Bulletins - Keystone Presbyterian Church

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Gloria Patri
Doxology
When I was in the 10th grade, not long after I had gotten my driver’s license, my sister Teri locked her keys in the car during lunch. She came back to school to get my keys, but in true brother-and-sister fashion, I insisted on going with her to unlock it myself. Her boyfriend drove us to the car, I walked up with all the confidence of a newly licensed driver, unlocked the driver’s door, and as I started to get in, announced that I would drive us back. Teri walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and got in. I looked at her and asked, “How did you do that?” She said, “You unlocked the car.” The problem was, I had only unlocked the driver’s door. She had never checked to see whether the other doors were locked.
That day taught me something simple but memorable: sometimes we assume the door is closed when access has already been provided. We stand outside frustrated, helpless, or convinced we are locked out, when the way in has already been opened. That is a small picture of a much greater spiritual reality.
Many people live as though God is locked away from them, as though His presence is only available to the especially religious, the morally impressive, or those who know the right procedure. But Scripture tells us that access to God is not earned by our effort or unlocked by our merit. It is opened by the One who has the authority to open it.
With that picture of an opened door in mind, listen to how Hebrews takes a brief and mysterious figure named Melchizedek and uses him to point us to Christ, the Priest who opens the way to God.
So follow along as I read from Hebrews 7:1–10.
Hebrews 7:1–10 CSB
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. 3 Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 4 Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the plunder to him. 5 The sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers and sisters—though they have also descended from Abraham. 6 But one without this lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case, men who will die receive a tenth, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives. 9 And in a sense Levi himself, who receives a tenth, has paid a tenth through Abraham, 10 for he was still within his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
At first glance, this may sound like an unusual passage about an unfamiliar man. But Hebrews is showing us that Melchizedek was a signpost to a greater priesthood fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Melchizedek appears briefly in Genesis 14, is remembered prophetically in Psalm 110, and is explained theologically here in Hebrews 7. He is both king and priest, and his brief story points beyond himself to Christ, the true King-Priest who opens the door of grace and brings His people near to God.
And that is deeply pastoral. When guilt, anxiety, grief, or weakness make us feel far from God, Hebrews points us to Christ: the door is open, the Priest is alive, and grace invites us to draw near.
So Hebrews opens the door for us by showing Christ in three connected truths.
1. Christ Is the Greater King-Priest
We begin with the foundation: Christ is the greater King-Priest.
Hebrews 7:1–3draws our attention to Melchizedek as “king of Salem” and “priest of God Most High.” His name means “king of righteousness,” and his title as king of Salem connects him with peace. In one person, righteousness and peace come together. That is not accidental; it is a signpost pointing forward to Jesus Christ.
Illustration: Picture a person standing before a judge, guilty and afraid, needing both justice and mercy. If the judge only has authority, the person may fear condemnation. If a friend only has compassion, that friend may want to help but have no power to change the verdict. But imagine if the one with authority to rule also stepped forward as the advocate who represents the guilty. That is the beauty of Christ as our King-Priest. As King, He has authority over the court. As Priest, He stands for His people before the Father. He does not ignore righteousness, and He does not withhold mercy. In Him, righteousness and peace meet.
Melchizedek’s identity is marked by mystery. Hebrews emphasizes that he is presented without recorded genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life. The point is not that he was divine, but that the biblical record presents him in a way that illustrates a priesthood not based on human ancestry or succession. He stands as a picture of a greater priesthood that does not rise and fall with human limitation.
Jesus fulfills this picture perfectly. He is the true King of righteousness and the true Prince of peace. He does not merely point to righteousness; He provides righteousness. He does not merely wish peace upon us; He becomes our peace. As King, He rules with authority. As Priest, He represents us before God. Because He is both, believers do not approach God uncertainly, hoping to be received. We come through the One who reigns over us and intercedes for us.
This matters because many adults spend their lives trying to prove they are enough. We try to be responsible enough, moral enough, successful enough, spiritual enough, or strong enough. But the gospel does not call us to stand before God with a résumé in our hands. It calls us to stand before God with Christ as our mediator. Our righteousness is not self-manufactured; it is received through Him.
And if this greater King-Priest opens the door, then He does not leave His people empty-handed on the threshold. The One who has authority to bring us near also gives the blessing our souls need.
2. Christ Is the Greater Source of Blessing
That brings us to the second truth: Christ is the greater source of blessing.
Genesis 14:18–20shows Melchizedek meeting Abraham after battle. He brings out bread and wine, blesses Abraham, and praises God Most High. Then Abraham gives him a tenth of everything. Hebrews reflects on this moment and makes a striking point: the lesser is blessed by the greater. Abraham, the great patriarch, receives blessing from Melchizedek.
