The Book of HebrewsSample

 Jesus’ Superiority to Melchizedek: Hebrews 6:13-7:28

In Hebrews 6:13-7:28, the author continued his discussion of Jesus as the fulfillment of the royal priesthood of Melchizedek. Specifically, he explained that Jesus’ royal priesthood superseded, or surpassed, the Levitical priesthood. When Hebrews was written, services continued at the temple in Jerusalem. This fact raised a serious challenge to the Christian claim that Jesus’ death had ended the need for Levitical sacrifices at the temple. To answer this challenge, the author built on local Jewish beliefs that Melchizedek would end all sacrifices in the last days. But he concluded from God’s sworn oath in Psalm 110:4 that Jesus, the great son of David, was the eternal royal priest after the order of Melchizedek. Therefore, Jesus had ended the Levitical sacrificial system. 

To show Jesus’ superiority to the Levitical priesthood, the author also noted that, in Genesis 14:20, Abraham paid a tithe showing that Melchizedek was his superior. Therefore, Levi, Abraham’s descendant, did the same symbolically through Abraham. So, it was proper for Christ, as the royal high priest in the order of Melchizedek, to supersede the Levitical priesthood. Levitical sacrifices could never bring full atonement, but as the fulfillment of Melchizedek’s royal priesthood, Christ had made atonement once and for all.