Prepare for Christmas: The Twelfth Day of Advent

And Who Is Melchizedek?

Thursday, December 13, 2018

No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son. . . . You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:4-6

The priesthood in the traditions of the Hebrew people was built on the call of Aaron to be the first high priest when God had given the law and set up the structure for teaching, judging, and worship for his people. And Aaron was to occupy that position for his lifetime, serving as the spiritual guide for the nation, until another was chosen to take his place – also for a lifetime.

And now we meet again a high priest – Melchizedek, and God himself speaks of his Son as being of the order of the Old Testament priest who we met back in Genesis 14 (the place where I believe we witness a theophany). And remember when Melchizedek appeared in Psalm 110? God said that Jesus would be a priest – not like Aaron for a lifetime but like Melchizedek – a priest forever! This is the Scripture that causes me to believe that what we witnessed in Genesis 14 was a theophany.

In the Scripture above, we see the eternal, called-forever high priest – Jesus! He did not come for his own glory but for his Father’s. He did not come because he wanted “the job” but because he was called. The Christmas infant grew up to be a man, a teacher, a suffering servant, our risen Lord and King. He is the only one whom God ever allowed to be both a priest and a king!

We have pastors here on earth, and we hope they are ‘the called of God.” But, like Aaron, they are called for a lifetime, and at their deaths, another will take their places. Not so with Jesus. There is no other to take his place. He is, was, and always will be our high priest. The one who knows us best, understands our needs, fears, and dreams, who waits for us to call on him, and who loves us enough to die for us is our priest forever!

Prayer: Father, the deep need in our lives is to be understood. We express ourselves poorly; we make mistakes; we struggle to be accepted. We feel alone. Remind us that our high priest is none other than Jesus Christ. Remind us to turn to the only one who truly know us. Amen.

And Who is Melchizedek?

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for Rehobeth United Methodist Church, Winter 2012,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

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