Sermon: Christ Greater than Melchizedek

Let's take a moment. And let's pray for God's blessing before we open his word together this morning.

Our Father we are thankful. As we sit and we stand here this morning that you have not left us to ourselves. Such a fallen Dark World we are in need. A word from outside of it. We're thankful that we have your voice on high. Did you speak to us by the power of your word and only the way in which your word can speak? darkened Hearts to struggling souls to wayward children grieving people

we pray that you would speak to us with your strong voice this morning. You pray this in the strong name of Christ? amen Hebrews chapter 7 verses 1 through 19 this morning. This is the holy inherent sufficient. word of God For this Melchizedek, king of Salem. Priest of the most high God met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him. And to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first.

by translation of his name king of righteousness and then he is also king of Salem that is king of peace. 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. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch give a tenth of the spoils. And those descendants of Levi who received the Priestly office have a commandment in the law to

take tithes from the people that is from their brothers though. These also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case ties are received by mortal men, but in the other Case by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself who receives

ties paid times in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Now if Perfection had been attained through attainable through the levitical priesthood for under the people received the law what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood there is necessarily A change in the laws will.

For the one of whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of milk is a dick who has become a priest not on the basis of illegal requirement concerning bodily descent.

but by the power of an indestructible life for it is witnessed of him. You are priest Forever After the order of Melchizedek. From the one hand to former commandment to set aside because of its weakness and uselessness. The law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand a better hope is introduced. through rich we from near to God Though the grass withers and the flower Fades the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God.

amen

remember when John the Baptist is preaching in John 3 and Pharisees are before him and he Begins to warn them about this coming Judgment of God, he warns the Pharisees not to say but we have Abraham as our father. It's a warning to them. Because they thought Abraham is a friend of God Abraham was the chosen man of God. Abraham was their father. And so therefore by their relation to Abraham they were saved in essence. John is saying to them do not trust yourself

and trust yourself. Abraham to question this morning for you, and I what have we entrusted ourselves to or whom have we entrusted? ourselves to I want us to remember again as we're thinking about this passage to make ourselves. Once again align with the context. What is it that writer of Hebrews is addressing remember he is warning these Hebrew Christians not to turn away from Christ and turn back to the law of Moses to turn back to Judaism to

turn back to Father Abraham. That's our context. Should they continue with Christ? Or should they return to Judaism and Moses and Abraham and so the writer launches into this discussion. What is a very curious figure here in Hebrews chapter 7?

We are trying to cover.

All this fastest teachers all the details of it, but it's safe to say that this is a very curious passage because it deals with the very curious individual it curious figure in Melchizedek. We only have two instances of Melchizedek appearing in the scriptures before an entire chapter is devoted to him by the writer of Hebrews. He appears in Genesis chapter 14, and then he will appear again in Psalm 1:10. And so our first point this morning what we have to first get

our minds around our first point is who is this mysterious figure Melchizedek? So said Melchizedek appears there in Genesis 14 and he appears literally out of nowhere on the scene a lot. The nephew of Abraham has been carried away. He is been taken captive and taking as a hostage when a coalition Army of Kings comes and fights against Sodom and this Coalition Army five kings that carry away a lot in to bondage lot and all of this possessions and all of his family members

and all of his servants. And so Abraham hears of this. Abraham decides that he is going to set out and he is going to redeem back he's going to Get lot back and all of his relatives and all of his possessions. Abraham here's the news he takes 318 of his trained Fighters 318 and these 318 go and pursuit of this Coalition army. They are the the Green Berets or the Navy Seals of Abraham's household. often think when I'm watching

little Clips or you know, you watch some of those movies where the Navy SEAL Team will go in you have these eight member teams that will go in and they will go in against a larger foe that is much more numerous and they will go into a foreign land be dropped in and they will take these hostages and they will get them out and they'll Ferry them away. Without any harm to them. Well Abraham with his small band of 318 Hebrew

Navy Seals goes in it goes in at night. And he divides his forces. and he takes lot and he takes all of his relatives and he takes all of his possessions. And he steals them away. And when the Army this Coalition Army of of Kings comes out and chases after and he defeats them in battle yet again. It's an amazing victory. The small band defeated a coalition of kings and Abraham brought not only back lot and all his possessions, but he secured additional possessions.

He was enriched through this victory. And this is then when we meet this. curious mysterious figure of Melchizedek Abraham it's passing. before the City of Salem City of peace But I think is rightfully assumed to be Jerusalem Jerusalem. the city of peace and while he is returning passing by the City of Salem with all these new possessions as the Conquering Hero he passes by and out from the city of Jerusalem Comes This mysterious figure Melchizedek.

