“A Priest Forever” [Matt's Messages] ~ Matt Mitchell

“A Priest Forever”

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

The Letter to the Hebrews

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

June 28, 2026 :: Hebrews 7:20-28

Fix your eyes on our great high priest. His name is Jesus.

We’ve reached the heart of the book of Hebrews where the writer is dwelling on the subject of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ.

He’s mentioned it all along, and he’s tried to get his readers to focus on it, but he had to grab back their attention a few times. Now he’s got us focused on it.

Jesus is our great high priest. We don’t think about that enough today. We don’t realize how important it really is. Last year, as a church, we focused on the kingship of Jesus. We studied the Book of Daniel that presented Jesus as the coming Son of Man Who was coming as the King of Kings (see Daniel 7:14).

And He is! That’s right for us to focus upon His kingship. Jesus is Lord!

But He is not just a king. He is also a priest. He is not just our ruler. He is our representative. He safely represents us before a holy God. Jesus is our great high priest. He’s not just the King of Kings. He’s the Priest of Priests.

We all need a high priest. We all need a human being that safely represents us before a holy God.

You don’t want to go alone before a holy God. Not if you are a sinner. If you are a sinner, you want a priest and you want an atoning sacrifice being presented by that priest so that you can approach a holy God.

The original readers of this letter knew that. We often don’t realize it, but it was ingrained in them by their Bibles (the Old Testament) and by the priesthood that they were familiar with. The Levitical Priesthood. The priests that came from the Israelite tribe of Levi–specifically the sons of Aaron, Moses’ brother, the first high priest of Israel.

They knew all about priests because they lived with them. They knew that we need a priest. But they needed convinced (or at least reminded again) that Jesus was the priest that we need. They were tempted to fall back on the Levitical priesthood, the Aaronic priesthood. Team Levi. Team Aaron. Maybe they were good enough?

“I’m not so sure about whether or not we need to stick with Jesus.”

Especially because sticking with Jesus means sticking your neck out. Sticking with Jesus will get you into hot water. And it might cost you your life. Is sticking with Jesus worth that?

This pastor is trying to convince them (and therefore us) that He is. Jesus is greater than Aaron and his sons ever were or ever could ever be.

Jesus is the priest we need, and Jesus is our priest...forever.

“A Priest Forever”

I said last week that that will be our title for today. “A Priest Forever.”

Where do those words come from? They come from Psalm 110. The Psalm that Hannah just read for us. That Psalm (we learned last week) starts out as a prophetic promise to the coming Messiah that He be victorious. Great David’s greatest Son will be invited to sit at God’s right hand until the LORD makes all of his enemies a footstool for His feet (Psalm 110:1-3).

He will be a conquering king. But He will not be just a king. He’s also going to be a priest.

Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

A priest forever.

Now, last week, we focused on that last part, “in the order of Melchizedek.”

We learned that the Messiah to come will be on Team Melchizedek. And we talked a lot about what that means. I won’t repeat it all today. If you weren’t here, you might want to go back and listen, watch, or read last week’s message.

The basic idea is that Team Melchizedek is greater than Team Levi or Team Aaron. There’s a lot of reasons for that; read the first part of the chapter. Team Melchizedek is greater than Team Levi or Team Aaron. And Jesus is going to be on Team Melchizedek.

His priesthood is better, and that also means we get a better law (v.12) and a better hope by which we draw near to God (v.19).

And a big part of what makes Team Melchizedek better is that his priesthood is forever.

The original Melchizedek in Genesis was a shadowy figure that showed up and then disappeared with no genealogy. No record of his birth or his death. And so his priesthood was kind of open-ended. If he didn’t get marked down as dead, you could kind of say that his priesthood was still active.

And Psalm 110 predicted that Jesus’s priesthood would be open-ended like Melchizedek’s priesthood.

He will be a priest forever. It says this in Psalm 110, and then five more times those words are repeated in your Bible–all five times in the Letter to the Hebrews (5:6, 6:20, 7:3, 7:17, 7:21)! Three of them in this chapter. Jesus is a priest forever.

Because Jesus lives forever. Jesus died on the Cross, making atonement for our sins. But He came back to life, and now He is indestructible. Verse 16 says He is a priest based on “the power of an indestructible life.”

If you shot Jesus right now, point blank, He would not die. Not if you shot Him with a nuke. He cannot die. Jesus lives in the power of an indestructible life. And so He’s (Psalm 110!) “A priest forever.”

Just think about what that means! That means that He won’t change. Whatever kind of a priest He is He is forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. And that’s what this last part of the chapter focuses on today.

I have three points this morning to summarize what I think verses 20 to 28 have to say about Jesus’ eternal priesthood, and here’s the first one:

#1. PROMISED FOREVER.

All three of these are the best news ever. Any one of them is enough to get you out of bed and keep you going as a Christian.

