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Podcast Episode

Jesus, Melchizedek, and the Priestly Line

Jesus is our priest, our atoning sacrifice—and our brother? In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and special guest the Rev. Amy Peeler, Ph.D., as they discuss the book of Hebrews and how the many characteristics of God found in this epistle set him apart as wholly other and also form our identities as his followers.

Episode 9
1hr 2m
Apr 26, 2021
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Show Notes
Episodes

QUOTE

As a teenager, Hebrews scared me. We might think of [Jonathan] Edwards, “It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God”––that’s Hebrews. “Our God is a consuming fire”––that’s Hebrews. Why I appreciate those statements is that Hebrews never backs away from the sovereignty, the holiness, even the judgment of God. … If you have that picture of God’s distance, then you have to ask the question, “Well, how can I bridge that distance?” … You long for, you have this knowledge that there is a gap to be filled. And that’s where the story of Jesus comes in.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The author of Hebrews frames his entire argument around this reality: followers of Jesus are just as much sons and daughters of God as Jesus is the Son of God.
  • Seeing Jesus as our brother highlights his humanity and also elevates the calling of all humanity. Jesus is the first human to fulfill his calling to reign over the earth.
  • The author of Hebrews argues that there has always been another priestly line superior to Levi’s––Melchizedek’s, to whom even Abraham (great-grandfather of Levi) paid homage. And Jesus is the priest superior even to Melchizedek.

God Our Father

In part one (0:00-13:15), Tim and Jon kick off their interview with the Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler about her study of the book of Hebrews as it relates to our series on priests.

Amy’s doctoral dissertation, published and available for purchase as You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews, was originally birthed from her study of Hebew Bible (Old Testament) quotations throughout the epistle to the Hebrews. Unlike Paul, who often cites the Hebrew Bible as “that which was written,” the author of Hebrews refers to it as “that which is spoken,” with God as the speaker in question. In a culture where persuasive speech was considered the height of intellectual power, the author refuses to state his own identity and puts the spotlight on the voice of God.

In her book, Amy focuses on the author of Hebrews identifying God as Father and how that shapes the rest of the epistle.

Jesus Our Brother

In part two (13:15-28:20), Tim, Jon, and Amy take a closer look at quotations from the Hebrew Bible throughout the epistle to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:4-6
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are punished by him. For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he punishes every son whom he accepts.”

Here the author of Hebrews quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 but adds the personal pronoun “my” to the beginning, referring to believers as God’s children. This calls back to Hebrews 1:5, which refers to Jesus as God’s Son. Although the author slightly changes the wording of the original proverb, it is to make a point—he is equating the divine sonship of Jesus to the sonship and daughtership of all believers, which makes Jesus our brother.

In many of our contemporary church traditions, we distance ourselves from thinking of Jesus as our brother. But for the author of Hebrews (more than any other New Testament author), this was an important concept because the oldest brother in a family would eventually take over the father’s responsibilities of leading and caring for the family.

Seeing Jesus as our brother highlights his humanity and also elevates the calling of all humanity. Jesus is the first human to fulfill his calling to reign over the earth.

Jesus: Priest and Atoning Sacrifice

In part three (28:20-38:30), Tim, Jon, and Amy explore Hebrews 1-7 and why the author stresses Jesus’ greatness over heavenly rulers, Moses, Melchizedek, and Aaron the high priest.

Amy points out that the ideas of temple mediators and rituals wouldn’t have been strange to ancient readers since the priesthood and sacrifices were common aspects of daily life and relating to any deity. While Paul emphasizes Jesus as the fulfiller of the new covenant, the author of Hebrews presents Jesus as both the ultimate priest and the atoning sacrifice. Each of the comparisons he makes in Hebrews 1-7 are designed to showcase that. Angels act as priests in the heavenly realms, ministering to God. Moses, Melchizedek, and Aaron were all mediators between God and humanity. They all portray God’s holiness, yet Jesus is more holy still.

Without the backdrop of centuries of Levitical sacrifices, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross carries less weight. When viewed as the fulfillment of these God-given priestly duties, Jesus’ atonement can be seen for the magnificent culmination that it is.

Jesus is Greater Than Melchizedek

In part four (38:30-51:30), the team explores Hebrews 7 and Jesus’ superiority to Melchizedek.

Early Jewish believers likely would have questioned Jesus’ priestly status because he was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. In Hebrews 7, the author argues that there has always been another, superior priestly line––that of Melchizedek, to whom even Abraham (great-grandfather of Levi) paid homage. For the author of Hebrews, this was a vital argument to validate Jesus’ role as the great high priest of humanity.

Hebrews 7:3
Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Here the author of Hebrews is not saying Jesus is like Melchizedek, but that Melchizedek, in his priesthood, is like the Son of God. Because no mention is made of Melchizedek’s genealogical heritage or his death, we can imagine him eternally acting as a priest, after the pattern of Jesus.

How Can We Bridge the Gap Between Us and God?

In part five (51:30-end), Tim, Jon, and Amy take a look at the author of Hebrews’ pastoral understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.

