You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4. January 18, 2023 - Wednesday, 2nd Week

Between the year 150 BC and 68 AD, a religious community of Jewish men lived on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The community is today known as the Qumran community and belonged to a larger movement known as the Essenes. The community was founded by a mysterious person called the “Teacher of Righteousness”. Some scholars identify him with the high priest of Jerusalem temple forced to step down by the Maccabean king Jonathan who claimed the office of the High Priest for himself. 

They considered the temple in Jerusalem illegitimate, they lived a life of celibacy, had their property in common, performed baptisms, and awaited the coming of two Messiahs: one from the line of Aaron and one from the line of David. All the Gospels place the appearance of John the Baptist in the desert before Jesus’ ministry. Moreover, John the Baptist was from the line of Aaron and Jesus was from the line of Judah. Many think that John grew up within that community and some even claim that he was expelled from that community. Why? Perhaps for his unorthodox view of the issue of the Messiah. In his view, there could only be one Messiah whom he was not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals (see Mark 1:7). But what kind of Messiah?

Among the many scrolls of that community, there is one called by the scholars the Melchizedek Document. That community believed that at the end of time, the mysterious priest of the Most High God and the king of righteousness would return and declare a Year of Jubilee. But, that year of Jubilee would go beyond forgiving monetary debts. When Melchizedek comes, he will free people from their debt of sin and from their slavery to the Devil. 

When we read this document today, we immediately think about Jesus Christ, the priest according to the order of Melchizedek and the king from the line of David. According to Luke, Jesus’ first sermon in Nazareth was drawn from Isaiah. The prophet speaks about someone being anointed with the Spirit of the Lord and declaring the Jubilee Year, the Year of God’s grace (see Luke 4:16-19). Then, Jesus begins his sermon with a declaration: “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Jesus took upon himself the debt of our sins and nailed them to the cross (see Col 2:13-14), and he also set us free from the power of the Devil (see Hebr 2:14-15).

There is a shocking statement in that document reconstrated by the scholars as follows: “Your God is Melchizedek”. This line becomes understandable only in Jesus Christ, our Melchizedek, who has come at the end of the age to set us free from the power of sin, death, and evil. He is our Lord and God (see John 20:28).