Jesus as Our Great High Priest

You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek

This is the Lord’s declaration, recorded for us in Psalm 110:4. This mysterious figure, Melchizedek, is mentioned eight times in the New Testament, all in Hebrews 5-7, and each time in relation to Jesus Christ.  

Who is Melchizedek?

How does this relate to Jesus?

Why is it significant for you?

We will explore these and other questions in this post.

 

Who is this Melchizedek?

Fair question.

Melchizedek is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament. The first time is Genesis 14.

For context, you might want to take a moment to read Genesis 14. There, Abram (as his name was then) is returning from his defeat of the combined armies of four kings when he meets this mysterious figure. This is what we read in Genesis 14:18-20:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.

He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek is referenced once more in Psalm 110:4.

That’s it!

There is much more that we could draw from these two texts. For now, let’s briefly survey some of what the writer to Hebrews takes from these two mentions.

 

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ

The book of Hebrews has a great deal to say about the superiority of the Son, Jesus Christ. The early chapters demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over angels, Moses, and Joshua.

F. F. Bruce states that the purpose of Hebrews is:

… to establish the finality of the gospel by contrast with all that went before it (more particularly, by contrast with the Levitical cultus), as the way of perfection, the way which alone leads [humans] to God without any barrier or interruption of access. He establishes the finality of Christianity by establishing the supremacy of Christ, in His person and in His work.[1]

Among other things, the Son is also superior to the Levitical priesthood, its sacrifices, and its covenant—and that is where Melchizedek comes in.

 

Why is Melchizedek significant?

You just read about Melchizedek. The writer of the book of Hebrews digs into Genesis 14, and here is what he writes (Hebrews 7:1-4):

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

The writer gleaned insights from the text that encourage us to be more observant when we read the Bible. Here is a sample of some of those insights, which he expands to demonstrate how they speak of Jesus Christ as our great high priest:  

Character:

Melchizedek’s name and title reveal his character as king of righteousness and peace. Hebrews 7:26-28 speaks to the character of Jesus Christ, “a high priest …who is holy, blameless, pure.”

Eternal:

Melchizedek lacks a genealogy, which the author understands as the eternal nature of his priesthood in contrast with the temporary nature of the Levitical priesthood of Israel. Hebrews 7:23-25 tells us that “because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.”

Greatness:

Melchizedek’s greatness is signified by Abraham’s giving of a tithe (7:4-10). Hebrews declares the unparalleled greatness of Jesus Christ. Chapters 5-7 expand on the supremacy of his priesthood over that of the Levitical priesthood, which began with Aaron.

We could continue with other qualities, but that will have to wait for another post. For now, let’s find out what the priesthood of Jesus Christ means for us.

 

What does this mean for us?

You might wonder why Christians need a great high priest at all. What function does he serve?

Consider Hebrews 4:14-16 for a moment:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Let’s briefly ponder who Jesus Christ is and what he does as our Great High Priest.

1. Ascended:

The great high priest is identified as “Jesus the Son of God,” who has ascended, implying his incarnation (i.e., becoming human), his life, his crucifixion, and his resurrection.

Jesus is both truly and fully God and truly and fully human, which has equipped Him to be our Great High Priest in the presence of God, our Father, as our next point highlights.

2. Suffers with us:

Because of his incarnation, Jesus was tempted in every way we are, and to the greatest extent possible, yet he remained without sin.

Peter O’Brien comments that,

Our weaknesses is a general expression that may include physical weakness or illness, social pressures, such as abuse or imprisonment, or general weakness of the flesh through which we often fall into sin.[2]

As such, he is not insulated or distant from what we suffer. On the contrary, he knows what it is to be human and is able to sympathize or “suffer with” us in our weaknesses or frailties.  

3. Approach boldly:

Confidence or boldness translates the Greek word parrēsia, meaning “freedom of speech, confidence.”

BDAG helps us with this description:

“… speech that conceals nothing and passes over nothing, outspokenness, frankness, plainness”[3]

When we read the Psalms, we are often surprised by the psalmists’ language to God and in his presence. They put it all out before God, holding nothing back. We can do the same before our Great High Priest.

4. Receive:

At the throne of grace, we “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (4:16).  

Jesus Christ, as our Great High Priest, provides everything we need to be victorious in our relationship and walk with God—if we will only come to him and ask.

As mentioned, the high priest ministry of Jesus Christ is a vast and practical subject that we should explore more deeply in the future.

For now, what do you have to add? You can contact me using this link.

 

BACK TO Jesus Enthroned as King of kings

Notes:

[1] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), lii.

[2] Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans/Apollos, 2010), 183.

[3] Walter Bauer et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 781. 

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