Jesus is promised forever as our great high priest. Look at verse 20. He comes back to the idea he brought up before in chapter 6 of an oath (see 6:16-18). Verse 20.

“And it [Jesus’ priesthood] was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'’”

Here’s what he’s saying. He’s pointing out another difference between the Levitical High Priests and Jesus’ High Priesthood.

Did God ever promise Aaron with a solemn oath that he and his sons will be priests forever? The answer is “almost.” God did call Aaron and his sons to be priests in an ongoing priesthood, generation after generation (see Exodus 28:1, 29:9,28). But, no, He never made an oath to Aaron. He never promised to not change things up. He never promised that Aaron would be a priest forever.

But in Psalm 110, verse 4, He did make such an oath to Jesus. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” God swore! He didn’t have to. Just Him saying it would make it true. But the LORD went on to swear it, to make an oath to the Son. In other words, God is saying, “If I don’t keep this promise, then I will die.”

And here’s the promise: “You are a priest forever.”

You see how important that is? Here’s what that means for you and me. You and I don’t ever have to be afraid that God is going to change the deal on us. We don’t have to worry that the deal is going to change.

I don’t know about you, but I hate it when the deal changes for the worse, and I have no power over it.

“Well, yeah, that was the rule then, but this is the rule now. And you just have to live with it.”

“Well, we’ve got someone new in charge, and they want to do it this way. And you just have to live with it.”

It’s bad enough for small stuff (like terms and conditions or tech stuff that I didn’t ask to change but here it’s changed anyway), but what about important stuff?

How do we know that our deal with God is safe and secure? Look at verse 22.

“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

The guarantee. Jesus is the guarantee. He’s the security deposit. He’s the surety. He’s the guarantor.

You would have to kill Jesus again to undo this covenant. That’s what he’s saying. You would have to somehow kill Jesus to undo this covenant. And Jesus cannot be killed again. He’s indestructible. That’s how safe our deal is! That’s how secure it is. That’s how sure our hope is. That’s why it’s an anchor for the soul, right?

Nothing on Earth can change the terms of our covenant with God because God has made an oath that Jesus is a priest forever.

How does that make you feel? Does that help you to carry on? Fix your eyes on your great high priest.

“I know that while in heaven he stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.”

- Charitie Lees (Smith) Bancroft

And He’s a priest forever. Can you see how much greater Jesus is than Aaron? And how much greater is the new covenant! Did you notice that language in verse 22? “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

That’s the first time the word “covenant” is used in the Letter to the Hebrews. It will not be the last. Actually, it’s shows up 16 more times in this letter. The next three chapters are going to be demonstrate for the Hebrews and for us that the New Covenant is much better than the Old Covenant. And the Old Covenant was good! It was given by God. But the New Covenant is so much better. And one of the reasons is that the priesthood of the New Covenant is eternal is because the High Priest of the New Covenant was promised forever by God’s own oath.

#2. PLACED FOREVER.

Jesus is placed forever as the high priest. Look at verse 23. He’s going to carry on the comparison between the two kinds of priests. Verse 23.

“Now there have been many of those priests [Levitical priests, Aaronic priests], since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood” (vv.23-24).

You see the contrast? Maybe make a comparison chart on your bulletin?

Levitical, no oath. Jesus, oath!

Levitical, many priests. Jesus, one priest.

Why were there so many Levitical priests? The historian Josephus counted up at least 83 high priests from Aaron to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. The Talmud estimated there were over 318!

It’s because they all died, right? Aaron died. And his son Eleazar because high priest. Eleazar died and his son Phinehas became high priest. And he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. And when they died, they were no longer the high priest.

This is a fragile system, isn’t it? What if they didn’t have any sons? What if they all died? What happens to the people if all of the high priests died?

We think, “No big deal. We can do without priests.” But that’s wrong. We need a high priest. That leaves us sinner alone with a holy God. You don’t want to be alone with a holy God if you are a sinner.

What happens to the people if all of the priest die?

Here’s the principle: Dead priests do not save. Dead priests make terrible priests before God.

V.23, “Death prevented them from continuing in office.” But! V.24 “...but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.”

Permanent! He’s placed in this position forever. Your great high priest cannot be dislodged. To take away His priesthood, you would have to somehow kill Jesus again. And that cannot happen. He’s indestructible.

And that means that He doesn’t need a successor. There don’t need to be any more great high priests. We have the final one. The Pope in Rome is not our great high priest. And neither is anyone else that might claim to take Jesus’ place.

Including anyone that we’d like to take His place. Sometimes, we’d like to have a different priest. That’s how we act. As if someone else could represent us better. But Jesus will have no successors. You and I will never have another high priest. Jesus is placed forever.

He is our priest yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 does say, “Jesus Christ is the same.” Our permanent priest.

