A Better Hope in Christ

January 13th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 7:15-19 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (the law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Jesus was born as the son of Mary and Joseph, descendants of David of tribe of Judah. This is vital, for God promised David that his seed would always have claim to the Jerusalem throne (2 Sam. 7:12-16). Yet this promise to David was merely an offshoot of his former promise to Abraham (Gen 12-22). Since God promised Abraham a “seed”—both a nation and a Person—it is no wonder that his descendants through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah (the kingly line) bore not only a nation of people but also the Christ through David and his descendants Mary and Joseph. After Jesus was born, He revealed Himself as the promised Seed of Abraham and David, the King of the Jews. But a priest? Priests had to descend from Levi, not Judah. How could Jesus be a priest?

The author proves himself a capable expositor of Scripture through his ability reveal Christ as the Priest of priests from the OT. His reference to Genesis 14, which introduced the priest-king Melchizedek, also becomes the narrative that proves Jesus is a priest, and not only a priest but the Priest. Jesus sacrificed His life to atone for the sins of the Jewish people (and for the whole world), and the fact that His offering was received by God proves something vitally important: that His priestly service in offering Himself as a sacrifice on Passover meant that He was not only the sacrifice but the mediating Priest who offered it! Yet His priestly order was not from the line of Levi; it was from another line of priests who pre-dated the Levitical priesthood by at least 600 years! It came from the line of Melchizedek who was not only a priest but a king, a king of both righteousness and peace (7:2-3), one that prefigured Jesus’ life and ministry.

How did Jesus prove Himself to be of the order of Melchizedek? Verse 16 says that His indestructible life—a life that overcame death—proved Him to be a priest like Melchizedek whose death was never recorded. Perhaps Melchizedek, like Enoch (Gen. 5:24), was taken by God without ever experiencing death. Or maybe the fact that his death was never recorded simply made his life a type of Christ since Christ’s death, though recorded, was not permanent, for He came back to life and lives eternally to make priestly intercession for God’s people.

In keeping with his brilliant exposition of the OT, the author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110:4 where King David saw the pre-incarnate Christ and wrote of Him 1,000 years prior, saying, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Even the OT saw another priestly order, and now Jesus Christ is said to be of that order. His indestructible life proved it.

Now because a new Priest arose in Israel, Jesus Christ, far superior to the Israelite priests, that meant that a change of law was in order. After all, the law made nothing perfect (v. 19) but only revealed God’s perfection and man’s sinfulness. Since it was unable to make men perfect in God’s sight, the inferior law had to be set aside in favor of the superior Law of grace which brings in “a better hope,” one that allows man to “draw near to God” (Heb 4:16), no longer to be separated from Him. The old Levitical priesthood was thus replaced by Jesus superior one.

Food For Thought
Hebrews was written by a man defending Jesus to a Jewish audience as One superior to all priests. Whether anyone listened is inconsequential. We as Christians should simply be able to defend what we believe and have a cogent argument for the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).