Jewish Priests Inferior to Jesus

January 12th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 7:11-14 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

Once the Israelite priesthood was set up during the days of Moses, some 600 years after Abraham, per God’s command, Israel brought tithes to the priests and Levities to honor and worship God. They could only bring their sacrifices and tithes to the priests who would then make intercession for them. Since the priesthood atoned for the sins of the people of Israel, it was vitally important, for it gave Israel an avenue to God—an inferior avenue that Christ would perfect through His superior priesthood. Israel’s tithes were done in obedience, but when they sinned unintentionally their sins could be atoned for—covered—through the priests. So, Jews exalted the priesthood and the high priest through Levi’s line who mediated their atonement.

After establishing that the Jewish priesthood was inferior to Melchizedek’s priesthood in 7:1-10, the author draws a conclusion for those Jews pondering a retreat from Christianity back into Judaism. He asked them about the perfection they thought the priesthood brought to them through animal sacrifices. After all, the Levitical priesthood was the medium through which the Jews received the Law. Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi, and it was through them that the Law (the Ten Commandments and the Torah) came to Israel. The moral law was perfect, reflecting God’s perfection and will. But the law of priestly ordinances was unable make anyone perfect. On the contrary, the Law of God was given to show people that they are sinful and imperfect (Rom. 3:20). Of course it is not God’s plan to simply show mankind his sin; that is only half of God’s plan. The fullness of God’s plan was to fully atone for man’s sin.

The Hebrews author argues that if perfection had indeed come from the Jewish priesthood (the line of Levi through Aaron, the first priest), there would never have been a need for another priest to arise from the order of Melchizedek. But since Jesus did come to mankind as a priest from the order of Melchizedek, there had to be a change of the Law of God according to v. 12. A man could not just be a priest without being from the tribe of Levi. As to His birth, Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, and the Law said nothing about a priest from that line. Only kings came from Judah—from which Jesus descended. All the priests were from Levi and must also descend from Aaron, the brother of Moses. So if Jesus, from the tribe of Judah, was designated a priest from the order of Melchizedek, then the Law had indeed changed as God had prophesied it would in Psalm 110:4. Indeed it needed to change because it only revealed man’s sins. Another priest had to arise as an eternal priest, one who grants eternal forgiveness. This Jesus did!

Food For Thought
Jesus Christ is King in that He descended from Judah. All genealogies in the Bible reveal this. But Hebrews also reveals Jesus as our High Priest. Why does it matter? It matters, first of all, if you are Jewish. Today the Jews do not have a priesthood and have not had one since their temple was destroyed in AD 70. So, they cannot atone for sins since they have no priesthood. Ironically, one of their own, Jesus of Nazareth, proved Himself the superior Priest and offered salvation by offering Himself as a blood sacrifice. So, Jews can receive salvation the way the rest of us do, by trusting in Jesus as the Messiah—the Lamb of God, both King and Priest.