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The Greatest Priest-King of All Time
Hebrews 7:1-10
Recently, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected by his peers in the college of Cardinals to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and Pontiff - the bridge between man and God. And as Pope, he has a lot of power. According to Pope Clement VI in AD 1350, “the pope, as the Vicar of Christ on earth, possesses the same full power of jurisdiction that Christ himself possessed during his human life.” Pope Benedict XIV, in 1740 said, “though unworthy, we take the place of God on earth.” In 1870, the first Vatican council declared that “the Pope is Christ in office, Christ in jurisdiction and power. We bow down before thy voice, O Holy father, as we would before Christ himself.” So he’s a priest and king. In fact, until recently, popes were crowned with the papal tiara, also called the triregnum, because it was a triple stacked crown. It symbolizes his three realms of power as father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ - standing in Christ’s place. That’s why many Reformed confessions call the Pope the Anti-Christ. He claims power as priest and king, in Christ’s place.
But Scriptures teach that Christ alone is priest and king. He alone is the greatest priest-king of all time. No one can take his place. When he rules, he rules with compassion and mercy. When he forgives, he powerfully removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. No mere man can do that. That’s why in Hebrews, he’s already been called a priest after the order of Melchizedek three times to show his unique role. Hebrews 5 - he’s high priest and heir to the throne. He saves all who submit to him. Hebrews 6 - he anchors our soul in heaven where he reigns. So he’s a priest and king. If we go to him; he’ll save us. And finally in chapter 7, the author explains what he means by Christ being a priest after the order of Melchizedek. In the first 10 verses, we see two truths revealed about Christ through the example of Melchizedek. Firstly, our priest-king justifies and reconciles us. Secondly, our superior priest-king blesses us.
Firstly, our priest-king justifies and reconciles us. Christ is both priest and king. He makes us righteous and makes peace between God and us. To describe this role, the author uses the example of Melchizedek, who was priest and king. Verses 1-2 summarize what happened in Genesis 14 - the first time we come across him. There, we learn that Sodom and Gomorrah rebelled against her colonizers. And this federation of states responded by crushing the rebellion. But in that military campaign, Lot was captured. They brought him all the way to the city of Laish. And so Abraham raised a 318 strong army from his servants to rescue Lot. He traveled the whole length of Canaan, from Beersheba to Dan. And he managed, as one man with a small army, to slaughter the combined armies of 5 kings. He rescued Lot and returned with the spoils of war. So what they plundered from battle, now belonged to him. And on his way back, Melchizedek met with Abraham, bringing him wine and bread. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.
What do we know about Melchizedek? We know that he was a man - a real historical person. Verse 1 - he was king of Salem, the ancient name of JeruSalem. And he was priest of the most high God - performing priestly functions at Mount Zion, which he ruled, long before David ever conquered it from the Jebusites. But how did he became priest of God? Canaan was filled with pagans. Now while we don’t know the details, but we know that God calls his people sovereignly from the world. Abraham was called out of paganism. His father Terah worshiped idols. Job, wasn’t Hebrew, but worshiped God. Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s palace but chose to identify with God’s people. Jethro was priest at Midian. So too, Melchizedek, was called to be a priest. As a priest, he blessed Abraham and received a tithe - two things only priests did. But we learn why he existed. Verse 3 is says he was “made like unto the Son of God.” Meaning, his sole existence was to point to Christ. His appearance to Abraham was meant to teach us who Christ was. Now, many things foreshadow Christ in the Old Testament. The bronze serpent hanging on the pole foreshadowed Christ lifted up for all to see; the Passover lamb foreshadowed Christ’s perfect sacrifice; David foreshadowed Christ the greater David. So Melchizedek’s existence was unique. After Genesis 14, he doesn’t appear again until he’s mentioned a thousand years later in Psalm 110. And never again until Hebrews, also thousand years later. His unique existence as priest and king show us the unique ministry of Christ our priestly king.
Now, in Israel’s history, there was never a priest who was also a king. Kings did try. When King Saul offered sacrifices; his kingdom was taken from him. When Uzziah tried to burn incense in the temple, Azariah and 80 brave priests withstood him. They declared - “it’s not for you to burn incense to the Lord, but the priests - the sons of Aaron, alone. Get out of the temple! You’ve done wrong!” He was struck immediately with leprosy and until the end of his life, he couldn’t enter the temple. A king was not a priest; a priest was not a king. Except Melchizedek. And no one since him until Christ. And the scriptures predicted this double role for Christ. Psalm 110 - God said to the king, sit on my right hand and I will make you a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Also Zechariah 6:13; I paraphrase,“Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.” These are descriptions of how Christ would be a priestly king and royal priest. Both in one person.