And we're told in Genesis 14 two things about Melchizedek. And the right of Hebrews notes them here first. He was a king. He's identified as a king and two distinct ways. He's the king of righteousness and he is the king of peace. Notice the writer says in verse 2. He is first king of righteousness righteousness always precedes peace first righteousness, then peace no peace without righteousness. And where do we get that? He's the king of righteousness as the

right of Hebrews says by the translation of his name Melchizedek is a name composed of two different words Melech and satic King righteousness king of righteousness. but he's also the king of peace Is the king of Salem Salem meaning peace king of righteousness king of peace? But he isn't simply a king. We're then told secondly that he was a priest of God most high in Genesis 14 in the writer of Hebrews makes that clear in verse 3. He's King,

but he's also priest. In fact, he will bless Abraham. He will come out and he will give him bread and he will give him wine and then he will pronounce a blessing upon him. Just think of the scene in the midst of these Pagan Godless Canaanite people. You have a man who knows God most high. But doesn't just know him. He's he's a priest. of God most high that's amazing as Abraham's Victory is this is even more amazing.

Abraham is blessed by him. Which leads to an even more astounding thing and our second point? Melchizedek was Superior to Abraham because the deck was appeared Abraham. Remember Abraham is the Great conquer. He's headed home after his great victory of victory that the Lord God gave him. He was God's Victorious Warrior. He was God's friend. He was out of all the people in the face of the Earth. It was Abram who God called from the earth of the

chaldees. He chose Abram among all the men and women on the earth at that time and said Abram you're going to be my man. It's going to be through you that I'm going to make a great nation and it's going to be through you that I'm going to bless all the nations of the earth. I'm making a covenant with you. You are going to be the line through which I bless everybody. And yet when he passes Salem He's the one that's blessed.

Father Abraham It's a writer of Hebrews notes in verse 4 gives the tithe to Melchizedek and his blessed by him. Gives a tenth. Of all these spoils that he's just accrued he gives a tenth of them. To Melchizedek this mysterious priest king. Which leads the writer of Hebrews to conclude in verse 4, see how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils. The Lesser gives to the greater.

We have a rule in my family. To hard fast rule this is law. When we go to a fast food restaurant. And I treat my kids to fast food. They sit in the back seat, and they're eating I will hear from the back seat without any solicitation without any request here Dad. And there is an outstretched hand. And in that hand there will be one two if it is a good day three french fries. We call that and my family the dad tax. It's right.

It's appropriate. It's expected you give that.

Abraham knew what was right He gave what was expected? It was proper. Why because Melchizedek was Priest of the most high God and Superior to Moses. It was his do.

but the point the writer of Hebrews is trying to make is not only to show us that Melchizedek is greater than Moses. But to get to our third point that Melchizedek is greater than Levi. If we go back to verse 3, you see that Melchizedek seems to have no beginning. We know nothing of his parents or how he became a priest. Priest come from the tribe of Levi but there is no Levi yet Levi was the son of Jacob and Jacob was the son of

Isaac. And Isaac was the son of Abraham. There is no Levi, he doesn't exist. And yet Melchizedek is a priest. It's curious. A priest king he appears out of nowhere in the writer of Hebrews. Bring some the same point melchizedek's greatness is shown by the fact that he says quote he is without father. He's without mother. He's without genealogy. Where did he come from?

Now his point is not that no kids addict somehow miraculously appeared out of nowhere out of thin air. That's not his point that he wasn't somehow born of a woman or born of a man and a woman. No, that's not what he's talking about. Some in history have tried to argue that Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Son of God that it was a a what we would call christophany an appearance of Christ and the Old Testament before he

became flesh, but that would be contrary to what the writer of Hebrews says here in verse 3. He says Melchizedek resembles the son of God. He resembles him. They are two separate individuals two separate persons. His point is simply we don't know how Melchizedek became a priest. He seems to have no beginning he seems to have no end and yet he is a priest. Ah, but here's the writer's great Point. I've already shown you

that Melchizedek is greater than the neighbor him. Now. Let me show you that he is greater than Levi and he's greater than the levitical priest because Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Abraham gave his tide to Melchizedek. I grant you. It's a weird argument. But what he says look. Levi was there in Abraham. He's in his loins Abraham gave a tithe. That means Levi who's there give attire.

quesadek Is greater than Levi? He want to go back to Moses and the Lord. He went to turn back to the vertical priests. No kiss. The deck was greater.

