Melchizedek: A Picture of Jesus

Hebrews 7

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
October 6, 2024
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes

Melchizedek is one of the most important symbols of Christ in the Old Testament. Today we will learn the striking similarities between Melchizedek and Christ and why this is relevant and crucial for you and me.

In chapter 8, verse 1, we have a summary. “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: we have such a High Priest, who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man.” In other words, we have a High Priest in the heavenlies, not like any earthly high priest.

Men needed a high priest because they needed somebody to build a bridge to God. But those men were inadequate because of their own sin. And what they did, they had to do over and over and over again. And finally, a great, glorious priest has come along.

Now, you see, to the Jew this is very important, because he knows of no way to get yourself connected with God apart from a priest. And so, the Holy Spirit says, “Christ is that perfect priest. Not only does He fit the qualifications of a priest, but he supersedes any qualifications of any priest you’ve ever seen. He’s far beyond.”

So, the Holy Spirit writes all of this about the priesthood of Jesus Christ, because this is the very heart of Judaism. He has talked about the fact that Jesus is superior to prophets, superior to angels, superior to Moses, superior to Joshua in order to show them the importance of turning to Christ and the new covenant. He shows how Jesus is superior to everything in the old covenant. But the heartbeat of Judaism is the priesthood. And if Jesus is really who He claims to be, then He must supersede Aaron. He must be better than Aaron, and He must be better than every other priest.

Now in chapter 4, verse 14, the Spirit declared that He was. Listen to it, “Seeing then that we have such a Great High Priest that has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Now, here the Holy Spirit introduces the priesthood of Christ and says, “We have such a Great High Priest. We have a Great High Priest. You don’t need the priests of Judaism anymore. You don’t need the old system. There is a Great High Priest. There is a bridge builder whose bridge stays, whose bridge remains. And once you cross that bridge, you’ll remain eternally in the fellowship of God. There is such a bridge builder, and it is Jesus Christ.

And so, in chapter 4, verses 14 to 16, He introduced Jesus as a priest. In chapter 5, verses 1 to 10, He showed that Jesus was better than Aaron. He pointed out that Jesus was better than Aaron, and that was an amazing thing.

And then He was going to go on and compare Melchizedek to Jesus, but He stopped in chapter 5, verse 11, and we’ve been studying that. And in 5:11 to 6:20, you have a parenthesis. And in that parenthesis, He says in effect, “I want to tell you about Melchizedek, but you’re too spiritually ignorant to handle it.” Now He says “mature,” and we believe and are committed to the fact that He’s talking here to unbelievers, and He’s saying, “Come on to Christ. Wake up from your spiritual sluggishness, accept the new covenant, that you might have the understanding to comprehend what I’m going to say to you.”

They must understand that Jesus is a priest of a higher order than Aaron. That Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. That’s 5:10. He just introduces that statement, and He says, “Oh” – verse 11 – “I’d like to say some things, but you’re spiritually blind.” And then He urges them to leave Judaism to come all the way to Christ. They’re right on the verge. In order that in the maturity that comes with salvation, their minds and hearts might be open to understand how Jesus relates to Melchizedek.

And so, He warns them all the way through chapter 6 to come to Christ, and then in verse 20 He gets right back to His point, “Jesus, made an High Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” And then immediately, in chapter 7, verse 1, He launches into this comparison.

Now, it’s interesting that He would say, “I can’t say this to you till you get mature,” and then immediately say it to them. If He was talking to Christians who needed to grow up, He would have had to wait a long time before He ever started chapter 7. But since the maturity that He’s talking about is the maturity that comes in salvation and is a momentary maturity, He can then say, “Now I’m going right on for those of you who know Christ.”

And so, He introduces Melchizedek, and He says, “Jesus is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Now, there’s all kinds of conjecture about who Melchizedek is. Some insist that he is an angel. And this is a common thought. However, in chapter 5, verse 1, that is done away with, because it says, “Every high priest is taken from among men.” Therefore, he couldn’t be an angel. Others suggest that he is Jesus Christ. And the reason they say that is because there is so much mystery around him. However, it says in verse 3, “He was made like unto the Son of God.” It does not say He was the Son of God. A rose is not “like” a rose; a rose “is” a rose, is a rose, is a rose. Do you agree?

There’s a difference between being like something and being that thing. And, clearly, Melchizedek is neither angel or Christ, but He is a type of Christ, a man whom God designs to use as a picture of Jesus Christ.

All we know about Melchizedek comes out of three verses in the Old Testament, and we’ll look at those in a minute. But the whole place that Melchizedek occupies in sacred history is one of the most remarkable proofs of inspiration and the unity of the Scripture as written by the divine Spirit. The whole concept of Melchizedek is an amazing insight into the fact that God wrote the Bible.

For example, in the book of Genesis, we have these three little verses about Melchizedek. A thousand years later, we find a Psalm with just a single verse about him. And in that, God Himself swears to His Son that he will be a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. That’s Psalm 110:4.

Another thousand years passes by, and another verse becomes the seed of this wonderful exposition about Melchizedek. And we can see nothing less than the divine order of the mind of the Spirit, guiding Melchizedek and guiding Abraham with a view through all of these thousands of years to coming up to a perfect picture of Jesus Christ.

Melchizedek and Abraham had no idea what was going to happen 2,000 years at least after them. And that’s – so that’s easily 2,000 years. The psalmist had no conception, and yet God knew exactly what He was doing with the person of Melchizedek. What does that tell, us my friends? It tells us the same God that wrote the book of Hebrews also wrote the book of Genesis. That’s what inspiration is all about.

Now in verses 1 to 10, He tells us about Melchizedek. Here we find two important truths: The superiorities of Melchizedek presented and the superiorities of Melchizedek proven.

First of all, they’re presented in verses 1 to 3, and the Spirit unfolds this fascinating character for us. Look at verse 1, “For this Melchizedek” just coming right off of verse 20, “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him” – we’ll stop right there.

Now, here we meet this guy, Melchizedek, and we learn a few things: king of Salem, priest of the Most High God. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed Abraham. Now, this comes directly from Genesis 14:17. You might look at it for just a moment.

In Genesis 14, verse 17, we read this, “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer” – now this is Abraham coming back after he slaughtered Chedorlaomer and his three cohort kings. “And the king of Sodom goes out to meet Abraham on his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him” – that is Abraham – “and said, “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. That’s the beginning and the end of all you’ll ever hear about Melchizedek.

The secret things belong to the Lord, additionally, our ancient faith tells us that God has provided a way for us to be connected to Him through the perfect work of Christ. Hallelujah!