“Our Citizenship”

Sunday, July 13, 2025

We’ve now covered nearly half of the book of Hebrews. The author first showed from the Scriptures that Jesus is better than any other of God’s messengers. The need to do this is lost on most modern Christians, who already accept that premise; but to Jewish Christians in the period leading up to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, it was harder to accept, due to their centuries-old traditions and upbringing. Next, he showed that those Scriptures, although written in ancient days to their ancient forebears, were also for those living today—whenever today happens to be. That was important, because those ancient Scriptures have some consequential things to tell us about Jesus, such as his status as high priest. After a brief digression in chapter 6 to encourage growth in his audience, the author picked up with Jesus’ priesthood, referring again to Psalm 110.4:

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

(Hebrews 6.19-20)

From here he launches into a thorough study of this little-known figure from Genesis.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

(Hebrews 7.1-3)

This paraphrase of Melchizedek’s appearance in the Old Testament is all for the purpose of explaining why God appoints his chosen one to Melchizedek’s priesthood in Psalm 110.

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!

(Hebrews 7.4)

Next, the author connects Abraham’s tribute to Melchizedek with Israel’s tithes to the priestly tribe of Levi. Then he observes that Melchizedek “blessed him who had the promises” (v6). It was almost impossible to honor anyone more highly than the intended audience honored Abraham. Yet, “it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior” (v7). Therefore, the mysterious Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Why does this matter? Is the point just to tear down the exalted father of God’s people? No, it is to elevate the audience’s honor for

another priest [who] arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him,

“You are a priest forever,

                        after the order of Melchizedek.”

(Hebrews 7.15-17)

The conclusion toward which the author is driving is hardly one that should have been news to his audience. It’s the confession each one had already made, that Jesus is the Messiah. But whether through carelessness or an ill-guided attempt to compartmentalize their lives into everyday matters, and matters of religion, they were failing to grasp just what that confession means! Jesus is better than everything and everyone they honored and held dear. In fact, not only was the Law of Moses less valuable and less important than the advent of Christ, but it was well on its way to irrelevance.

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

(Hebrews 7.18-19)

Jewish Christians watching the relationship between their nation and Rome grow more and more sour struggled to accept that their identity as God’s people had less and less to do with their physical ancestors and brothers; less and less to do with the nation, land, and political structure that bore them. Jesus said,

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.…For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

(Luke 21.20-24)

Yet when the fulfillment of these predictions came, they struggled to obey the attendant instructions. Their spiritual and physical vision conflicted, and they trusted their eyes, which saw brothers being persecuted, rather than “enemies of the cross of Christ” coming to the end of which he warned them (Php 3.18).

Today, most gentile Christians care too little about the ways God revealed himself to Israel for our benefit (cf. 1Co 10.11). But even if no Jewish national identity hinders our walk with God, we are susceptible to the same error, with regard to our own accidents of birth and upbringing! It’s good to love parents, family, neighbors, community, and nation. It is not good to side with them, when they oppose Christ. Christians are sojourners in a strange land, not at home in this world. It’s supposed to be this way! Paul tells us, “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior” (Php 3.20). Come what may, that Savior

is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

(Hebrews 7.25)

Jeremy Nettles

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