Illustration: Think of a soldier coming home from battle with mud on his uniform, exhaustion in his body, and the noise of conflict still ringing in his ears. He may have survived the fight, but what he needs is more than applause. He needs someone greater to meet him, steady him, feed him, and remind him where the victory truly came from. That is the picture in Genesis 14. Abraham returns from battle, and Melchizedek meets him with bread and wine, speaks blessing over him, and turns Abraham’s eyes upward to God Most High. He does not let Abraham walk away believing the victory was merely the result of his own strength. He receives the tithe and gives the blessing, showing that Abraham, great as he was, stood under a greater priestly blessing.
Melchizedek’s blessing points beyond himself to Christ. If Abraham, the man of promise, received blessing from Melchizedek, how much more must we look to Jesus, the greater Priest, for the fullness of God’s blessing? Melchizedek blessed Abraham after a temporary victory, but Christ blesses His people through an eternal victory over sin, death, and separation from God. In Him we receive forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, adoption, and access to the Father.
The blessing of Christ is not shallow encouragement or temporary relief. It is covenant blessing rooted in grace. He does not simply give us gifts from God; He brings us to God. He does not merely improve our circumstances; He transforms our relationship with the Almighty.
We all know that some help only lasts for a while, but Christ gives the blessing our souls truly need. A promotion may help, but it cannot forgive sin. A savings account may provide security, but it cannot reconcile the soul to God. A doctor may treat the body, but cannot give eternal peace. Christ gives what no earthly success, relationship, achievement, or possession can give: peace with God and access to the Father.
But this raises an important question: can that blessing last? If Christ gives peace with God, can anything interrupt it, exhaust it, or take it away? Hebrews answers by pointing us to the permanence of His priesthood.
3. Christ Is the Greater Eternal Priest
That brings us to the third truth: Christ is the greater eternal Priest.
Hebrews 7:8–10emphasizes that Melchizedek is spoken of as one who lives. Psalm 110:4then declares, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” This promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. His priesthood is not temporary, fragile, or interrupted by death. He lives forever, and therefore His ministry for His people is permanent.
Illustration: We understand the anxiety that comes when something important depends on someone who may not always be there. Leaders retire, loved ones pass away, doctors move, institutions change, and trusted voices grow silent. Much of adult life teaches us that even good things are temporary. Hebrews shows us that Christ is different. His priesthood is not subject to replacement, decline, or death.
The priests under the old covenant served for a time and then died. Their work had to be repeated, and their ministry was limited. But Christ’s priesthood is different. His sacrifice is once for all, His intercession is continual, and His covenant is unbreakable. He does not need a successor because He will never cease to serve as the living High Priest of His people.
Ephesians 2:14says that Christ Himself is our peace. Through His eternal priesthood, He removes the barriers between God and humanity and establishes a grace-filled covenant. What Melchizedek signified, Jesus secured. What Melchizedek foreshadowed, Jesus fulfilled. In Christ, we have lasting access to God and lasting peace with God.
This is why Christian assurance is not arrogance. It is not confidence in ourselves; it is confidence in Christ. We are secure not because we never fail, never doubt, or never struggle, but because Jesus never stops being our High Priest. His finished sacrifice answers our sin, and His ongoing intercession sustains our faith.
So Hebrews has not taken us on a theological detour. It has shown us that Melchizedek was a signpost, and Christ is the fulfillment. He is the greater King-Priest, the greater source of blessing, and the greater eternal Priest. And all of that brings us back to the central truth of this sermon: because Jesus is the greater King-Priest foreshadowed by Melchizedek, grace has opened the way for sinners to draw near to God through Him.
Conclusion
That is the invitation before us now. The door has not been cracked open by our effort; it has been thrown open by Christ. The question is not whether He is sufficient to bring us near, but whether we will keep standing at a distance when grace has already opened the way.
If you belong to Christ, draw near with confidence. Your standing before God does not rest on your performance, consistency, background, or spiritual résumé. It rests on Christ Himself. When guilt accuses, He is your Priest. When fear unsettles, He is your King. When weakness wears you down, He is the living Savior who never stops interceding for you.
Pray, worship, obey, serve, forgive, and endure as one who is not trying to earn a place with God, but as one who has already been brought near by grace.
If you are not in Christ, you cannot open this door by your will, goodness, religion, or effort. Scripture says we are dead in sin, and dead people do not make themselves alive or seek God on their own. But the same Christ who opens the way also gives life by His sovereign grace. If you see your sin, feel your need, and desire to come, do not boast in yourself; that is mercy at work. Turn from sin and self-trust, and come to Christ by faith, resting wholly in the grace that first awakened you.
So hear the invitation personally: bring your guilt, fear, weariness, and need. The King has authority, the Priest has made atonement, and the Savior is alive.
And this is why we come to the Lord’s Supper. We do not come to open the door, earn forgiveness, or prove our worth. We come because Christ has already opened the way by His broken body and shed blood. At this table, remember His death, rest in His grace, and proclaim with hope that the covenant is secure.
The door is open, the Priest is alive, and grace invites us to draw near.
Let’s pray.
- - Hebrews 7:1–10CSB

1. Christ Is the Greater King-Priest

2. Christ Is the Greater Source of Blessing

3. Christ Is the Greater Eternal Priest

Hebrews 7:1–10CSB