Establishes the unparalleled greatness of Jesus Christ by contrasting him with Melchizedek, a figure of significant stature in the Old Testament. Melchizedek, a king and priest who blessed Abraham and received tithes from him, is presented as a precursor and type of Christ. The sermon details how Abraham, a great man himself, recognized Melchizedek's superiority by blessing him and giving him a tenth of the spoils. This superiority is further emphasized by the argument that Levi, the ancestor of the Levitical priesthood, paid tithes through Abraham, thus acknowledging Melchizedek's higher order. Ultimately, the sermon concludes that Jesus, as an eternal priest with an unchangeable priesthood, is infinitely greater than Melchizedek, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and made higher than the heavens, enabling him to save to the uttermost all who come to God through him.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
Speech quality score (model-estimated, SCOREQ): before 1.56 → restored 4.08
I would like you to turn again this evening to Hebrews chapter seven. We'll read from verse one. Hebrews chapter seven and verse one. For this Melchizedek king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, verse four. Now consider how great this man was. and to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who received the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham.
But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes, but there he receiveth them of whom it is witness that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Verse twenty four, But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
For such and high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Again, we trust that God will add his blessing this evening to the portion of his word we have just read together. When we speak of the greatness of the Lord Jesus, we must find a background against which to deal with the subject. And in the Bible, this is done in different ways. It is done historically by thinking out of sacred history, not history in general, but that special history of God. which we have recorded in the Bible, certain incidents which we understand and can grasp.
And then against that background, we see the greatness of the Lord Jesus. It is done sometimes by taking a ministry in the Old Testament. And then against that ministry which we can understand and grasp, speak of the ministry which is incomparable of the Lord Jesus. And then it is also done sometimes by just making a contrast between time and eternity. All the things that belong to time and that we understand, and especially those things that are set out in the Word of God, only serve as object lessons to take us to the eternal reality. If it wasn't for that background, it would be very difficult to speak about the greatness of the Lord Jesus.
Now in our subject this evening, the historical background is the man called Melchizedek. We find in verse one that he is both a king and a priest. That itself gives us reason to understand just how great this man was. He was a king and he was a priest. In Psalm a hundred and ten, which we have not read, but which is quoted in chapter seven of Hebrews, at least twice, references made to the Lord Jesus, he is ordered, commanded to sit at the right hand of God and wait until all his enemies are placed under his feet.
That is, he is the rightful king. He does not strive to become king. He is king in virtue of his person, and he sits at the right hand of God, and he waits till all his enemies are placed under his feet. But in verse four, God gives his word and his quote, and he states concerning the Lord Jesus, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now the background for those words in Psalm one hundred and ten undoubtedly are the victories of David. When the people of Israel entered into the promised land, many of the tribes went to the northern part of the promised land. Some of them remained in the southern part.
running right across the promised land was a rise, and on the highest part of the rise was a stronghold. That is the place that today is called Jerusalem. That is the place that Melchizedek governed as king of righteousness and king of Salem. But when the people of Israel entered into the new land, that particular place was in the hands of people called Jebusite. And they were strong people. And they had this force. And the tribes, as they moved into the promised land, did not conquer that high place. Rather, they settled round about it.
And many years went by. And because of that natural division, the people, instead of being one, almost developed into two separate and distinct nations. When David became king, One of the first things he did was to go and conquer the Jebusites. They mocked him. The story is found in Second Samuel. They laughed at this man who came to conquer them, but David came with purpose and determination in his heart, and he conquered their place. He not only conquered it, but he made it his home in the capital city of a united kingdom. And as he took that place, it was named Jerusalem.
which is the place that Melchizedek governs so many centuries before. Now David and his heirs symbolically become the successors both to the kingship and the priesthood of Melchizedek. Now in spirit David speaks about his coming son who will be the chosen Messiah. And in that voice of prophecy references made to his lordship. He is to sit at the right hand of God until his enemies are made his footstool. But then also the voice and thomas of God is heard, his word and his oath. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
David only symbolically occupied that position. There was already established by God the Levitical priesthood, and it would not have been right to have to function at the same time. But when David took that place, symbolically, he became, and his heirs, the successor to the kingship and the priesthood of Melchizedek. But this man, Melchizedek, from ancient history, is truly a great man. He is king, and he is also priest. Now, to understand his greatness, just a comment about Abraham. Abraham was the great man. Verse one, he returns from conquering the pagan kings from the east.
