to the Jewish Levitical priesthood in every way. And since that was true, then Jesus, whose priesthood is similar, but far superior to that of Melchizedek, must be far greater than any human priest and therefore worthy of their allegiance. And that is true for us as well.

FIVE REASONS JESUS IS A SUPERIOR HIGH PRIEST

His priesthood is universal

The author of Hebrews calls Melchizedek “priest of Most High God”, the very same description we saw earlier in the account of Abram’s encounter with him:

Genesis 14:18 ESV

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

The name that God used to express his covenantal relationship with Israel was YHWH. That name is usually translated “LORD” in most of our English translations. But in both Genesis and Hebrews, Melchizedek is called a priest of “God Most High” or El Elyon, the universal name of God, the God who transcends all national distinctions, including that of Jews and Gentiles. While the Aaronic priesthood only related to Israel, the priesthood of Melchizedek was universal. I don’t think we can possibly understand just how revolutionary this idea was to the readers of this letter. It meant that the priesthood of Jesus was not just for the Jews, but also extended to the Gentiles who they despised.

His priesthood is royal

Four times in this passage, Melchizedek is called “king”. This is something that was totally foreign to the Aaronic priesthood. There was never a Jewish priest who was also a king. In fact, the Jewish priests were actually subject to kings when it came to civil matters.

But Jesus, just like Melchizedek, is both priest and king, which is exactly what was prophesied by Zechariah:

Zechariah 6:13 ESV

13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’

Although right now His kingdom is spiritual, when He returns to this earth, Jesus is going to establish a physical kingdom that He will rule over. That is something no human priest has ever done or will ever do.

His priesthood is one of righteousness and peace

In verse 2, Melchizedek is identified by his name, which means king of righteousness:

melek (king) + sedeq (righteousness)

He is also the king of Salem. Salem comes from the root word “shalom”, which means “peace”. That was likely the early name of Jerusalem. So, Melchizedek was a combination of righteousness and peace.

In Jesus, we find the perfect combination of righteousness and peace, just as Psalm 85 predicted:

Psalm 85:10 ESV

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Psalm 85 is a Messianic Psalm that reveals that in Jesus, righteousness and peace will be combined perfectly. Not only was Jesus completely righteous Himself, but through His death and resurrection, He also makes it possible for us to be clothed with that righteousness and to have peace with God. Certainly no priest of Israel could do that.

His priesthood is not hereditary

Melchizedek is actually the first priest mentioned in Scripture. He is a mysterious figure who just appears on the scene and we never see or hear from him again. Here in Hebrews, the author claims that he is without father or mother or genealogy. So some have claimed that he was an angel or possibly a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. But the words that the author uses here merely indicate that his parentage and his lineage is not recorded.

The reason that is significant is because for the Jewish priests, genealogy was everything. In order to be a priest, you had to be from the tribe of Levi and a descendant of Aaron. And just like Melchizedek, Jesus was neither. He was instead from the tribe of Judah.

The idea here is that Jesus, just like Melchizedek, was not chosen because of heredity, but instead was chosen by God because of his character. Unfortunately, throughout history, a number of the Jewish priests, who were put in office because of their lineage, proved to be men of poor character who often led the people of Israel away from God rather than leading them to draw near to Him.

His priesthood is eternal

The Jewish priests would typically begin his service at the age of 25. For five years, a priest would basically serve as an apprentice to a more experienced priest, and then, at the age of 30, he would begin to operate on his own. Then, according to Numbers 8:25, he would retire at the age of 50.

In contrast, verse 3 describes Melchizedek like this:

…having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God continues forever.

This does not mean, as some have tried to claim, that Melchizedek never died and that he is still alive today. That would make him equal with Jesus and that is clearly not the case. The author is merely pointing out that Melchizedek’s priesthood was not limited as to length of time. Again, we have no record of his birth or death, but that doesn’t mean he was not a mortal man. This is also pointing to the Messianic Psalm we mentioned earlier:

Psalm 110:4 ESV

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

The priesthood of Jesus is far superior to that of any man because He is still alive and therefore His priesthood is not limited in time. He is our high priest forever.

