The Significance
(Pagkahinungdanon) Of Christ's Priesthood (7:11-19)
INTRODUCTION
1. A major theme in "The Epistle To The Hebrews" is the priesthood of Christ...
  a. His "a merciful and faithful High  Priest" - He 2:17
 b. He is the "High Priest of our confession" - He 3:1
 c. He is "a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens" He 4:14
d. He is a sympathetic High Priest, for He "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" - He 4:15
 e. His calling as High Priest came from God Himself - He 5:5-6
2.His is a unique priesthood, however...
 a. It is NOT according to the "Levitical priesthood"
1) He is a not priest in the order of Aaron
 2) A priesthood that began with the giving of the Law through Moses at Mt. Sinai
 b. His priesthood is "according to the order of Melchizedek"- He 5:9-10
1) Melchizedek was a priest "of God Most High" who met Abram 
Gen 14:14-20
2) And God swore that the Messiah would be a priest like Melchizedek - Ps 110:4
3. In our previous study, we saw Melchizedek was superior in that...
a. He received tithes from Abraham - He 7:4-6a
b. He blessed Abraham He 7:6b-7
c. Even Levi, in the loins of his ancestor Abraham, paid tithes to Melchizedek - He 7:9-10
- All of this proving that the priesthood of Christ, which is after the order of Melchizedek, is superior to the Levitical priesthood
4. That Christ would come to serve as a priest after the order the Melchizedek is not without significance and major implications...
a. Regarding the efficacy of the Levitical priesthood
b. Regarding the law of Moses itself!
[Some of the significance and implications of Christ's priesthood is described in He 7:11-19.  
As we consider "The Significance Of Christ's Priesthood", we note first that ...]
I. THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD WAS LACKING (11)
A. IT DID NOT BRING "PERFECTION"...
 1. Otherwise there would not have been another priest to arise like Melchizedek
2.That one was foretold (Ps 110:4) and has come proves the  order of Aaron was lacking
 B.THE MEANING OF "PERFECTION"...
1.Perfection means "completeness" and in this context it speaks of making men acceptable to God (Believers' Study Bible)
 2. The Old Law with its priesthood could never fully reconcile  man back to God
 a. Animal sacrifices could not make one "perfect" - He 10:1
 b. They could not cleanse the sinner's conscience - He 10:2-3; cf. 9:9
c.They could not take away sin - He 10:4; cf. 10:11
II. THE LAW HAS BEEN ANNULLED (12-18)
 A. A CHANGE IN THE PRIESTHOOD SIGNIFIES A CHANGE IN THE LAW...
 1. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, not Levi - He 7:13-14;cf. Mt 1:1-2
2.Moses had not authorized anyone from Judah to serve as priest;  indeed, God specifically forbid anyone other than a descendant of Aaron - cf. Num 16:40
3. For Christ to serve as priest, then, a change must haveoccurred - He 7:14
4. Especially for one who serves "according to the power of an 
endless life" - He 7:15-17
a. The Levitical priests were "mortal men", whose service 
ended at death
 b. But Christ is a priest "forever", His priesthood is   therefore unchangeable - He 7:2
   B. WITH THE CHANGE IN PRIESTHOOD, THE LAW IS NOW ANNULLED...
 1. "Annulled" means "to declare as void, to invalidate,to  abrogate"   2. The "former commandment" (as the Law is called) has therefore
 been set aside - He 7:18-19a
3. That the Law has been done away should not surprise us...
a. God foretold this would happen - cf. He 8:7-13
b. Jesus implied that the Law would be done away once it was 
fulfilled - Mt 5:17-18
III. THERE IS NOW A BETTER HOPE (19)
   A. THROUGH WHICH WE CAN DRAW NEAR TO GOD...  1. As seen earlier, the Levitical priesthood did not offer "perfection"
a. Its sacrifices could not make one "perfect" regarding: 1) Consciousness of sins, for sacrifices were "year by   year" - He 10:1-3  b. Our hope in drawing near to God is now "better" than
   B. CHRIST'S SUPERIOR PRIESTHOOD IS THE BASIS OF THAT HOPE...
1. Because Christ is "a priest forever according to the order of 
Melchizedek", our hope for drawing near to God is much 
better:
 a. As we've seen, Melchizedek is superior to Abraham and Levi
 b. Therefore his priesthood is superior to the Levitical
  priesthood-- Making Jesus' own priesthood superior
2. More evidence of superiority will be considered shortly   He 7:24-28), but for now note again how the greatness of 
 Jesus' priesthood should strengthen our hope in drawing near to God:
a. Our High Priest has "passed through the heavens" - He 4:14
 b. Our High Priest can "sympathize with our weaknesses"  - He 4:15
 c. Our High Priest makes it possible to "come boldly to the
throne of grace" and "obtain mercy and find grace to help  in time of need" - He 4:16
  -- Can we see how His service as our High Priest provides "a
 better hope, through which we draw near to God"?
the Law; indeed, it has been replaced  with a new covenan