True & BetterChrist in

Hebrews

True & BetterChrist the

Permanent PriestHebrews 7

True & Better

Who Speaks to God?

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.

True & Better

But First, Melchizedek

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).

True & Better

But First, Melchizedek

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.

True & Better

But First, Melchizedek

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)!

True & Better

An Oath

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.

True & Better

The Priests That Die

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.

True & Better

The Priests That Lives

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.