We referred to that last night. They had come in and they conquered all before them in Genesis chapter fourteen. After they established their rule over the conquered kings of the Transjordan area, that went on for some years, but the kings finally rebelled. Then the kings from the east came back in the fourteenth year and sweeping in a wider circle they conquered all. Then they conquered the rebellious kings. And when they conquered the king of Sodom, they took with them lot and all that belonged to him. And when Zeus came to Abraham, Abraham with his trusted men went after the kings from the east.
And he found them, great strategy, went under the cover of night. And he found them, and he destroyed them. Now in that particular moment in the life of Abraham, he is a man of unequal greatness. Kings from the east are destroyed by Abraham. All of the kings of the Transjordan area have fallen before the kings of the east, so that when Abraham conquers the kings from the east, he is the unequal victor, conqueror, over all of that territory. He comes back then in great wealth with a spoil of the wars. He comes back with great glory and great victory.
Not only is he great in that particular moment in his life, but back in chapter twelve of Genesis, he becomes great for all times through the promises that were given to him by God. God would not only bless him and his descendants, but through Abraham and his descendants, God was going to bless all the peoples of the world that potentially Abraham is an extremely outstanding man. He receives the promises of God. And then in chapter fourteen, he is the unchallenged conqueror of all the Transjordan areas.
He is the great man. But Melchizedek is greater. Where you find here in this particular portion in Hebrews that two things are mentioned about Melchizedek, which are mentioned to point out that he is greater than Abraham. But that can only be understood when we grasp how great Abraham really was. The first thing that is mentioned about Melchizedek at the end of verse one is that he blessed Abraham. Now, if you move quickly down to verse seven, you read, and without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. That is, in the very fact that Abraham received the blessing from Melchizedek, he recognized how great Melchizedek was.
This is not a blessing from Melchizedek himself. According to Genesis chapter fourteen, he blessed Abraham with the blessing of Almighty God, the Most High God. In giving that blessing, And especially as Abraham receives it, the greatness of Melchizedek is established. He is greater than Abraham. But not only did he bless Abraham, but you'll find that he also received from Abraham a tenth of all the spoils. This is mentioned in verse four. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
There is no indication in Genesis fourteen that Abraham did that reluctantly. I would judge from the story those very concise with very few details that Abraham gladly spontaneously gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek. Remember that the tenth or the tithe were not just the tenth part. They are the best part. It's inconceivable that any spiritual land would take from the things that belong him a tenth part which represents the inferior part. When a true man of God gives a tenth to God, he not only gives the tenth part, he gives the best part to God.
And Abraham, coming back at it must have been great wealth that he brought in, the spoils from that victory, he gives the tenth and the best part to Melchizedek. Very possibly in doing this, it is a frank offering to God, the Most High God, and a recognition that God helped him in the victory over the pagan kings. He gladly, spontaneously gives to Melchizedek the tenth of the spoils. In doing this, I emphasize once again, Abraham recognizes the superiority of Melchizedek. Now, Abraham was great, but Melchizedek is great. The author of this book to the Hebrews seems to have a feeling that he wants to really establish how great Melchizedek is.
Now you know the book is directed originally to Hebrew Christians. With reason they were very proud of the Levitical priesthood. Now beginning in verse five of chapter seven and right down to verse ten. The writer of this book wants to establish that in giving the tenth part to Melchizedek, Abraham was recognizing not only personally, but nationally in Israel how great Melchizedek is. Now the argument is a little complicated, but follow it with me in verse five. And verily, they are of the sons of Levi, who received the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham.
Now this is written many long years, many long centuries, after Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. From this point of view, the author refers to all of Israel. They are the direct descendants of Abraham. In the great multitude of people, there is a select few who have been chosen to serve as priests of God. They belong to the tribe of Levi. They, by the word of God, have one to receive from their brethren who are also descendants of Abraham the tithes. In receiving the tribe, they are recognized as superior.
