Hebrews 7

v1-3: Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the “king anointed by God,” the righteous king “who has fulfilled all righteousness and brought in eternal righteousness,” and the king of peace who “by his righteousness he made peace.” Jesus is “the priest of the Most High God,” and “it is only through his priesthood” that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. As Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to refresh Abraham when they were weary, so “our Lord Jesus meets his people in their spiritual conflicts, refreshes them, renews their strength, and blesses them.” Let us show Him “every possible response of love and gratitude”, “give him our worship,” and “submit to Him as our King.”

v4-10: “The one who gives the blessing is greater than the one who receives it.” This shows us that Christ as the one who blesses humanity, “must be greater than all the priests in the order of Aaron.”

v11-17: The Levitical priests “were weak, frail, dying creatures, unable to preserve their own natural lives,” nor “could they, by any power or authority of their own, convey spiritual life... to those who came to them.” Praise God there is another priest, in the order of Melchizedek, Christ, who has indestructible life in himself, “not only to preserve himself alive but also to communicate spiritual and eternal life” to us, if we “trust in his sacrifice and intercession.”

v18-22: We need a priest who can bring the hope of pardon and salvation. The law could not do that. All the law could do is lead us to the fulfilment, Jesus, who can “justify people from guilt... sanctify them from inner defilement,” and “purify the consciences of the worshippers from death works.”

v23-25: There is “no hour or moment” when we are “without a priest to negotiate [our] spiritual concerns in heaven.” Our high priest “continues forever, and his priesthood is unchangeable.” This means He “is able to save completely - in all times, in all cases, in every moment - all who come to God by him.”

v26-28: Behold our perfect high priest. He is holy, “completely free from sin... no sin dwells in him... not the least sinful inclination is in him.” He is innocent, “completely free from all actual disobedience... He never did the least wrong to God or people.” He is undefiled, “although he took on himself the guilt of our sins, he never involved himself in their act or blame.” He is separate from sinners, “he took on himself a true human nature, the miraculous way in which he was conceived set him apart from the rest of humanity.” If Jesus was not like this, “he could not make atonement for our sin.”