|
OUR
FOREVER PRIEST Introduction: Through their ministry, the priests made it possible for God’s people to receive God’s blessings, benefit from His care, and worship Him acceptably. To do this, the priest performed two functions. First, he offered a sacrifice to restore man’s relationship to God. Secondly, through his daily ministrations he interceded on behalf of God’s people to maintain that relationship. He received their tithes. He prayed for their needs. It was his responsibility to see that their worship was acceptable to God. In everything, he was their representative before God. Today, as our High Priest, Christ performs both these functions. First, he offered Himself in sacrifice for sins "once" to restore our relationship to God. Secondly, He ever lives to make intercession for [us]. Because He exercises His office in an endless life power, His work of intercession never ceases. He is ever at God’s right hand to secure whatever we need to receive God’s blessings and enjoy His presence. I. THE PATTERN OF MELCHISEDEC’S PRIESTHOOD (VV.1-3) A. His Offices (v. 1) 1. He
was king of As a king, he ruled men. As a priest, he represented them to God. Under the law, these two offices were kept separate. One man served from the palace; another from the temple. Although Melchisedec was an ordinary man, an historical figure, God used him to picture the royal priesthood of Christ. 2. Like Melchisedec, Christ combined the offices of King and Priest. Christ came as king, was rejected as king, died as king, and is coming again as King of kings to sit on the David’s throne and rule the earth for 1000 years. Christ also came as priest, offered Himself in sacrifice, and now serves as the Believer’s High Priest before God’s throne of grace. B. His Names (v.2) 1.
Melchisedec means "King of My Righteousness." 2. As righteousness and peace met in Melchisedec, so they meet in Christ. Jesus gives us a right standing before God by identifying us with His death. He gives us right behavior by imparting to us His life. We receive peace with God when we know He died for us. We receive the peace of God when we know that He lives in and through us. C. His Uniqueness (v.3) 1. Scripture is silent concerning His genealogy. The pages of Genesis are filled genealogical listings. Yet, this same book is completely silent about the history of Melchisedec. Some people think that this means that Melchisedec was an Old Testament appearance of Christ, often called a "Christophany." However, Hebrews 7:4 clearly identifies him as a "man." He did have a father and mother. However, because he was to be a type of Christ, the Holy Spirit chose not to reveal these facts to us. Melchisedec is presented to us like the Son of God. 2. Melchisedec is a picture of the unending, unchanging priesthood of Christ. Unlike the Levitical priests, Christ is available to us 24 a day, 7 days a week, and 52 weeks a year, throughout every year of our lives. Christ’s "forever priesthood" means that we are never denied His ministry or resources. II. THE PASSING OF AARON’S PRIESTHOOD (VV.4-19) A. Its Inferiority (vv.1-10) 1. The author shows this by presenting a series of arguments. Abraham, whom the Jews considered the greatest of their patriarchs, paid a tithe to Melchisedec. By this, Abraham acknowledged the superiority of Melchisedec. Melchisedec then blessed Abraham and, as the author points out, the better always blesses the lesser. Additionally, Melchisedec’s service was not affected by death. Verse 8. Here, upon earth, the Levitical priest could only perform his duty until death. Then a successor took his place. There, which seems to point to heaven, Melchisedec still lives, and has never been succeeded in his priestly office. Since Levi descended from Abraham, he in effect paid tithes to Melchisedec. Again, this demonstrates that the priestly order of Melchisedec was greater than that of Aaron. 2. Since the order of Melchisedec is a superior priesthood, and Christ is made a priest of this order, it would be foolish to cling to that which is inferior. B Its Inadequacy (vv.11-19) 1. It
could not bring "perfection" otherwise it would not have been
necessary for God to give us another priest from a different priesthood.
Perfection holds the idea of completion. God could not complete the
work of salvation or sanctification through Aaron’s ministry. Christ
came from a different ancestry, the tribe of 2. The Aaronic priests served under the LAW. Christ serves by the means of LIFE. The Law had an inherent weakness – it could point out our unrighteousness, but it could not make us righteous. See Romans 8:2-4 Christ not only lives, but He lives in us – the Spirit of Life – to give us freedom from sin and death and fulfills in us the righteousness of the Law. See Romans 8:2-4 (Yes, Again!) This He does through the power of an endless life – His own life. This means that we are never separated from His presence or cut off from His provision. This means that we can experience uninterrupted fellowship because He maintains His life in us. III. THE PERMANENCE OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY (VV.20-28) A. Confirmed With An Oath (vv.20-22) 1. God has promised that He will not change His mind and revoke the priesthood of Christ. Repent means to change your mind. The fact that God will not change His mind is our guarantee that the priestly ministry of Christ is the final solution to the problem of sin. 2. Because Christ’s priesthood is secured with an oath, we are insured a better testament. A
testament refers to a covenant, or contract, between God and man. The
purpose of a covenant is to define the relationship between two parties.
God’s covenant with B. Continued Without A Successor (vv.23-25) 1. Under the Law, there were many priests because death eventually forced each one into "retirement." 2. As our High Priest, Christ serves in an eternal term of office. Unchangeable means without successor. Because Christ serves in an eternal office, he is able to save us fully, completely – to the uttermost. No one will ever have to step in and replace Him or "upgrade" His work. C. Conditioned Upon A Single Sacrifice (vv.26-28) 1. As a priest, Christ could find no worthy substitute to offer for man's sin, so He offered Himself. As a sacrifice, Christ could find no suitable priest, so He offered Himself. On the Cross, Christ was both the offering and the priest who offered it. 2. What Christ did there was once for all. It need never be repeated. It cannot be repeated. Because of what Christ accomplished for us, He is consecrated a priest for evermore. From now to eternity, He is the one Person who can restore God and man to a right relationship. Because of the ministry of Jesus Christ, a man need never hide from the presence of God again.
|