This is done by the Word of God. Even greater than the priest is Levi. He is the father of the tribe. Even greater than Levi is Abraham, who is the father of the whole nation. No, it is not uncommon in the Old Testament that in ancestors, the thought is given that in them they contain all of their descendants. There are many cases of this in the Old Testament. Just one, which is the most outstanding case, is referred to by Paul in Romans chapter five, and I read the verse to you. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men for, that all have sinned.
One man sinned. But in the mind and the heart of God, all his descendants sinned. All sinned when Adam sinned, for they were all contained within their common ancestor. Now this is the argument in connection with the payment of the ties to Melchizedek. You see, it is not just Abraham who paid the tithes. Levi paid the tithes, who is his direct descendant. Also the priests of the tribe of Levi, they paid when Abraham paid. And not only the priests, but all the nation of Israel. Thus symbolically, when Abraham gave joyfully the tenth part to Melchizedek, all of his descendants did likewise, and they all recognized how great Melchizedek is.
There is a little awkward phrase in verse nine which reads, And as I may so say it. Let me say that again, and as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham, for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. That little phrase means, as an illustration, symbolically, as I may so say, Levi, the priest in all Israel, recognized in Abraham their common fathers, just how great Melchizedek is. Now, if Melchizedek is great, the Lord Jesus is infinitely greater.
Remember that the priesthood of the Lord Jesus is not patterned after the priesthood of Melchizedek. Rather, Melchizedek, verse three, is made light unto the son of God. The whole story of Melchizedek, and tomorrow night especially we'll notice that his whole story is presented in such a way that he beautifully describes the reality referring directly to the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is not patterned after Melchizedek. Melchizedek is made light unto the Lord Jesus. Well, in the contrast, Melchizedek disappears before the true greatness of the Lord Jesus.
Now His greatness is referred to down in verse twenty-six, the last two phrases. Last night we referred to the opening phrases in connection with the moral perfection of the character of the Lord Jesus. Remember that old beautiful hymn. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. The Lord Jesus, the spotless one, gives his life for us. He carries our sins. He dies for our sins. And no one else could do that. Let me remind you briefly, without going back again into the subject of last night, that even in the Bible, the great men of God, Abraham.
Abraham was known as the friend of God. But a careful study of Abraham brings out the flaws of his character. and some of those moments when he was deceptive. David. David was called a man after God's own heart. But the blunders and the stains in the life of David. There are some cases in the Bible, like Nehemiah and Daniel, of whom as far as I know, nothing is recorded of them in an adverse way. They appear without any more stain. But they were great men. You may remember that both of them, when they come before God in intercession for the people of Israel, they don't stand aside and point over and say, Lord, I pray for the people of Israel who have sinned.
Rather, they say, we have sinned before God. And though there's no record of Nehemiah's sin or of Daniel's sin, they include themselves amongst the people of God, the sins which we have committed. before the Lord, for they too were men of sin and of like passions of ourselves. No one could take our place and pay the price of sin, only the Lord Jesus. And having made that purchase of our redemption through his own blood, he today stands out in scriptures in a greatness that is unequal in any other character in the Bible.
And tonight there are two phrases that come to our minds in verse twenty-six. First of all, he is separate from sinners. Now he always was and is morally. That was the subject of last night. But now in his resurrection and exaltation, the Lord Jesus is separate from sinners. When he was here in the world, he was the object of their ridicule, of their mockery, of their malice. of their hate and of their injustice. Now in His resurrection and exaltation, He is separate from sinners forever. Never again will the Lord Jesus be the object of their mockery and injustice and cruelty.
Let me remind you that the Lord Jesus, His heart is always open to receive any repentant sinner who comes in faith. But He is separate now forever. from sinners as to their malice and their mockery and their injustice. Never again will our Savior be the object of such things. He is separate from sins. Phillips renders the phrase, and I think it's a very beautiful rendering, beyond the very reach of sin. It's not just the sinners in themselves. It's what the sinners did to the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus now is beyond the very reach.
of sin. His exaltation is of such a nature that sin never again will pass by the Lord Jesus. He is in that place of glory and brightness for us. Now the second phrase refers to his exaltation and it reads, made higher than the heavens. Let me share with you that in Hebrews there are a number of references to the exaltation of the Lord Jesus. They're all very beautiful. Chapter one, sat on the right hand of the majesty on high. That is confirmed again in Chapter eight in verse one, where you read that he is sat on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.
