Image: A copy of the Geneva Bible, open to the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1, on display at the Biblical Heritage Gallery, Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio.
Note: Here
are some notes from the close of last Sunday’s sermon on Hebrews 7:1-4,
reflecting on how Melchizedek is a type of Christ:
“Now
consider how great this man was….”
(Hebrews 7:4).
How is
Melchizedek a type of Christ?
1. Melchizedek was a priest and king. Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King.
2. Melchizedek’s name meant “My king is
righteous.” Jesus is the true King of righteousness.
The
word righteousness can also be rendered as justification. Jesus is the King of justification. Jeremiah prophesied of him: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that
I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” (Jer 23:5).
How
did he exercise his kingship? As a
servant. His coronation was in
humiliation on the cross. His crown was
one of twisted thorn, his scepter a reed, his raiment a purple rag. But by his death he justified many.
Consider
Paul’s reflection in Romans 3:21-25 in which in he declares that in Christ “the
righteousness of God without law is manifested.”
Indeed,
he is the King of justification.
3. Melchizedek was the King of Salem, the king
of peace. Jesus is the true King of
Salem, the Prince of Peace.
He is
this in two ways:
First,
in the ultimate sense he gives us peace with God:
Romans 5:1 Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Second,
he also gives us peace within ourselves and with others:
John 14:27 Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
The
old adage is: No Jesus, no peace; Know
Jesus, know peace.
As one
cheesy church sign which I recently saw on the roadside put it: “If your life
is in pieces, look to Jesus for peace.”
4. Melchizedek met with Abraham. Jesus meets with us. He does so often unexpectedly, surprisingly,
seeming to appear out of nowhere.
5. Melchizedek was without known origins (Heb 7:3). One might say that this is not paralleled in
Jesus. Yes, he had no human father, but
he had a mother. We have his genealogy
(Matthew 1; Luke 3). But, his point is
to offer an elevated Christology. With
regard to his essence, Jesus is God. He
is the eternal second person of the God (cf. Heb 13:8). From everlasting to everlasting he is God.
6. Melchizedek was made like unto a Son of
God. Jesus is the Son of God.
7. Melchizedek represented a continuing
priesthood, unlike that of Levi and Aaron.
Jesus is the eternal priest who “ever liveth to make intercession” for
the saints (cf. Heb 7:22-25).
8. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. We give our lives to Christ as living
sacrifices (cf. Rom 12:1-2).
Now
consider how great this man is! Jesus
our King of righteousness. Jesus our
King of peace.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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