Jesus Our High Priest: After The Order Of Melchizedek

As He saith also in another place,

Thur art a priest for ever after 

the order of Melchisedek. Who in

the days of His flesh, when He had

offered up prayers and supplications

with strong crying and tears unto Him

that was able to save Him from death,

and was heard in that He feared;

though He were a Son, yet learning

obedience by the things which He 

suffered; and being made perfect, He 

became the author of eternal salvation

unto all them that obey Him; called 

of God an high priest after the 

order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 5:6-10

     The Hebrew writer as he has been doing applies Old Testament history and in this case Melchisedec a man who we know little about inasmuch that we do know he approached Abraham, blessed him and was given tithe to him. We find no genealogy, no from where he came, or where he was going, but we do know he was a priest of God. Melchizedec was king of Salem, a place that came to be known as Jerusalem. The name Melchizedec means "king of righteousness" and his title King of Salem also means "king of peace." We know nothing of any religious rituals, but we do know that Melchizedec brought "bread and wine" for Abraham (Abram). Lack of any record for Melchizedec and this little amount of information about his background in Scripture we can only surmise that he demonstrated the same qualities as Jesus Christ. Some theologians theorize that Melchizedek was a theophany of Jesus Christ, a manifestation of deity. I do not hold to that theory for Melchizedec was a king of a certain place: Salem (later Jerusalem). 

     A key point in the book of Hebrews is that Jesus is our high priest just as was Melchizedek, one appointed by God, as this must also have been the appointment for Melchizedek. Melchizedek interceded for Abraham and Jesus Christ intercedes on our behalf. Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, the One who took on flesh as we are flesh. As a Man Jesus Christ learned obedience through suffering and by not sinning He was made perfect, the exact payment for what was lost by Adam. Obedience, this is our requirement, it is for us to discipline ourselves to obey Him for in Jesus Christ is the source of eternal salvation.

     This use of the word "fear" must be understood for in our society "fear" is not necessarily a good thing, in fact it is most often used to show a "bad feeling." This is not the Greek word used and translated as "fear;" εύλαβείας: A receiving of good godliness, a reverential fear, a holy fear. A concern or an apprehension, to be cautious. Is this not the type of fear we should display? Yes! We must never think that Jesus had any desire to sin, for He did not, He, while being man, was also God in the flesh, He could not sin, but nonetheless He was buffeted by sin, and in His manliness Satan thought that He could ruin this Messiah. What Satan must not have know was that Jesus was no ordinary man, He was God/Man. As Man Jesus kept in close contact with the Father who had sent Him, and obeyed the will of the Father even though all this world and all its problems were felt by Him and were distressing to the point of tears, tears for man who did not have this godliness but could have it if they would only obey. Obedience is the test of our Authentic Christian Faith. This High Priest, Jesus Christ, and is the Author of eternal life, asks of us to obey, and if we want eternal life then we obey and if we fail we have a Savior who know our infirmities and makes intercession for us, although we are never to abuse this wonderful intercession (Hebrews 1-:26). God has called you, will you answer? God has made all that which we need to know about Him and salvation. Will you accept what God has provided? This will require discipline, you must discipline yourself, and you must turn from sin to have this eternal life, for if not, then it is questionable whether or not you are an Authentic Christian. We are still human we make mistakes, not excuse, but we do make mistakes, we just do not do them again, and when we learn of our mistakes we turn to God, to our Savior, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. We live this life we have, but we do it by the guidance of the Holy Spirit that leads us to God's word for us to know sin, and to know what not to do, and what to do. We must do it: God will not! We are to walk in circumspect, that is to be prudent, to observe and to do. There is no alibi, there is no excuses, God will not accept them, we, and we only are responsible for our lives and for our obedience. God calls, you and I are to respond to that call. 

The LORD knoweth the days 

     of the upright: and their

inheritance shall be forever.

                 Psalm 37:18

To be the image of Jesus is obedience

Richard L. Crumb

 

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