Now let me take the key words in these phrases. Majesty referring directly to God and the incomparable glory of God. I don't know what concept you have of God, but the brilliance of what God is is referred to as majesty. And the Lord Jesus sits on the right hand of the majesty on high, that great, incomparable glory of God. The word throne refers to his unchanging sovereignty. He is, I remember Psalm twenty-two, and think of it often in the confusion amongst the nations in the world.
There is a phrase there that refers to the Lord. He is governor about the nations. God is unchanging in his sovereignty. Not only glory, but there is a throne, the sovereignty, the authority of God. Then in chapter one on high, in chapter eight in the heavens, And both of those phrases refer to the supremacy of God. There is nothing, and words are inadequate, but there is nothing beyond or above God. He is absolutely supreme. Was it last Sunday we referred to the phrase, He is God of God and Lord of Lords. He is absolute Lord and Supreme God.
Now this one in that eternal glory, full of majesty, where there is a throne, on high, above all things, in supremacy at his right hand, sits the Lord Jesus. And again the thought is that for the Lord Jesus there is supremacy over all things. I was reading this afternoon when Gabriel came to talk to Zachariah as he ministered in the house of God, with the announcement of the coming child who would be John, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, and that great celestial being said to Sartor, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.
All angels, all spiritual beings, they stand in the presence of God. It is an attitude ready to obey the will and the word of God. The Lord Jesus sits at the right hand of the majesty on high, And the beautiful illustration from the Old Testament is that of David. The Bible says, And King David went in and sang before the Lord. Only a simple illustration from ancient history of one today who does not struggle for his position. But he sits at the right hand of the majesty on high. Let me remind you this evening what the Lord Jesus said while he was here in the world.
Here, Esther, shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God? He said that when he was here in the world. He said that because that is his place by right. And having finished the work of redemption, he returned to that pinnacle of eternal glory, and he sits there tonight at the right hand of the majesty on high. Difficult to describe this. Paul says, Wherefore God also has highly exalted him. And the understanding of that exaltation is always linked to understanding of his deep humiliation. He came down so very, very low in order to win us and bring us back to God.
In contrast, he has been highly exalted. Now the actual phrase in verse twenty-six of our chapter reads as follows, He was made higher than the heavens. In this connection there is a similar phrase in Ephesians four, and I read it to you, ascend it up far above all heavens. We referred to that earlier this week. The Lord Jesus now in his exaltation is above all created order. There is nothing about him. He sits at the right hand of the majesty on high. You remember his words in that great high priestly prayer in John the Lord Jesus said, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Now to understand those words, I take you back to Isaiah chapter forty-two. where the Lord speaks, I am the Lord. That is my name, and my glory will I not give to another. There is a glory, a glorious, that belongs to God because God is God. That glory cannot be shared with another. God says, I am the Lord. That is my name. My glory, I will not give to another. The Lord Jesus, when his work was finished, his prayer was glorifying me, with thine own self, with the glory which I have with thee before the world was.
That is, above all created order. The Lord Jesus existed in eternal glory. And when his work was finished in humiliation, he returned to that place of glory. He is made higher than the heavens. The transcendence. of the Lord Jesus. Not just supreme, but transcendent. And then in chapter four of Hebrews, precious thought for all of us tonight, where you read that he passed through the heavens. The thought is, in passing through, he opened the way, whereby those who belong to him will follow him into that sphere of endless glory.
The Lord Jesus then is made higher than the heavens. It is because of his exaltation that he is able to save to the utterance those that come unto God by him. Now I take you in closing tonight back to Isaiah again. We referred to a similar portion last night. Here again is the testimony of God. Behold my servant. My servant shall deal prudently with He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Now that's God's promise concerning his servant, the Lord Jesus.
You and I believe that today. We believe as an act of faith. There is nothing in the world that we can see that confirms to us that the Lord Jesus has been exalted, extolled and made very high. The very opposite is what we see in the world today. But God says, Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Now God in his grace, in the book of the Revelation, takes that curtain which separates us from eternity and he just moves at a sign so that though we are still in time, on earth, part of history, We can look out and see that it is true that he has been exalted and disturbed and made very high.
