Christ's Priesthood

I. EXORDIUM:

Who is your Priest? CHRIST, the never-ending Priest.

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show CHRIST's Priesthood is not based on His Human ancestry but based on His Power to Resurrect and Live an Eternal Life.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 7:16 (King James Version)

7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

V. THESIS:

JESUS lives and breathes in me, I am living CHRIST's Life within me, I am alive as CHRIST. I am a Priest because of CHRIST, because I have CHRIST's Resurrected Life dwelling inside of me.

VI. TITLE:

CHRIST's Priesthood

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Not based on Law

"Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment,"

Law is "nomos" in Hebrew meaning "law of Moses", for according to the Law of Moses, only a Levite can be appointed as priests.

Numbers 1:49-50 (Amplified Bible)

1:49 Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number in the census of the Israelites.

1:50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its vessels and furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle [when journeying] and all its furnishings, and they shall minister to it and encamp around it.

Numbers 4:16 (Amplified Bible)

4:16 And Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the continual cereal offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its utensils.

Numbers 3:32 (Amplified Bible)

3:32 Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and have the oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary.

Hebrews 7:11 (Amplified Bible)

7:11 Now if perfection (a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper) had been attainable by the Levitical priesthood—for under it the people were given the Law—why was it further necessary that there should arise another and different kind of Priest, one after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed after the order and rank of Aaron?

And according to this verse, the law is carnal, meaning "pertaining to flesh", "bodily, temporal", "carnal, fleshly", because human ancestry is of human flesh only. If this is the basis, then CHRIST cannot be a Priest because He came from tribe of Judah (in the flesh) and not in the Levites tribe. But this is not the basis of CHRIST's Priesthood, this is the basis of human priesthood but it failed.

Colossians 2:14 (Amplified Bible)

2:14 Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

B. But based on Power

"but after the power of an endless life."

Now a much better basis is the Power to live an Endless Life and Only One can do this CHRIST -- He died, yet resurrected.

Hebrews 7:3 (Amplified Bible)

7:3 Without [record of] father or mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but, resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest without interruption and without successor.

Hebrews 7:17 (Amplified Bible)

7:17 For it is witnessed of Him, You are a Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:21 (Amplified Bible)

7:21 For those who formerly became priests received their office without its being confirmed by the taking of an oath by God, but this One was designated and addressed and saluted with an oath, The Lord has sworn and will not regret it or change His mind, You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:24-25 (Amplified Bible)

7:24 But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever.

7:25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.