Jesus is a Priest Forever

[354 words] Jesus is “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:17). What does that even mean? Melchizedek is described earlier in the chapter as the “king of righteousness,” the “king of Salem,” and the “king of peace” (vs. 2). He is the one to whom Abraham paid tithes following his victory in rescuing Lot (Gen. 14:18-20). Due to the brevity of the historical record, of particular interest to the author of Hebrews is the fact that he is given neither beginning of days nor end of life (Heb. 7:3). Hebrews stresses the superiority of Christianity over Judaism by drawing comparisons between the two covenants. One striking difference is seen by comparing the Levitical priesthood to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. In this regard, Jesus is compared to Melchizedek to show that Christ’s priesthood is perpetual while to the Levitical priests were hindered both by death and…