After all this, the author makes one last argument to cement his claim that the Jewish priesthood inferior to that of Melchizedek, and by extension, far inferior to the priesthood of Jesus. He recounts how Abraham, the ancestor of Levi and Aaron paid tithes to Melchizedek and how Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Both actions testified to the superiority of Melchizedek over the priesthood that eventually descended from Abraham.

Application

Hopefully you now see why we earlier said...

I need a priest and Jesus is the only one qualified to fulfill that role in my life

Since that is true, then let me suggest one important...

IMPLICATION FOR MY LIFE

Don’t rely on the wrong priest

Remember earlier I said that a priest is essentially a bridge to God. And regardless of whether you are already a disciple of Jesus or you haven’t yet made Him your priest by putting your faith in Him, we all have a tendency to rely on the wrong “priest” at times in our lives. Here are three of the most common, each of which proved to be an issue for the recipients of this letter:

Self

Essentially these Jewish Christians thought that there were many possible roads to God and that they could just choose whichever one they wanted. In their minds, it was easier in that culture to be a Jew than it was to be a Christian, so they figured why not just choose to go back to what was most familiar and was more acceptable in that culture.

That kind of thinking is really prevalent in our culture today, too. Most people think that there are many ways to God and that they can just choose the one that is most convenient or familiar. And even those of us who are genuine disciples of Jesus can fall into the trap of thinking that we can just live life however we want and that God is obligated to forgive us. But when we do that, we are basically saying to God that we know better than He does what is good for us and putting ourselves in the place of God.

Religion

The recipients of this letter were convinced that it would be okay to go back to the religious traditions that they had grown up with. In many ways it was a lot easier to follow a bunch of rules and engage in religious rituals than it was to follow Jesus.

The story that I shared with you at the beginning of this message shows that we are still prone to hang on to religion in our culture today. The families of the thousands of babies that were incorrectly baptized by Revered Arango, were wrongly counting on their religion to make their children right with God. And many of them were deathly afraid that because a priest had said one incorrect word that the eternal destiny of their children was in doubt. But the Bible is really clear that no religious ritual can make us right with God. Only Jesus can do that.

One of the songs we’ve learned recently, “Make Room” includes this bridge:

Shake up the ground of all my tradition Break down the walls of all my religion Your way is better Your way is better

There is nothing inherently wrong in engaging in religious activities like going to church, or giving an offering, or observing the Lord’s Supper or baptism. In fact, we are commanded to do all those things in the Bible and so we ought to do them. But I’m convinced that sometimes we need God to shake up our tradition and break down our religion so that we don’t rely upon them rather than on our great high priest, Jesus. His way is indeed better.

Heritage

This was the trap that the Jewish Christians to whom this letter is addressed were in danger of falling into. They assumed that because they could trace their ancestry back to Abraham that they were automatically God’s children. But at the beginning of his gospel, John reveals that the requirement for becoming a child of God is completely different:

John 1:12 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

No one ever becomes a child of God because they come from a godly family or because their parents or grandparents are disciples of Jesus. Someone has rightly observed that God has no grandchildren. It is up to each of us to individually make the decision to believe in Jesus and to receive Him by trusting in Him alone, and not in what someone else has done or what I have done for myself.

Action

As we close, I want to ask you the same question I posed earlier:

Do you need a priest?

Hopefully you will now answer that question “yes” and understand that only Jesus is qualified fulfill that role in your life. And recognizing that, will you take whatever steps you need to take to make that a reality in your life, whether that is putting your faith in Jesus for the first time or relying upon Him in your day-to-day life?

Inspiration

Perhaps before this morning, you had never heard of this shadowy figure named Melchizedek. But he is actually a very important person in the Bible because He reminds us that we can count on God and have hope because from the very beginning it was God’s plan to send His Son to be our great high priest, one who is superior in every way to anything or anyone else.