You remember chapter one? The Lord Jesus moves amongst the candlesticks. He moves amongst the local churches. For he is the head of the church. And in that capacity he is seen with all the glory of deity. The ancient of days in Daniel, the same symbolism is used of the Lord Jesus. Now I speak kindly tonight and respectfully. Many of us have been impressed when we read that the new Pope, John Paul I, has requested that there be no coronation, no enthronement, no use of the Triple Crown, not to be carried on the shoulders of twelve men, But he wants to walk, and the beginning of his administration will be marked by a simple but solemn mass.
We respect that. But we come back to the scriptures, and we remember that in the exaltation of the Lord Jesus, the first thing that shines out in the revelation is that he is the only and true head of the church. And he is clothed with the brilliance of deity. And he walks amongst the candlestick. Look in his exaltation, he is seen as the head of the congregation of the church. In chapter five, you have the revelation of God's throne, and in his right hand there is a book, and no one in heaven or on earth can approach the throne and take the book.
And John weeps, and he weeps with race. And then one speaks to John and tells him, don't weep John anymore. Here comes the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. And he turned, and he saw a lamb, as it had been slain. In connection with the headship of the church, the Lord Jesus is seen in the brilliance of his deity. But that book in the hand of God has to do with the destiny of our mankind, of the culmination of our history, of God's plan for all times in the future. And he told that book, And the one who comes and takes it from his hand, not in a struggle but by right, is a lamb, as it had been slain.
That is, the one who was rejected by the world, comes into the presence of God. All heaven bows in worship, and he takes the book, the one who has been rejected, and he will bring through fulfillment God's purposes for man and for history and for the world. When you go over to chapter seven, as we mentioned on Sunday, the Lord Jesus, in his greatness, his exaltation, he does not forget his people. He feeds them. He shepherds them. And the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne has the heart of the shepherd. He follows every detail of those that belong to him.
When you come to chapter fourteen, he stands on Mount Zion, not the ancient Mount Zion of the Holy Land. This is the heavenly Mount Zion, the city of the living God. Again, the thought is he sits and he stands in that place of unequal glory. When you come into chapter nine, he burst out of heaven on a white horse. His name is the faithful one, the word of God, king of kings and lord of lords. And though you see him as the lamb in the midst of the throne shepherding those that belong to him, also in his exaltation the moment comes when he comes forth from heaven on that white horse that you battle with the evil powers of our world and cosmos, it is not done in the form of the battles that we know of in history.
Rather, out of his mouth there comes a sharp sword. The battle is fought not in a struggle with tanks and airplanes and gunners. It is the battle that is won by the authoritative proclamation of the word of God, and the nations are smitten as he speaks the word of God. And then the Lord Jesus takes the dragon, that old serpent, that is the devil and Satan, and he is put away for a thousand years in which there will be peace and prosperity amongst men. In his exaltation he deals with the problem of the evil in the world in which we live today. Finally, in the last two chapters, don't miss that beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus.
It is the throne of God and of the Lamb. The whole new creation moves around the exaltation of the Lord Jesus. Don't take the place, the throne of God and of the Lamb, as a distinct separation between God and the Lamb. Take it in the sense that John one, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. That second phrase, and the Word was with God. In the reality of God, we perceive the plurality of persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus the Word was with God.
That eternal scene, there is the throne of God and of the Lamb. That is, His brilliance as God is seen, His glory as man is seen, and He is the very center of the new eternal age. No wonder, then, that the writer of this particular book says He is able also to save to the utterance. There is no one. that comes anywhere near the greatness of the Lord Jesus. Abraham was a great man. Melchizedek was a greater man. The Lord Jesus is in a unique class, alone in his greatness, and he is able to see.
I don't know what fears you have, what doubts you have, what problems you may have, but if you really know the Lord Jesus, You are being kept by someone so great that no other Paul can touch you in time, in death, or in eternity. For he is unequaled in his grace. Now take your hymn book, and we'll think tonight in closing. Hymn number one hundred and two. Hymn number one hundred and two. And it reads as follows, Oh, may my Savior glorify God. Now the heavens open wide, show to faith, exalt and I, one in beauty's majesty.
Hymn number one hundred and two, and we will sing verses one, two, three, and the last verse. Now let's stand and sing one hundred and two. Shall we stand? Oh, my God.