And here’s what that means for us today. Look at verse 25. It may be the most encouraging thing you hear all week. Verse 25.

“Therefore [because Jesus lives forever] he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

Isn’t that good news?! Doesn’t that fill your heart with a song? Isn’t that a perpetual motion machine? That will keep you going!

Because Jesus lives forever “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him...”

Completely! Some versions say, “to the uttermost!” To the fullest extent. Both in quality and duration. That means that there will be nothing about us that isn’t saved. Body and soul. And forever!

There isn’t going to be this one little corner of our lives that isn’t redeemed. Everything gets a makeover and everything gets rescued! “Rescued, reconciled, and renewed.” Forever!

We aren’t going to be saved by half. We aren’t going to be saved by 75%. We are going to be 100% saved for 100% of eternity. Because Jesus is 100% alive!

Dead priests don’t save, but ever-living priests save completely. Jesus will always, always, always be your great high priest. [Thank you, Michael Kruger for saying, “always, always, always” on page 104 of your commentary.]

Jesus will always, always, always, always, always be your great high priest.

Look at verse 25 again. Jesus “is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

Church, where is Jesus right now? He’s at the right hand of Majesty on High.

Church, what is Jesus doing right now? He’s interceding for us. He’s praying for us. He’s pleading the merits of His own blood for us.

“Before the throne of God above

I have a strong a perfect plea;

A great High Priest whose name is Love,

Who ever lives and pleads for me.”

- Charitie Lees (Smith) Bancroft

Ever, ever, ever. Always, always, always.

You see why I say we don’t think about His priesthood enough?

You are never going to be on your own. You never have to go before a holy God on your own. Jesus is alive, and He never stops interceding for you. To stop Jesus from interceding for you, Christian, someone would have to kill Jesus again, and that is impossible. He is indestructible. He is able to save completely (and He is saving completely) those who come to God through Him.

Have you come to God through Jesus? There is no better way. There is no other way. Jesus is the way. Come to God through Jesus. You are invited. Draw near. Repent of your sins. Repent of your saviors. Your false saviors. Including yourself. And come to God through Jesus.

He will save you completely. Because He never fails. He never falters. He never falls asleep. I fall asleep while praying all of the time. But our priest never falls asleep at the wheel. He always, always, always lives to intercede for us.

Jesus is the high priest we need. Look at verse 26.

“Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”

What soaring language! Keith put that one on the front of our bulletins this morning. He says that “such a high priest meets our needs.” It literally says that this kind of high priest is fitting or appropriate for us. Not because we deserve a high priest like this. We certainly don’t, but because this is precisely the kind of high priest we need. What kind? A perfect one.

#3. PERFECT FOREVER.

He piles up words to describe how perfect Jesus is.

“Holy, blameless, pure.” Some versions have “innocent and undefiled.” “Unstained.”

There is nothing wrong with Jesus, and there never will be. He is set apart from sinners. He’s in a class of His own. He is holy, holy, holy. And He is “exalted above the heavens.” He’s passed through the heavens (4:14) and is now at the highest place.

At the right hand of the Majesty on High. And He belongs there. He’s this perfect...and He always will be!

That’s not true of the other high priests. Look at verse 27.

“Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Aaron and his sons were sinful just like those they represented. They had to offer a sacrifice for themselves before they could offer a sacrifice for the people, And they had to do it again and again and again.

But our great high priest (v.27), “sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Wow. There is so much there. The author of this letter thinks so, too. He’s going to repeat these ideas again and again over the next few chapters (9:12, 26, 10:2, 10:10, etc.). He wants us to hear those words, “once for all,” until they are embedded in our souls.

We don’t need many sacrifices today. Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient. Once for all. And His sacrifice is not just sufficient. It is personal.

Our great high priest did not simply sacrifice a perfect spotless lamb. He was the perfect spotless lamb of God. He offered Himself.

You see how much better our great high priest is than the other priests ever could be?

They were great! But they were weak. Look verse 28.

“For the law [the Mosaic law] appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, [Psalm 110, verse 4] appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”

The Son (Hebrews 1:1-4)! The Son of God was appointed by God to become our Great High Priest.

And He was made perfect. Not because He was imperfect before. But because He became a human and suffered. And suffering (when you do it right) perfects you (cf. Heb 5:9). It completes you. It consecrates you.

Suffering made Jesus the perfectly qualified high priest. And He will be forever.

Because after He suffered, He suffers no more. What suffering made Him cannot be undone. To take away Jesus’ perfection (holy, blameless, pure, set apart), you would have to kill him all over again.

And, church, that’s never going to happen! Jesus is perfect forever, which means your salvation is perfect forever. His sacrifice is never going to run out of efficacy.

You have nothing to worry about forever!

Jesus is exactly the kind of priest we need, and we are going to have Him forever and ever and ever and ever.

Jesus is a priest forever. Fix your eyes on Him.

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