Jesus: The King and Priest Forever

Why did God say that Jesus was a priest after the order of Melchizedek? Well, it definitely had nothing to do with paying the tenth.

Melchizedek was a king of Salem and a high priest of the Most High, Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” He was without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever, an archetype of what Jesus would be. Jesus is the King and the High Priest forever because of an oath that God Himself swore.

Melchizedek wasn’t from the Levitical order of Aaron which God established through Moses. Every other high priest was selected from the people and was appointed to represent the people in matters related to God. So, when Jesus appeared being like Melchizedek, He would become a priest not on the basis of regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of an indestructible life. Perfection could not be obtained through the Levitical priesthood because it was weak in regulation because the Law made nothing perfect.

A Program of Salvation

This was necessary because the plan of salvation and redemption wasn’t a singular act. It was a program that God put in place when Adam fell. God sent Jesus to be the guarantor of a better covenant by His oath “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: You are a priest forever.” Because God knew that when the priesthood changed the Law had to change also.

There first had to come the law (The Levitical Law) given by Moses because where there is no law there can be no transgression of sin.

Then the tabernacle which was built is only a copy of the one that is not a part of creation, this tabernacle had all the regulations of worship and the sacrifice of the blood of bulls and goats and spreading of ashes for sins.

None of which cleansed the conscious of the worshipper but because the law said that without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sin.

But thank God, Christ came to be the perfect sacrifice, no need to shed blood every year, no need to have a different priest go into the Holy place. Jesus is the High Priest that lives forever and shed His own sinless blood and entered the true sanctuary with His sacrifice for us.

A Better Covenant

The Lord established the second covenant through the program of salvation because the first covenant was only in place until His coming. “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ 

In God’s program of salvation, He was never pleased with the blood of bulls and goats to redeem us. He had always planned for Jesus the perfect sacrifice to shed His blood and re-establish His Kingdom.

The cross wasn’t intended to just make a way to get us to heaven but a means to return the Holy Spirit to earth. God wanted to dwell in a temple not made by man’s hands, but it had to be cleansed so that His Spirit could dwell there.

God wants us to move toward a place of maturity in Him, not dwelling in the elementary teachings about Christ, repentance from ungodly acts and even faith in Him. He doesn’t want us stuck in religion concentrating on different rites, laying on of hands or the resurrection of the dead. God’s desire is that we understand His original intent and be effective, productive Kingdom citizens so that we can administrate His Kingdom in this world system.

This is the purpose of the restoration of the Kingdom of God in the earth, the true fulfillment of God’s will. The extension of His heavenly Kingdom into the natural realm on earth.

I hope you too will see and understand the powerful position that Christ stands in as the King and Priest forever. Please feel free to leave a comment and click this link for other Kingdom articles.