Jesus Christ is both priest and victim. He is our high priest who offered himself on the cross at Calvary and lives forever interceding for us in the Holy of Holies in heaven. For Christians, Christ’s eternal priesthood isn’t a problem. But for the members of the Old Covenant, there is a big problem. It just doesn’t fit how the Levitical priesthood was to function. Moreover, Jesus was from the royal tribe of Judah, not the priestly tribe of Levi. How, then, can Jesus be “a priest forever?”

The Epistle to the Hebrews resolves these difficulties by pointing out that the Old Testament Scripture spoke of another priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek. As Psalm 110:4 says about the Son, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:10; 6:20; 7:11, 17). But how does Melchizedek solve all these difficulties? To answer, we must do a little digging.

Who was Melchizedek and how does his priesthood say something about Christ’s priesthood? The name Melchizedek literally means “king of righteousness,” which was fitting, since he was the king of Salem (Genesis 14:18, Hebrew 7:1). However, Melchizedek wasn’t just a king; he was also “a priest of God Most High.” But how could Melchizedek be a priest of God and a king at the same time? The answer is simple: Melchizedek lived during the time of Abraham, long before King David and Levi were born. This solves one problem: If Melchizedek was both a priest and king, then Jesus, whose priesthood is according to the order of Melchizedek, can be as well.

But why is the everlasting priesthood of Jesus a problem, and how does the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek solve it? The answer is found in what, at first glance, might seem like a confusing passage:

“Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever” (Hebrews 7:3).

Is this passage saying that Melchizedek was never born (“without beginning of days”) and never died (“or end of life”)? Not at all. Hebrews is using shorthand to describe how Melchizedek’s priesthood transcended the regulations concerning the Levites.

According to the Law, not every Levite was qualified to be a priest. He first had to present proof of his ancestry. If you failed to provide such proof, you couldn’t be a priest (Ezra 2:61-63; Nehemiah 7:63-65). The first century historian Josephus likewise tells us of the exacting details involved in how genealogical records were kept and recorded. When a priest married, he had to marry someone from the same tribe, but only after he had scrutinized her genealogical records to ensure that she had the proper priestly ancestry. Melchizedek didn’t need any of this. He lived before all these genealogical requirements. Hence, there was no need for him to produce records of his father or mother or ancestry.

But what about Melchizedek not having a “beginning of days” or “end of life?” Here again the biblical background clarifies the matter. The Old Covenant priesthood had age restrictions. One’s priesthood began at the age of 30 and ended at the age of 50. Therefore, the priestly life of a Levite had a “beginning of days” and an “end of life.” But once again, Melchizedek didn’t have these restrictions. He was a lifelong priest.

Levitical priests couldn’t serve more than two decades; how, then, could Jesus be a “priest forever?” Melchizedek is the answer.

If Christ is a priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (i.e., a lifelong priest) and we “know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him” (Romans 6:9), then Christ’s priestly service continues forever. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Gary Michuta is an apologist, author and speaker and a member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Livonia. Visit his website at www.handsonapologetics.com.