Hebrews 7:15-16 NIV
“And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.”
Several things took a different order when the Lord Jesus came to earth as a man. Among others, one major change was in Israel’s priesthood, which previously was strictly reserved for the tribe of Levi. The LORD had instructed Moses, saying, “Bring forward the tribe of Levi and appoint them as servants of Aaron the priest. They shall do the work required for the Tent of my presence and perform duties for the priests and for the whole community” (Num 3:6-7 GNT). However, “…it is clear that our Lord [Jesus] descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Heb 7:14 NIV). What, therefore, was going on here with such a major and sacred change?
Earlier in history, the Spirit of God had revealed to the Psalmist a divine communication in heaven between God the Father and Christ Jesus, saying, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek'” (Psa 110:4 NIV). That shows us that while it was God who put in place the Levitical priesthood, He had a bigger and better plan; that is, a different priesthood from which Jesus Christ and His Church would function under. Hallelujah! Therefore, the question to ask is, On what basis would the new priesthood of Christ gain its legitimacy (given that it was not in line with the Levitical)? Our text of reference has a response.
The Scripture says Jesus became a Priest “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” In other words, given that Christ would have an indestructible life (contrary to the Levites), God appointed Him to be a Priest. ‘But Jesus died and was buried…’, one may reason. Well, even that shows us another truth: what happens to the physical body is not all that there is regarding life. Recall, apart from His spirit remaining alive and indestructible after He was laid in the tomb, Jesus resurrected physically with power! Gloriously, in Christ, that is what we are up for: though our bodies may sleep away from this earth, our spirits shall remain alive with the Lord. Better still, on the day of Christ’s appearing, our earthly bodies will be “…transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever” (1 Cor 15:53 TLB). That, as well, is our indestructible life in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
Pst. Emmanuel