And as priest and king, our Lord personifies righteousness and peace. As a priest-king, he’d rule in righteousness, atoning for our sins, making us righteous and give us peace with God. Again, the writer makes this point by using Melchizedek. He explain the name in Verse 2, which “first being by interpretation King of righteousness.” Melchi means king and Zadok means righteousness. He’s “also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.” Salem is derived from Shalom, meaning peace. Meaning, he’s king of righteousness and peace. This is who Christ is. Isaiah 9:6-7 - “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. And upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice (righteousness) from henceforth even for ever.” As a priest-king, he’s righteous and forgives us. 1 John 2:1 - “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He gives us peace with God. Romans 5:1 - “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” In him, there’s a union of righteousness and peace.
In Israel, there were priests and kings galore. But they weren’t righteous. Eli and his sons were corrupt, Abiathar stoked rebellion, David was a murderous man, wise Solomon unwisely married many wives. As such, they couldn’t rule righteously, nor secure lasting peace with God. They were insufficient. Priests couldn’t rest. They offered sacrifices continually - even for themselves. But Jesus is priest-king, able to make us righteous and bring peace with God. Melchizedek foreshadowed that. That’s what makes him and Christ better than all other priest of Israel.
Secondly, the author describes how our superior priest- king blesses us. As priest-king, Christ’s office is eternal. And he blesses like none other. His blessings never fail. The author demonstrates this by showing how Melchizedek’s office is eternal. We learn in verse 3 that Melchizedek was a man “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Now some say he was an angel, others the pre-incarnate Christ. Why? It says he had no father or mother, no beginning or end. Now, I encourage you to study what the various views are. But my studies have led me to conclude that the writer isn’t saying he had no parents. Nor that he didn’t have children, or that he was immortal. There are 2 points he’s making. He was saying that Melchizedek had an eternal heritage. Yes, he admits the Bible doesn’t say much. We don’t know his heritage - his father, mother, or children. And that’s unusual. The family heritage of priests was important. When Ezra and Nehemiah returned from exile, we see lists of names tracing back priestly ancestry. You couldn’t be a priest unless your father was descended from Aaron and your mother a Hebrew. Your ancestry had to be proven. But while Melchizedek’s priesthood wasn’t dependent on his lineage, his heritage was better. He was appointed directly by God. Verse 3 says his priesthood was “made”. That’s an unlimited heritage. And that describes Christ. Christ wasn’t descended from Aaron. Rather, he was from the Tribe of Judah. But more than that, he was the eternal Son of God. That’s why he could be a priest - he was appointed, just like Melchizedek. His priesthood had no limitation of the Levitical priesthood.
Also his priesthood didn’t have a beginning of days or end of life. Now, Old Testament priests had a beginning and an end. They could only start their ministry at 30 and had to retire by 50. Why? It was hard work - all the physical requirements of sacrifice, of lifting meat and waving it around. But Melchizedek had no such limits. And just like him, Christ remains a priest forever. He serves without retirement. Even now, after offering sacrifice, he’s before God beyond the veil, making intercession for us. And even when we’re in heaven for all of eternity, our Lord Jesus will continue to serve us at that marriage supper of the Lamb, breaking bread and serving us wine, illuminating heaven with his light. So there’ll never be a time when we stop needing a priest. He’s priest and king forever. His priesthood is superior to the Old Testament priesthood - it never ends. In heaven, we’ll always be reminded of his sacrifice, love, intercession, and nourishment forever. We will honor him forever.
To strengthen this point, the author shows how we should honor Christ and how he honors us. He does this by recounting Genesis 14. Melchizedek was honored and how he honored. When he met Abraham, Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils. Verse 4 - “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” To give your tithe to someone is to indicate his superiority. It’s a tribute. So Abraham acknowledged he was inferior and Melchizedek greater. It states he was so great that even Abraham the patriarch gave. And Abraham wasn’t just a patriarch, but THE patriarch - the founder of the Hebrews. Every Jew and Levite, traces his lineage to Abraham. So important, he’s called Father Abraham. But Melchizedek was greater. That’s why Abraham gave him the tithe. Now don’t misunderstand. The tithe literally means a tenth - yes. But the tenth is symbolic of the best and the whole. So when you give your tithe and offerings rightly, the heart attitude is not merely giving a tenth, you’re pledging to give your whole. What Abraham took in battle, he gave the best, the first fruits to Melchizedek. And in so doing, he was acknowledging that everything he had belonged to God. All we have belongs to God. That’s why we give our best. Abraham offered the best, the first, the cream of the crop to Melchizedek.
