Introduction: And Who Is Melchizedek?

Saturday, December 1, 2018

And Who Is Melchizedek?

An Advent Devotional Guide

Introduction

Written by Patience Fort

Many of my readers knew my mother, Patience Nave. When she was 50 years old, she graduated from Western Kentucky University with her Bachelor’s degree. Bill and I graduated at the same time. She went on to earn her Masters in English and then taught in South America, China, and Florida. In her latter years, after serving for eight years on the Citrus County School Board in Homosassa, Florida, she began a short career as Education Coordinator/Minister in two churches: Homosassa First United Methodist Church and Rehobeth United Methodist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.

As a minister in church education, mother did all kinds of things. She went to Haiti I-don’t-know-how-many times. She wrote the curriculum for and directed vacation Bible schools. She discipled many. And she taught countless Bible study classes.

Some of the things that I cherish from Mother’s years at her churches in Florida and North Carolina are the devotional guides she developed for Advent and Lent.  I have about six years of them. And now I enjoy reproducing them on my blog for all to read and enjoy.

This particular devotional guide is from December of 2012. It was her final Christmas at Rehobeth before moving to Richmond, Kentucky to be with us. Here is an excerpt from her introduction.

I’ve never before written about the theme I’ve chosen this year for Advent. This Christmas, I am going to try to take us to pictures of Jesus that we may not have thought of before – high and lifted up as the great, eternal High Priest of God. I’ll confess as I begin that I am a little threatened because I am not sure I am up to the task. As I have prayed about the theme, however, I keep being reminded of an Old Testament verse that has nothing to do with our usual thinking of Christmas: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4).

We seldom, if ever, refer to Jesus as our Priest or our High Priest. Maybe that’s because the Orthodox, Catholic, and Episcopal Churches refer to their clergy as Priests, and we are careful to maintain our Protestant position. We forget – or maybe even do not know – that the Old Testament spoke of the Messiah in a very exalted role – that of High Priest. I hope that being reminded of that brings a fresh awe to the humble birth of this lovely Hebrew baby who would be the Great High Priest of all believers – the Great High Priest of God.

As you prepare for Christmas 2018, my prayer is that this devotional guide will bless you beyond measure – that you will see our Lord in a whole new light – and that you will reflect His light to the people around you in the days to come.