True Better Christ in Hebrews True Better Christ

True & Better Christ in Hebrews

True & Better Christ the Permanent Priest Hebrews 7

Who Speaks to God? True & Better Questions Behind the Text • Did following Christ mean giving up the priesthood? • Was it blasphemy to even talk about anyone being better than the Levitical priests? ! • Answer from the Text: Jesus is the True & Better Priest, Because He Is Permanent.

But First, Melchizedek True & Better Hebrews 7: 1 -10 • Melchizedek was the king of Salem who Abraham encountered after his war (v. 1). • Abraham offered him a tithe of the spoils, as you would a priest (v. 2). • Unlike the Levite priests, Melchizedek had no genealogy to support his priesthood. He disappeared as suddenly as he arrived (v. 3).

But First, Melchizedek True & Better Hebrews 7: 1 -10 • v. 4, “See how great this man was!” • The Levites are the descendants of Abraham, but Melchizedek was his priest (v. 5 -6). • Melchizedek was “greater” than Abraham, who himself was greater than all the priestly descendants of Levi his great grandson (v. 7 -10). • The Point: Even the Law could talk about a priest who was greater than the Levites.

But First, Melchizedek True & Better Hebrews 7: 11 -19 • If Levite priests were so great, why do we have this story of Melchizedek (v. 11)? • If Levites priests were so great, why wasn’t the Messiah a Levite (v. 12 -14)? • The priesthood of Christ looks more like Melchizedek than Levi, and that’s great (v. 15 -19)!

An Oath True & Better Hebrews 7: 20 -22 • Priests took an oath to serve God and man. • Jesus is a greater priest because God swore his oath, not any man. • “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever. ’” • God’s oath lasts forever.

The Priests That Die True & Better Hebrews 7: 23 -25 • No matter how great a Levite priest was, he would ultimately die. • Jewish people of this time were not being served by the noble priests of the past, but the political appointees of the present. • Jesus is a priest who can save “to the uttermost, ” meaning at all times.

The Priests That Lives True & Better Hebrews 7: 26 -28 • Chapter 5 told us that Jesus is a better priest because he was obedient. • Chapter 7 tells us that we will have this priest forever. • The flawed priests served until they died. • The Son serves as priest in his death and forever more.