The Writer's point is not to exalt Melchizedek. It's not why he's leading us through all of this. Is leading these Hebrew Christians through this and he's leading us through this this morning not to exalt Melchizedek to pick but to take us back all the way to the beginning of the argument. So that you and I might see the greatness of Christ. You might know the greatness of Christ.

our fourth point Jesus is a superior high priest.

The writer of Hebrews unravels some of the mystery here. The mystery of God's plan. He he mentions Melchizedek. To explain the priesthood of Christ verse 11. Now Perfection had been attained through the political priesthood what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron? Here's the issue. Jesus is not from Levi. He's not from the tribe of Levi. He's from the tribe of

Judah. This is what he's wrestling with the writer of Hebrews. This is a question. He's trying to answer in verses 13 and 14. Well says the author of Hebrews it was prophesied. You'll remember that the Christ the Messiah to come would be a priest Forever After the order of Melchizedek. Now, where's he grabbing that from As I said, there are only two passages and all the scripture that speak about Melchizedek before Hebrews chapter 7.

Well a little earlier in Hebrews, but before we get to the book of Hebrews. And that is Genesis 14 where he appears and then there is silence on the person of Melchizedek for a thousand years. You don't hear his word his name breathe for a thousand years. and then by the power of the Holy Spirit David prophesies in Psalm, 1:10 that great Messianic song that speaks about the Messiah to come. He says this Messiah that is to come

the son of David shall reign forever. He shall be king. Any shall be a priest Forever After the order of Melchizedek. He shall be a priest king Melchizedek was a type of Christ. Who is the superior High priests?

back in Genesis wrap your mind around this back in Genesis. God ordained this mysterious priest king to appear as a type a shadow of the full Revelation, that would be found in Christ who was to come Even as Abram was the shadow of a man of Faith pointing forward to the great man of faith. That would come in the person of Christ. So Melchizedek, is this priest king with no beginning and with no end who is a shadow and type

of the greater priest king who would come who has no beginning. Who has no win? Christ he's a superior high. Priest one who has no need to offer sacrifices for his own sins. Whoever lives to intercede for us. This has always been God's plan. always and God plans all things everything that happens in this world happens according to his plan.

finally the author of Hebrews makes it clear that Christ is superior to Judaism. is superior to all of it.

The New Covenant is superior to the old. Christ is greater than Judaism. It is as the writer says in verse 19 a quote better. Hope their tempted. They're tempted to return back to Levi to return back to Moses to return back to Abraham to return back to Judaism and he's saying do you not to understand that Christ is greater.

Melchizedek we find that salvation in Christ was already laid before the law was ever given. The law like Melchizedek was meant to point them to Christ. The foundation was there. As Rick Phillips helpfully said he said indeed the law of Moses with its priesthood stands upon the greater foundation of the gospel of Christ represented by Melchizedek who blessed Abraham to renounce Christ. Therefore is renounce All That the old Covenant stood

upon the source from which even Abraham received his Blessing the gospel of Christ is the foundation for the old Covenant.

Christ is not option be it was not as if the old Covenant failed that somehow didn't secure our way to God and because that didn't work God came up with an option b and that was Christ and the gospel know Christ was always option A. He does not form something novel. It is not something different rather. He is the Fulfillment of what was promised and planned from the beginning. This has always been God's plan everything that

occurs in this world happens according to his plan. All of it.

Listen The law of Moses was never the problem.

I said well why why couldn't that do it with the law was good. The laws always been good. It points in the right direction. It demands the right things. The problem is you and I we cannot and we will not abide by the law. Or sinful nature which every single one of us is born into this world with our sinful nature prohibits it and does not allow it. As Paul says in Romans 8:3 for God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his

own son. What could the law not do? It could not give us a new nature. We are sinners. And we would never abide by the law. The law was good. We were evil. and possibility we needed a new nature. Remember righteousness then peace righteousness then. Peace.

back to the vertical sacrifices that could never take away sin. The writer of Hebrews will tackle this in chapter 10 chapter 10 verse 4 we say for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. And then he goes on and verse 11 of chapter 10 and every priest stands daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. There was the continual need for continual sacrifices

to cover over sin, but they could never take away sin. Never

Why? I could they never take away sin. Because God was stingy with his grace and the old Covenant. No God, it's not stingy with his grace. There was Grace from the beginning of the old Covenant until it's fulfillment. There is one difference one major difference between the old Covenant and the New Covenant and it is what Jeremiah prophesied in Jeremiah 31. He said I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts in the

New Covenant that comes with Christ. The holy spirit is poured out upon God's people and the Holy Spirit comes into us and takes this Heart of Stone. and turns it into a heart of Flesh and he regenerates us we are born again. We are given a new nature.

