Jesus the High Priest

As we come to verse 4 of Psalm 110, we see Jesus is the Priest Ministering.

“The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

“The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind…” We move from a Divine Oracle in verse 1 to a Divine Oath…nothing will change this and nothing changed it…once again, we are looking back at what David saw as future, but we see as a present reality.

God the Father says to God the Son, the King of verses 1-3, “You are a priest forever.” Kings of Israel could not be priests, but this King is the King of kings and He is the great High Priest. Notice, you are a priest forever. Kidner said this is the most significant clause of all—He is the eternal priest providing our eternal salvation.

In Hebrews 7, we find Jesus is not a priest on the basis of legal requirements concerning bodily descent but He is priest by the power of His indestructible life. And not only is Jesus the priest—Hebrews 7:24 says He holds that position permanently because He continues forever and therefore He is able to save to the uttermost because He is always at the right hand of the Father making intercession!

The priest of Israel came from the line of Levi and from Aaron, but Jesus isn’t from that line…He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Who is that? He is an obscure figure who appears in Genesis 14 and then 1,000 years or so after he appears in our Psalm and isn’t mentioned again for another 1,000 years where he shows up in Hebrews.

There is much said about him, but I think it would be safe to say he is a type of Christ…not a pre-incarnate Christ, but a type...he is a real man, but he shows us what Christ will be like. Go to Genesis 14. Abram rescues Lot and on the way back Melchizedek appears in verse 18.

First, his name means King of Righteousness.

Second, we are told that he is the king of Salem—that is literally, the King of Peace.

Then we are told, He was a priest of God Most High. This is before the Tribes of Israel were born and yet he is a priest of God.

Then in verse 19, we find he blesses Abram and then in verse 20 Abram gives him a tithe.

He is greater than Abram and greater than Abram’s offspring and he is superior to Aaron and his line of priests. Hebrews tells us in Heb. 7:3, “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” Now, what he means is we don’t know his genealogy, we don’t know his beginning or end, but that points us to Jesus who had no beginning and has no end and who as the eternal priest offers the final sacrifice and who offers a superior covenant.

Jesus is the great High Priest…He offered the great sacrifice, He paid the great price, He made real atonement, and when He finished He sat down at the right had of the Father and is even now serving as priest as He makes intercession for us…He isn’t a priest in the line of Levi…He is the King of Righteousness, the King of Peace, after the order of Melchizedek.

What an amazing Savior we have—exalted King and eternal Priest. But His exaltation back to glory isn’t the end of His story. We get a hint of this in verse 1 where the Father says, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” A day is coming when that will happen!