I remember the words of my seventh grade US government teacher—

“Congress creates the laws, the Executive branch serves to enforce those laws, and the judicial branches examines and adheres to the law as they judge those who come into a courtroom accused of breaking the law.  However, no law created, enforced, or judged can change the hearts and minds of people unless they themselves decide to agree and obey the laws of the land.” 

She went on to say, “You can change a law, for example, concerning prejudice and equality, but doesn’t mean people will stop being prejudice of others or stop thinking more highly of themselves than others.”  (I’m pretty sure my teacher was a believer.)

I grew up in the midst of racial unrest with demonstrations, destruction, and death over who can sit where on a bus or in a café.  I didn’t understand as a student going to public school with all colors of skin tones among my friends why grownups acted this way.  But they did.  Laws were created, but minds didn’t change.  My teacher was right.

The writer of Hebrews teaches us what my government teacher taught me!  The laws, passed down through the ages, did not change the behaviors of the people and did not bring them closer to God or make them holy and perfect.  The old law wasn’t working.  Humanity needed a new way. 

Jesus was sent from God to be The Way, The Only Way, back to God.  King of Righteousness, King of Peace, King of kings, and Lord of Lords—all wrapped up in Jesus as our Savior forever.  Jesus changed everything!

The Law convicts us of what is wrong.  Jesus saves us and makes us right with God.

Hebrews 7, The Message

Melchizedek, Priest of God

7 ^1-3 Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was returning from “the royal massacre,” and gave him his blessing. Abraham in turn gave him a tenth of the spoils. “Melchizedek” means “King of Righteousness.” “Salem” means “Peace.” So, he is also “King of Peace.” Melchizedek towers out of the past—without record of family ties, no account of beginning or end. In this way he is like the Son of God, one huge priestly presence dominating the landscape always.

^4-7 You realize just how great Melchizedek is when you see that Father Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured treasure. Priests descended from Levi are commanded by law to collect tithes from the people, even though they are all more or less equals, priests and people, having a common father in Abraham. But this man, a complete outsider, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him, the one to whom the promises had been given. In acts of blessing, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

^8-10 Or look at it this way: We pay our tithes to priests who die, but Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, the Scripture says, “lives.” Ultimately you could even say that since Levi descended from Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchizedek, when we pay tithes to the priestly tribe of Levi they end up with Melchizedek.

A Permanent Priesthood

^11-14 If the priesthood of Levi and Aaron, which provided the framework for the giving of the law, could really make people perfect, there wouldn’t have been need for a new priesthood like that of Melchizedek. But since it didn’t get the job done, there was a change of priesthood, which brought with it a radical new kind of law. There is no way of understanding this in terms of the old Levitical priesthood, which is why there is nothing in Jesus’ family tree connecting him with that priestly line.

^15-19 But the Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus, a priest like Melchizedek, not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life—he lives!—“priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.” The former way of doing things, a system of commandments that never worked out the way it was supposed to, was set aside; the law brought nothing to maturity. Another way—Jesus!—a way that does work, that brings us right into the presence of God, is put in its place.

^20-22 The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son, without explicit confirmation by God. But then God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise:

God gave his word;
    he won’t take it back:
“You’re the permanent priest.”

This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.

^23-25 Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.

^26-28 So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God’s presence in heaven itself. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice. The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Many humans down through the ages, called and equipped by God to serve as agents of His love, mercy, and grace, were not perfect but fallible in many ways.  But their faith in God showed the world who God was which led many to follow God.  We learn later in Hebrews of the “by faith” behaviors of those who obeyed God even when they didn’t understand why. God blessed them because of their blind obedience and trust.

But then Jesus—

When we see Christ, what will we see? We will see the perfect priest, “dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest,” according to what was revealed to John! (Revelation 1:13) The first readers of this message knew the significance of the robe and sash. Jesus is wearing the clothing of a priest. A priest presents people to God and God to people.

We have known other priests. There have been people in our lives, clergy or not, who sought to bring us to God. But they, too, needed a priest. Some needed a priest more than we did. They, like us, were sinful. Not so with Jesus. “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens,” the writer of Hebrews explains. (Verse 26)

Jesus is the perfect priest and sacrifice!  Before Jesus, priests could only “cover” the sins of the people with “animals without blemish” in a law specific ritual.  But, It wasn’t working.  The Law and the rituals didn’t bring people to maturity with God in relationship.  God knew it might not, so God had another Plan in place from the beginning—His One and Only Son, Jesus. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) or as Hebrews states emphatically, “He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice.” (v.28)

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—Jesus, John 14:6

“I came to serve, not to be served.”  This statement from Jesus goes much deeper for me today.  Jesus was sent to earth to seek and to save the lost.  I was one of the lost.  He served as my priest while serving up himself as the sacrifice for my sins!  There is no one like our God!  There is no one like our wonderful, loving, compassionate Savior who reconnected us to God through His ultimate service of sacrifice.  Tears are falling as I pause to think about the love for us that led him to do this for us.  Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude for giving me life now and forever!

Jesus is not only the Way to salvation which clears to the path to God’s throne; He is the only Way to a forever, intimate loving relationship with God who calls us Friend as well as Family!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Lord,

Your plan to save and redeem us is perfect in every way.  Your laws guiding our behaviors show us your ways, but Jesus—you provided the Way to God with a loving, growing relationship with you and God!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Cleanse our hearts, renew and transform our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies, and daily restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.

In Jesus Name, Amen!  Yes!