Person
Melchizedek → A Greater Priest
King of righteousness, king of peace
The shadow (Old Testament)
Melchizedek appears out of nowhere in Genesis 14 — king of Salem, priest of God Most High. He brings out bread and wine, blesses Abraham, and receives a tithe from him. Then, just as quickly, he disappears from the narrative. Centuries later, Psalm 110:4 prophesies a coming priest "after the order of Melchizedek" — a priesthood that would not run through the tribe of Levi at all.
- Genesis 14:18-20— Bread, wine, blessing
- Psalms 110:4— A priest forever
The substance (Christ)
Jesus is the priest Psalm 110 promised — not from the tribe of Levi, not by ancestry, but "by the power of an indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16). His priesthood is greater than Aaron's, because Aaron's priests died and had to be replaced, and Christ does neither. This is the priesthood that lasts forever.
Apostolic commentary
Hebrews 5:6-10; 6:20–7:28 — the most extended typological argument in the New Testament.
- Hebrews 5:6-10— Designated by God a high priest
- Hebrews 7:1-28— The greater priesthood
Take it in
You need a priest who never dies, never sins, and never stops interceding for you. In Christ, you have one.