The Priesthood of Christ

It is important to note that Christ is not only the King who rules but also a priest:

"The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'" (Psalm 110:2, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).

Melchizedek, in Hebrew means, "King of righteousness". He is a type of Christ. Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek which is separated from the Old Testament Levitical Priesthood. In fact the comparison between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is linked to the different order of priesthood.

Contrast between the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood

Before we dicuss the Priesthood of Christ let me list the differences between the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood. Details are available in the Book of Hebrews, Chapters 5 and 7.

1. The Melchizedek priesthood combined priesthood and kingship. The Levitical priesthood was given to the tribe of Levi; kingship was given to the tribe Judah. Interchange was not permitted.


2. Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine, emblems of the New Covenant. The Levi only gave back to the Isrealites part of the sacrifices previouly received from them.

3. Melchizedek received tithe from Abraham. Levi gave tithe through Abraham.

4. Melchizedek because of an indestructible life had a permanent priesthood. Levi because of mortality of men had only a temporary priesthood.

5. Melchizedek did not come through the genealogy of Abraham. Levi was descended from Abraham.

6. Melchizedek was greater because he blessed Abraham. Levi owed their blessing to Abraham.

7. Melchizedek priesthood was perfect because he was granted direct access to God. Levitical priesthood was imperfect and their priests had no direct access to God.

8. Melchizedek became priest by the power of indestructible life. Levi became priests only on the basis of physical requirement.

9. Melchizedek was appointed with God's oath. Levi were appointed priests without an oath.

10. Melchizedek ensured a superior covenant. Levi were linked to an inferior covenant.

11. Melchizedek provided one all sufficient priest. Because of death Levitical priests were appointed again and again.

12. Priesthood of Jesus Christ was able to save completely and forever. Levitical priests could not save.

13. Jesus in the order of Melchizedek need not sacrifice for His own sin - He had none. Levitical priests had to sacrifice for their own sin first.

14. Melchizedek provided God's only perfect Son to be Priest. Levitical priesthood provided only priests with human frailty.

Superiority of the Priesthood of Christ

Hebrews Chapter 8 describes the superiority of the Priesthood of Christ. The first two verses extract the main points about Jesus as our High Priest from the foregoing elaborate comparisons (Chapter 7).

"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man" (Hebrews 8:1, 2).

Here are some points of observation:

1. Jesus as our High Priest

Jesus sat down in heavens because He had finished His Ministry on earth. He never needed to repeat His sacrifice - He Himself was the all sufficient sacrifice.

In contrast, the Levitical priests never sat down as they ministered in the Tabernacle of Moses, but always remained standing. Interestingly, the Tabernacle had no seats or chairs. They never sat down because their task was never complete. They only offered temporary sacrifice.

2. Jesus as our High Priest and King

Jesus is seated on the throne in the heavens. Only a king has the privilege to sit on a throne. Therefore Jesus is not only our High Priest but also our King.

Under the Levitical Law it was forbidden for a priest to be a king or a king to be a priest. There was an absolute line of division between priesthood and kingship.

It is interesting to note that the first time priest was mentioned in the Bible was not a Levitical priest but Melchizedek who was priest and king (Genesis 14:18). So when Jesus came, the priesthood of Melchizedek which was never mentioned again in the Old Testament, was restored in Jesus. In the Last Supper when Jesus took the bread and wine (which speak of the emblems Melchizedek offered to Abraham) and offered to His disciples, He was, in a way, saying "By this act the priesthood of Melchizedek was restored in Me. I am now both your Priest and your King".

In practical implication, as a Priest he represents us to God and sees to our interest. As a King He has the authority to get it done.

3. Jesus' Priestly Ministry

Jesus exercises His Priestly Ministry in the heavenly level. But the Levitical priests operated on the earthly level. Jesus did not take over the Levitical priesthood - He fulfills and replaces it.

4. Jesus mininsters in the true Tabernacle

The true Tabernacle in heaven where Jesus ministers was erected by God. The earthly Tabernacle where the Levitical priests ministered was a "shadow", "emblem" or "copy" of the Tabernacle in heaven. It was erected by Moses with full instructions from God.

The Function of every High Priest

The writer of Hebrews said, "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law" (Hebrews 8:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).

The unique function of every high priest, including our High Priest Jesus Christ, is to offer both gifts and sacrifices. But, Jesus Himself is both the Gift and Sacrifice for all, believers or unbelievers. In other words He offered Himself as Gift (offering) and Sacrifice (a victim) for our sake - to bring us to God.

Since it is the unique function of a priest to offer sacrifice to God, no one but a priest has the right to offer sacrifice. In other words, nobody has the right to offer sacrifice unless he is a priest. Similarly, people have no right to come to God and offer Him anything unless their offering and sacrifice are taken up by a priest. No Israelite could offer anything to God unless he was a Levitical priest. This gave tremendous power to the Levitical priests. In a certain sense a priest can either close or open the door to God!

The same is true for the New Testament priesthood. If people do not come by faith to Jesus Christ who is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1) their gifts or sacrifices will not be acceptable. People cannot put an offering in the collection box unless it goes through our High Priest. People who are not priests (unbelievers) have no right whatever to offer anything (neither gifts nor sacrifices) to God. Notice that prayer, praise and worship are all examples of our spiritual sacrifice to God. Therefore unbelievers or people who are not Christians have no right whatever to take part in Church services!

Mega-Churches and their leadership who welcome the unsaved to their Church services are all blinded from this important spiritual truth! They fail to understand that by allowing unbelievers to worship in the Local Church is the same as allowing unclean persons to minister in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses!

All believers are called by God as priests

The Scripture is very clear concerning the priesthood of all believers in Christ:

1. We, the Church, is a holy priesthood

"You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV, emphasis added).

2. We, the Church, is a royal priesthood

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9, emphasis added).

3. We, the Church, is a Kingdowm of priests

"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen" (Ravelation 1:5, 6, emphasis added).

"You (Jesus Christ) are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tonque and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9, 10, emphasis added).

Imagine what tremendous privileges believers have. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ enables us to offer sarifices and gifts to our God as priests. And as kings we shall reign with Him on earth forever!

A practical Implication

Many elders, leaders of the Local Church, including pastors, fail to understand that Christians are forbidden to ask for donations or gifts from unbelievers for the Lord's work. As we have discussed above, unbelievers who are not appointed as priests, have no right whatever to offer gifts and sacrifices to our Lord or to His work.

The apostle John wrote to a Christian brother named Gaius:

"Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles" (3 John 5 - 7, emphasis added).

Gaius did the right thing - "in a manner worthy of God" by not accepting anything from the Gentiles (unbelievers) for the Lord's work.

The Bible is consistent concerning all spiritual truths. Christians who say the Bible contradicts itself and full of grey areas, do not know God nor His Word!