#DailyDevotion Jesus, the High Priest According To The Order Of Melchizedek
Heb. 5 Any high priest selected from men is appointed to represent them before God and to bring gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can be gentle with ignorant and erring people because he too is troubled with weakness 3and for that reason must bring sacrifices for sins for himself just as he does for the people. No one takes the honor of this office, but God calls a man as He called Aaron. 5So Christ didn’t take the glory of being a high priest, but it was given to Him by Him Who said: You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 6And so He said in another place: “You are like Melchizedek, a priest forever.”
This is a good place to think about your pastor (well if you have a pastor in a Church body that believes the Scriptures). A pastor doesn’t appoint himself to represent the people he ministers to before God. A pastor doesn’t appoint himself to speak for God either. God through the Church appoints a man to represent the people before God and God before the people. Hopefully, like the high priest described here, is humble enough to know he too is troubled with weaknesses and has his own sins to confess before God.
The Levitical High Priest was such a one. He is chosen by the people to represent them, to offer up sacrifices for sins, and first for his own. He should be humbled by his yearly presentation of blood for himself and his own house on the day of atonement, recognizing he needs this just as much as the people he offers a sacrifice on the day of atonement. Both pastors and high priest should be able to be gentle with ignorant and erring people.
No one takes the office of pastor or high priest. Anyone who does is a charlatan and is speaking presumptuously. He is called by God just as Aaron was called by God.
Jesus also did not take this office upon Himself. God the Father called Him at His baptism to become the High Priest before Him for the people. Of course, Jesus is begotten of the Father from all eternity according to His divine nature. He is also begotten of God according to His human nature in His baptism when the Father says, “This is my beloved Son.” Jesus is the Son according to His divine nature and according to His flesh through baptism. This is why you and I are children of God through Holy Baptism. We are joined with Jesus in His baptism (Rom. 6).
Now David’s descendant the LORD promised would be His Son. It seems David at times acted as a priest but not a Levitical priest. It is declared in Psalm 110, “You are like Melchizedek, a priest forever.” This is spoken to the one to whom it is also said, “Sit at My right until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” It is David’s son and David’s Adoni (Lord). Now Melchizedek means king of righteousness. In Genesis, he is the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and also was the priest there. Hebrews will flesh this out some more while later in the chapter. But for now, we recognize he was not a Levitical priest. Jesus, likewise, is not a Levitical priest. He is the King of Peace. He is Israel’s King. It is not in His weaknesses that He relates to us but rather as it said in ch. 4, “He was tempted in every way just as we are, only without sin.” He knows intimately what we are going through. Not only that, He goes through whatever we are going through with us. As our High Priest before the Father, at His right hand, Jesus makes intercession for us like the High Priestly prayer in John’s Gospel.
Merciful Father, we thank You for sending us, Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be our High Priest. Hear His prayers for us and have mercy upon us according to His sacrifices. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.