He brings us from death to life. That's the writer says in verse 12. There is a change. Not that the law was abolished but that the law was fulfilled in Christ. Now in place of all these rituals and all of these external rights. We have a new internal reality. We are united with Christ. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. We have a priest king a king who is conquered us and conquered all of our enemies and we have a priest who

is atoned for us and intercedes for us everlastingly. He serves and he reigns forever. And so we can as the writer says in verse 19 draw near to God through him.

Control near the god.

It wasn't always like this. This wasn't always the case.

It was not this Freedom before.

FF Bruce them great New Testament scholar from the 20th century said this speaking about access to God he said the whole apparatus of worship associated with sacrifice and ritual and priesthood was calculated rather to keep men at a distance from God then to bring them near we have a superior. priest king Who allows us to draw near to God?

the better hope the writer says You see in Christ? There's righteousness. and peace Paul will say he is our righteousness. He will say he is our peace. He is the king of righteousness. He is the king of peace or as the psalmist will say they're in Psalm 85 in Christ in the Messiah righteousness and key and peace kiss. That come together. So you can draw near to God.

There's an interesting. picture in Exodus when Moses is out shepherding the flock and Where he goes up on the mount and when he goes up on the mountain? It's passing by and there is this. his bush burning bush and that bush Burns and yet as it burns, it doesn't consume the bush.

And when God speaks from that Bush's voice comes out and he speaks to Moses and he tells Moses I'm sending you down to Egypt to be my redeemer and Moses is same but who shall I say sent me and you remember what God says. He says the Divine name there. He says you shall say I am who I am.

I am

name the voice that comes from the bush.

a bush itself is picturing what he said I am.

To fire was present but the fire was independent of the Bush for its existence. There is none like me I am I exist not due to any other. I'm dependent upon no other I was never called. Just like the bush could be on fire and though it needed nothing to be on fire. It consumed nothing it just was. So he is I am. And yet he is the I am that reveals himself to his people for his people. Is it any wonder that when we come to the Eternal

High Priests of the most high God that he is not dependent upon genealogy. He's not dependent upon mother or father or being part of a line or ordination from human hands. He has no beginning. He has no end. He simply is He is high priest of the most high God and he reveals himself to us. for us

why? So we might draw near.

We might draw near to God.

God desires us to draw near him.

very practically just ask you. Have you drawn near to God?

If you draw near to God.

Spirit come upon you regenerated you

Christ your priest king

so that you could draw near to God.

Have you drawn near to God?

and if you have to continue to draw near

There are a lot of Christians it seems to me. I think well, I drew near to God at the foot of the cross came to saving faith in Christ, but you know what? I am a mess of a Christian I'm such a fool of a Christian I'm not a very good son. I'm not a very good daughter and so he would want me to stay a little bit at armsling.

Let me use a little stingy with. with his affection towards wayward children

you don't quite draw near.

Do you think? That is this gun.

He sends his only begotten son. Live and to die as we celebrate this week to be resurrected so that you and I might draw near. And not just draw near once but draw near over and over and over for all the eternity.

He came so you could draw near. Do you draw near in prayer?

to embarrassed to pray ashamed to pray grow near you draw near and reading the word. Ah, not even living what I already know from the word. grown near through reading the word

you draw near and come into worship here weekend and week out. We're You think I didn't have a good week this week or I wasn't good last night. Oh. I can't go to worship today or do you draw near?

the person of the sun you can draw near

I think all this is a little silly. Why are we talking about Judaism and talking about? The law and levitical Priests and sacrifices and I don't have any temptation to go back to Judaism where to go to Judaism. I'm not a Jew. by most of us in this room And yet the Temptation is very real for you and I just looks a little different. Rick Phillips said it this way. So many Christians seem more comfortable with an Old Testament

spirituality than with a New Covenant Life. We would rather gaze upon God's work. And some other person. like the Israelites staring at Moses We're fascinated with our favorite preachers or musicians. Glorying in them a spiritual celebrities, but we do not worship God and find our whole portion in him to whom Christ brings us by his present Ministry of the spirit yet. This is the goal of the better. Hope the end for which Christ died and rose again that

we would roll near to God through him.

Are you drawing near to God through him? This is the great scene he has blessed us with

If you're drawn near and are you drawing near time and time again? the god through him

pray

father

we thank you this morning for such a great Priestly King.

Give you praise Lord Jesus greater than Melchizedek greater than Levi greater than even Abraham. greater than the angels and the archanges

we exalt you this morning as the great priest king for all of eternity. And how thankful we are. To have given us yourself that we might draw near to yours and our father. forevermore In Christ's name we pray. in