And he gave out of devotion which was different from the Old Testament tithe. Verse 5 says, “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham.” The people gave tithes to the priests because God commanded it. It was law. But it was between brothers - equal descendants of Abraham. No one’s superior. But Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, verse 6, so Abraham’s giving wasn’t out of legal obligation. It was done willingly and devotionally. Why? Because of Melchizedek’s worth. And the author emphasized this point verses 9-10 by comparing him with Old Testament priests. When Abraham paid tithes, Levi was present in Abraham’s genes. Therefore, in a sense, Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek. He wasn’t born yet, but was present in Abraham. And by implication, all other priests would’ve paid tithes to Melchizedek, because they descended from Levi. What’s the author’s point? There’s no priest greater than Melchizedek. All other priests pale in comparison. And if Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedek, and if Melchizedek only existed to point to Christ; then the Lord Jesus Christ deserves all our tribute. We must honor him, seek him.
Why? Because he also blesses us. Abraham gave the tithes and he was honored by Melchizedek. And this is a wonderful comparison. Who’s Abraham? He’s the one who will bless many nations. Through his seed, all the world will be blessed. So Abraham was the blesser. But Melchizedek blessed the blesser. Who’s the greater blesser? He was, verse 7. As great as Abraham was, Melchizedek was greater. And his blessing was effective. Listen to the blessing in Genesis 14:19-20 - “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.” Abraham belonged to the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. He gave Abraham victory. But God was about to do a whole lot more. Immediately after this blessing, God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. There he promised that Abraham will be a great nation. This is the order. Melchizedek the priest blessed him. God heard and promised to prosper him. This is the work of the priest. He brings peace between God and man. He ushers in God’s prosperity to man. And if Melchizedek’s sole purpose was to point to Christ, then who’s Christ? He’s a greater priest. Because of his ministry, God will pour out his spiritual blessings on us. He will never deny us anything if Christ is our priest. In Ephesians 1:3 - we see a Melchizedekian like blessing - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
Dearly beloved, how can we apply this message? These Hebrew Christians were struggling. Some had returned back to Judaism. And they said - what’s wrong? We still have priests! And if we build our nation again, we can have a king. But the point was clear - there’s no priest or king like Christ. He alone is priest-king. He makes us righteous, gives us peace with God. And because he’s God’s Son, God’ll never deny him anything - all spiritual blessings are ours. He’s the only bridge between God and man. But the people struggled to believe. We struggle to believe.
People often look to men. Citizens look to politicians to make their nations great again. Some even look to emerging eastern nations for glory. Beloved, nations will rise and fall. But Christ and his kingdom will never fall. The gates of hell shall never prevail against her. Many believers also look to religious people for leading. Yes, while God gives pastors, teachers, elders and so forth, they’re nothing compared to Christ. The Catholics wrongly look to the pope for leadership, hanging on his words and direction. But at the same time, evangelicals also revere celebrity pastors, theologians, and methods. “We need a strong leader with strong vision. We must follow their ways!” But why? Christ is superior. He’s the priest-king over his church - he’s given us his Word and Spirit. And through the preaching of the gospel, the kingdom grows from a mustard seed. We don’t know how it happens. No man or method is pontiff. Nothing will ever facilitate power, peace, or growth but Christ working in his church.
And some turn to men for assurance of forgiveness when they fall into sin. Catholics seek out priests for absolution of sin by confession and penance. But it’s the same for evangelicals. Many go for pastoral counseling - not actually to pursue genuine change in Christ; but for a quick fix or as a salve to assure their conscience. I’ve gone to someone, I’ve spoken about my problems, I’ve asked for prayer. I’m okay. But remember - there’s no comfort or assurance without dealing deeply with root issues. Blessing only comes when we deny self. When we’re completely given over to the Lord. Only when Christ is central, as our priest-king, only when we submit to him completely - giving our true tenth - then we’ll have full blessings. But if we only give our legalistic tenth - tenth of our heart, tenth of our effort, tenth of our substance, tenth of our nothing; we’re not actually seeking him - then how will we ever experience the full and eternal blessings of God in Christ? We’ll always fall short by settling for less.
Beloved, just because you go to church doesn’t mean you can go to God. Church is not a bridge builder. You won’t go to heaven just because you go to church. Young people, your parents aren’t bridge builders. Just because you’re born to Christian parents doesn’t mean that you’re going to heaven. You need a Savior. Your officers can’t be your bridge builders. Their prayers are insufficient, their preaching is weak, their wisdom is dim. But the church, your parents, your pastors and teachers can only point you to Christ - which is the only priest-king. Only in him can you be blessed with all heavenly blessings.
1. Our Priest-King Justifies and Reconciles Us
A. He is a priest and king
B. He personifies righteousness and peace
2. Our Superior Priest-King Blesses Us
A. His office is eternal
B. He is honored and honors
Conversation for Change:
- When we go through problems, what human “mediators” or confidences do we normally look to? Why is this foolish?
- If Abraham honored Melchizedek and Christ is the greater Melchizedek, what actions of Abraham instruct us of our duties to Christ?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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