June 21

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

            This “King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him”; and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.” Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever… accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.  Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

            For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 7:1-27

    

            The author of Hebrews is crafting a case to the Jews who are scattered around the world about Jesus.  In this chapter he is describing Jesus in the context of one of the most sacred institutions of the Jewish faith, the priesthood.  In the modern world, we mostly view priests as men of faith who dedicate their lives toward the service of humanity and the worship of God.  They can be sources of inspiration and instruction, but they are usually not integral parts of our daily lives.

            For the ancient Jews, priests were so much more.  The priestly order was the way that believers were able to have any connection with God at all.  They offered the sacrifices.  They performed the ceremonies.  They interceded on behalf of the people.  They were the lawyers who would plead your case before the Eternal Judge and the results would be either blessings or damnation.

            The effectiveness of the priesthood was limited, however, because they were just as broken and sinful as the people that they were representing.  The author of Hebrews writes that now there has come a priest, in the same tradition as Melchizedek, that surpasses all others.  Jesus no longer needs us to offer animal sacrifices because his sacrifice covers all.  He does not need to repent and cry out for mercy for His own sins because He is guilt free.  He is the perfect representative, the perfect advocate, the perfect Champion for His people and God, the Eternal Judge listens to Him.

            We serve as Champion for our children in many settings.  It could be with the state or with the doctors or the school system or service provider agencies or even with our churches.  We lay out what our children need from each of these places.  We describe where our kids are at and how they will be able to grow best.  We have binders that are filled with medical histories and doctors’ notes and therapists’ recommendations.  We have the information.  We have the passion.  We have the motivation to see our children succeed.  And many times we leave frustrated and ignored.  If the decision makers refuse to listen to the Champion, the petition will fail.

            This is why Jesus is so important for our faith and our hope.  He is the only Champion that God trusts and listens to.  It would be as if you showed up to an IEP seeking an aide for your child and the person that you had to convince was your Dad who deeply loved both you and your child.  That would be as close to a guaranteed win as we can find in this world. 

            Jesus is our priest, our advocate and our champion.  The Father’s love for Him and for us knows no bounds.  Jesus says that no one comes to the Father except through Him.  People can trust in the quality of their life resumes.   They can trust that they have followed their religion perfectly.  They can trust their worldview.  But none of those things will stand before the Eternal Judge.  He has one Advocate alone that He listens to and believes.

            Jesus loves me and He loves you and He loves our kids.  If we choose to have Him as our Priest and Champion as we stand before the Eternal Judge…that is as close to a guaranteed win as we can find in Eternity.

A moment to reflect:

Spend some time with Jesus today.