19. Jesus, the high priest in the order of Melchizedek

From the sermon on Monday evening October 3, 2005, the Thirty-Second Memorial Sermon

Melchizedek is mentioned in Hebrews to explain the identity of Jesus who was crucified on the cross. The author of Hebrews quoted the prophecy of David to show that Jesus was greater than Abraham.

Melchizedek was the king of Salem at the time of Abraham. Kedorlaomer, who ruled the northern area of Canaan, with other kings invaded southern kingdoms and pillaged Sodom and Gomorrah and promptly left. They also captured Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his possessions. Abraham assembled his people and attacked Kedorlaomer’s army and recovered all the goods and people. After Abraham

returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allies, the kings of the southern area, including Melchizedek, came to meet him. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought bread and wine to Abraham. (Jesus used bread and wine as symbols of his flesh and blood.) He was a priest of God Most High. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he owned (Gen. 14:18-20).

The author of Hebrews wrote: Melchizedek was greater than their ancestor, Abraham, because he blessed Abraham and received a tenth of the plunder from Abraham. He was a shadow of Jesus, as a priest forever (Heb. 7:4, 17).

God showed it to David, a king of Israel a thousand years before Jesus, who wrote it in his psalm: “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’” (Ps. 110:4).

In Hebrews, the author referred to Melchizedek in order to emphasize the Christ as the high priest without beginning of days or end of life, with quoting David’s prophecy to persuade Abraham’s descendants. The author of Hebrews knew that Jesus was the high priest in the order of Melchizedek,