July 4 - Jesus: Our Eternal High Priest - Sarah Diniz
“Because **He lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him,
because He always lives to intercede for them.”
— Hebrews 7 : 24-25 (ESV)
1. A Priest of Righteousness and Peace
In Genesis 14:18-20 the mysterious king-priest Melchizedek greets Abraham with bread, wine, and a blessing. Psalm 110:4 echoes the scene centuries later: “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7 shows why the Holy Spirit preserved that brief cameo, so that every generation could recognize its fulfilment in Jesus.
Righteousness – Melchizedek’s very name means “king of righteousness.” Christ embodies that title perfectly (Jer 23:6; 1 Cor 1:30). Luther loved to call this a “foreign righteousness,” gifted to sinners from outside themselves and received through faith alone (Rom 3:21-24).
Peace – Melchizedek reigned in Salem (“peace”). By the once-for-all sacrifice of His own body, Jesus “made peace by the blood of His cross” (Col 1:20). The Augsburg Confession celebrates the comfort that flows from this peace: consciences are no longer chained to the impossible demands of the Law but rest in Christ’s completed work.
Notice that the genealogies listed in Numbers and Ezra do not include Jesus. His priesthood depends not on bloodlines but on divine oath and indestructible life (Heb 7:16), ensuring the Gospel can never be overturned by shifting human regulations.
2. A Sacrifice That Cannot Be Repeated
Levitical priests stood daily, offering sacrifices that could symbolize atonement but never achieve it (Heb 10:11). Jesus “offered Himself without blemish to God” once (Heb 9:14) and then sat down—the posture of finished work.
Picture the temple curtain tearing from top to bottom (Matt 27:51). The Father’s own hand moves first, opening a doorway no human could reach. Past, present, and future sins collapse into the singular moment of the cross. Your failures last night and your fears about tomorrow are already inside that ripped fabric.
3. A Bridge That Invites Bold Access
Because Jesus is “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Heb 7:26), He is uniquely qualified to bring us near. Hebrews 4:16 commands, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.”
Let’s translate that invitation into a daily rhythm.
Morning: Pray Psalm 5:3—“O LORD, in the morning You hear my voice.” Begin the day on the solid floor of Christ’s merit, not the quicksand of your to-do list.
Mid-day: When guilt or anxiety surfaces, preach Romans 8:34 to your own soul: “Christ Jesus… is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
Evening: Enter rest by echoing Luther’s Evening Prayer: “I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son…”
Notice how the once-crucified, now-risen Priest integrates heaven and earth. In the Divine Service the liturgy swings between “God comes down” (Invocation, Absolution, Gospel reading) and “we ascend” (prayers, hymns, communion). This rhythm is not theatre; it’s participation in the living ministry of our High Priest (Heb 12:22-24).
A Closing Invitation
Stand beneath the open sky of Hebrews 7 today. Hear the High Priest pronounce you righteous. Feel His peace settle the storm within. Step forward—head lifted, hands ready—into the world He is already redeeming. The priesthood will never change again, because the Priest who holds it never dies.
“Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
— Hebrews 13 : 20-21