As we have been going through the Gospel of Luke this year, we’ve been also reading quite a few passages from the Old Testament alongside to shed a light on the depth of Jesus ministry on Earth, though it’s just a little glimpse and there is so much more to learn, I’m sure. This week I was reading in Hebrews about Jesus being a Priest in the rank of Melchizedek and I thought it would make a good Communion today.
Hebrews 7:17
For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
This is a quote from Psalm 110:4.
We’ve probably all been in services in other churches where you have to go to the front to receive Communion from a priest. We don’t do that at PCC. When you take Communion here it’s a private moment between you and Lord directly. Elders don’t hand you the elements and speak words over you. It is not the intention that Elders stand between you and the Lord. Elders are at the front only to pray for the sick.
James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Here is more from the passage I read in Hebrews this week;
Hebrews 7:22-28
by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
Jesus is our High Priest in Heaven, his sacrifice was perfect, he did not sin, so his sacrifice was not for himself, it was entirely for us. So, his sacrifice on the Cross is perfect forever!
Continuing into
Hebrews 8:1-6
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
We are under a much better Covenant. Our confidence is in Christ’s perfect sacrifice who prays for us in Heaven. So we can go to the Father directly because of Him.
The only other place Melchizedek is only mentioned in the entire Old Testament is
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
The bread and the wine show that we have a meal with the Lord, because we are in fellowship with him. Meals together are what friends do. But we have something even better that is something holy, perfect, with our sins washed away, nothing between us and the Lord. Let’s pray.