The book of Hebrews is widely considered one of the most intimidating New Testament books to study, largely because it never backs away from the sovereignty, holiness, or judgment of God. However, the sense of reverence and awe inspired by the author’s handling of these concepts is the perfect backdrop for his understanding of Jesus and the Trinity. Seeing God as infinitely other forces us to ask the question, “How can I possibly bridge the gap between myself and God?” The only answer is that we can’t, and we need the Son of God as our mediator. The Spirit is our present day connection to God.

Referenced Resources

Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here. Amy L. B. Peeler, You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews Amy L. B. Peeler and Patrick Gray, Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide Madison N. Pierce, Divine Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: The Recontextualization of Spoken Quotations of Scripture

Show Music

  • “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS
  • “Into the Past” by CYGN
  • “Cycles” by SwuM
  • “Surrender” by Pilgrim

Show produced by Dan Gummel and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder.

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Scripture References
Hebrews 12:22-24
Psalms 110:1
Romans 3:10
Hebrews 1:1
Hebrews 1:5
Hebrews 12:7
Hebrews 12:1-6
Proverbs 3:11-12
Hebrews 10:34
Matthew 16:24
1 Peter 4:12
Romans 8:15-17
Galatians 4:4-7
Hebrews 2:6-8
Psalms 8:4-6
Romans 3:23-25
Hebrews 11:13
Exodus 24:10
Psalms 110:4
Hebrews 7:1-2
Genesis 14:18-20
Hebrews 7:3
Genesis 18:2-3
Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 9:14

10 Episodes

Episode 10
Why Melchizedek Matters
Of all the people in the Hebrew Bible, why is Melchizedek so crucial for understanding Jesus? In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and special guest Dr. Josh Mathews as they take a deep dive into the Hebrew Bible, the book of Hebrews, and the life of the mysterious priest-king Melchizedek in relationship to the ultimate priest-king, Jesus.
1hr 3m • May 3, 2021
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Episode 9
Jesus, Melchizedek, and the Priestly Line
Jesus is our priest, our atoning sacrifice—and our brother? In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and special guest the Rev. Amy Peeler, Ph.D., as they discuss the book of Hebrews and how the many characteristics of God found in this epistle set him apart as wholly other and also form our identities as his followers.
1hr 2m • Apr 26, 2021
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Episode 8
Mark of the Priest or Mark of the Beast?
Thanks to our audience for all your incredible questions! In this week’s episode, we tackle questions like: How could God break his covenant with the tribe of Levi? What’s the connection between the forehead markings of priests and followers of the beast? And why did offering his own sacrifice cost Saul his kingship? Listen in to hear the team answer your questions.
47m • Apr 19, 2021
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Episode 7
We Are the Royal Priesthood
After Jesus’ disciples receive the Holy Spirit, they become God’s temple and the physical embodiment of Jesus on Earth. This has huge implications for our understanding of what it means to be the church today and live in unity. Dive into this discussion with Tim and Jon as they unpack what it means for followers of Jesus to be the royal priesthood, now and in eternity.
51m • Apr 12, 2021
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Episode 6
The Priest of Heaven and Earth
What does it mean for Jesus to be humanity’s cosmic priest? It means he intercedes on behalf of humanity and so much more! Through Jesus, God has forever included humanity into his own self. In this episode, join Tim and Jon as they discuss Jesus’ ascension and the eternal union of Heaven and Earth.
1hr 2m • Apr 5, 2021
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Episode 5
The High Priest Showdown
Why were the Levitical priests always getting mad at Jesus? Jesus identified himself as another of God’s anointed priests—except he came in his own authority. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss how Jesus fulfills Moses’ prophet-priest role and the priest-king role we saw in David.
57m • Mar 29, 2021
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Episode 4
David, the Leaping Priest-King
What will God do with the continually failing Levitical priesthood? God announces that he will elect his own faithful priest from a household that can be counted on. In this episode, join Tim and Jon as they follow the royal priesthood all the way to David, anointed priest-king of Jerusalem, fulfillment of Melchizedek’s role, and foreshadowing of the coming priest-king Jesus.
1hr 1m • Mar 22, 2021
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Episode 3
Doomed to Fail?
The origins of Israel’s royal priesthood are anything but glamorous. From Moses rejecting God five times to Aaron creating an idol while God is instructing Moses about priests, the Levitical priesthood seems doomed from the start. In this episode, discover just how important the failed priesthood is to the story of the Bible.
49m • Mar 15, 2021
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Episode 2
Who Was Melchizedek?
What do Abraham, Melchizedek, and David all have in common? They’re part of the unfolding theme of the royal priesthood in the Bible. In this week’s episode, join Tim and Jon as they explore how this theme is part of humanity’s quest to get back to the blessings of Eden.
44m • Mar 8, 2021
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Episode 1
Priests of Eden
In the story of the Bible, all the main players are prophets, priests, or kings. While it might seem foreign to us today, those three roles are intimately connected to what it means to be people created in the image of God. Join Tim and Jon for the first episode of a new series on the royal priesthood!
1hr 2m • Mar 1, 2021
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