Reading: Hebrews 7

“But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” 

-Hebrews 7:24-25

After reading Hebrews 7, you’re definitely going to be wondering... “Who in the world is Melchizedek?” I understand the question, I also had this question when reading it...sorry but I don’t have much of an answer. If you turn your Bible to Genesis 14. You will find in verses 18-20 the first mention of Melchizedek. It says in the NIV “Then Melchizedek king of Salem (Jerusalem) brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram (later renamed Abraham), saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”  

We know from the Old Testament that the priests came in the order of Aaron, through the Levitical priesthood. This is how the law was written, but yet Jesus had to come from a different priesthood, not from the order of Aaron but from the order of Melchizedek. This is because just as verse 12 says “For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.” The same priesthood existed throughout the old covenant, but Jesus, the bringer of a new and greater covenant had to come from a different order of priesthood. The text tells us in verse 16 that Jesus was not made priest based on regulation as to his ancestry, but on the basis of the fact that THIS MAN IS ETERNAL. HE IS GOD. Because Jesus has a permanent priesthood (v.24), he is able to SAVE us entirely. Jesus is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens...this man because he is perfect and because his blood was poured out for us is the FINAL ATONEMENT. Jesus, the Son, has been made perfect forever.

Thank Jesus today for his difference in priesthood, that he came and fulfilled the law of requiring that he must come from a different priesthood for the law to be changed. Jesus made a new covenant and it’s beautiful.

Romans 10:9-10 sums this up perfectly:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. “