“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. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” ( Hebrews 7:15-17 )

The Levitical priesthood was a lifetime position. Once a person became High Priest this position was retained until death ( Numbers 35:25 ). However, each time the priest died a new priest would be appointed, so in another sense you might say this priesthood never had any permanence, death always interrupted it.

Jesus’ priesthood greatly contrasts this because death could not hold him captive and therefore the grave did not interrupt His appointment as High Priest. His resurrection from the dead, solidified this position permanently. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him” ( Romans 6:9 ). Since the priesthood is a lifetime position, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that He eternally holds this position. “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus 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 7:23-25 ).

This is good news for us because it means the sacrifice made for sin worked, the first and only time it was given. In other words the payment for sin completely wiped out and nullified the debt that sin created. Which is why death had no power to hold Jesus captive, the account had been settled and closed, permanently. And if the power of sin and death had no claim to Jesus after He died, it also means that it can hold no power over Him while he’s alive. Therefore we know that Christ will live eternally. In the same way the power of sin is also broken over us who put saving faith in Jesus (Hebrews 7:24, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 10:18).

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” ( Hebrews 9:15 ).

All of this becomes clear when we understand that Jesus is after a completely different line than what was established through the Levitical priesthood. The book of Hebrews records four times that Jesus became our High Priest fashioned after the order and with the rank of Melchizedek ( Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 7:15, Hebrews 7:21 ). This is extremely significant because Melchizedek had no record of beginning or end. The beginning of Hebrews 7 records “like the Son of God he remains a priest forever” ( Hebrews 7:3 ). It had nothing to do with ancestry but everything to do with the power required to sustain life indefinitely. Jesus holds this power which is why there has been a change in priesthood ( Hebrews 7:11 ) and subsequently a change in the law ( Hebrews 7:12 ).

“He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” ( Hebrews 7:13-14 )

Did you know that the office of priest as held by the Levites is actually patterned after what takes place in the heavenly sanctuary? ( Hebrews 8:5 ). This is why Moses was warned to make everything according to what he had been shown to him on the mountain ( Exodus 25:40 ). Christ’s priesthood was not patterned after the Levitical institution, it was the other way around, they were patterned after Christ’s eternal position as High Priest.

This is important to us because we must understand that this was the plan from the very beginning. The institution of Aaron’s line merely showed us an example of how it worked. It was a physical representation of a spiritual reality. The institution of this priesthood helped us to understand and visualize what takes place in heaven. However, it was never able to clear the conscience of the worshipper and so all the following generations of priests who made sacrifices merely served to remind the people of their sin ( Hebrews 10:1-4 ).

It is amazing that God kept the Levitical priesthood and Jesus’ eternal priesthood in completely separate lines. He did this to show us that the law could never make us perfect so we would never rely on it for a means of justification ( Romans 5:20, Galatians 3:10-11, Hebrews 10:1-4, James 2:10 ). Being justified can only come through faith in Christ ( Romans 5:1, Galatians 3:13-14, Galatians 3:24-25 ). This is why Jesus had to come from a completely different and separate line. In fact, we cannot even understand Jesus’ office in relation to the Levitical lineage because it is far superior in every way imaginable ( Hebrews 7:15-16, Hebrews 7:18-19, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 9:14-15 ).

This is why Jesus came in the order and with the rank of Melchizedek. Not only was he High Priest of the Most High God, he was also a King ( Genesis 14:18, Hebrews 7:1-2 ). The priesthood of Aaron never held this honor. However, Melchizedek and Jesus do. Which is why Jesus came from Judah and the royal line of King David, because it fulfilled scripture that the Messiah would come from David’s line and rule forever ( II Samuel 7:16, Psalm 89:3-4, Jeremiah 23:5, Micah 5:2, John 7:42 ). Being after the order of Melchizedek, afforded Jesus the right to the position of both High Priest and King.

The previous verse in Hebrews 7 records, “For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law” ( Hebrews 7:12 ). This is why Moses never mentioned anyone from the tribe of Judah serving at the altar, “If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law” ( Hebrews 8:4 ). So if there’s been a change in the law with the institution of Jesus’ priesthood, then there is no longer a need for the priesthood of Aaron.

The Levitical priesthood reminded us of our sin and reminded us that perfect fellowship between God and mankind didn’t exist ( Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 10:1-4 ). However, “Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” ( Hebrews 9:24 ). And He’s entered once for all which indicates that He has now perfected the relationship between God and mankind bringing us back into fellowship with Him through faith ( Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 9:24-28, Hebrews 10:9-10, Hebrews 10:12-14, Hebrews 10:18 ). This is why the priesthood had to switch lines so we could be made righteous and holy through Christ. He was the only one capable of bridging this gap and restoring us. “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” ( Romans 8:3-4 ).