You Already Have a Priest: The Question Is, Which One?

Meta Description: Pastor Elliot unpacked Hebrews 7 to show us why Jesus is the only High Priest who can truly validate us — and why that changes everything. URL Slug: jesus-our-high-priest-hebrews-7 Featured Image: A close-up of open hands, palms up, with soft natural light — conveying surrender, openness, and grace. Alternatively, a communion table with bread and cup in warm, natural tones.

There's a question most of us have never thought to ask ourselves: Who is my priest?

Not in a religious, ancient-temple kind of way — but in the very real, everyday sense of the word. What are we turning to when we need to feel validated, forgiven, or like we're actually enough? This Sunday, Pastor Elliot brought us face-to-face with that question through a rich and challenging message from Hebrews chapter 7, and the answer he unpacked from scripture was both convicting and deeply freeing.

We All Need Outside Validation — The Question Is Where We Find It

Pastor Elliot opened with a disarming observation: we live in a culture that celebrates independence, but none of us are actually good at it. Deep down, every one of us craves outside validation. We call a friend after an argument — not for their advice, but hoping they'll confirm we were right. We scroll through comments looking for affirmation. We measure our worth against the approval of people around us.

He was refreshingly honest about it, even sharing a lighthearted story about wanting his wife Tanner's validation during a tense moment in traffic. The laugh was real — but so was the point underneath it.

"The issue isn't whether or not you need a priest," Pastor Elliot said. "The issue is who is your priest — what are you looking to for outside validation?"

The ancient Jewish audience reading Hebrews understood priests in a concrete, practical way. A priest stood between you and God. He offered the sacrifice. He put you in right standing. Pastor Elliot helped us see that we're not so different — we've just replaced the altar with other things. Maybe it's people's opinions. Maybe it's achievement, relationships, substance, or even church attendance. Whatever we turn to in order to deal with the guilt and shame of falling short — that's functioning as our priest. And none of it is enough.

Melchizedek and the Priest We've Always Needed

To explain why Jesus is the High Priest we need, Pastor Elliot walked us back to one of the Bible's most mysterious figures: Melchizedek. He encouraged us to read Genesis 14 for ourselves, but gave us the essential picture — a king-priest who appears in Abraham's story, blesses him with bread and wine, receives a tithe from him, and then seems to vanish from history without a recorded beginning or end.

The author of Hebrews uses Melchizedek to make a powerful argument: Jesus doesn't need to come from the tribe of Levi to be our High Priest. He belongs to a far older and greater priestly order — one that Melchizedek himself was only ever a picture of. As Pastor Elliot put it, "I'm not saying that Jesus is like Melchizedek. I'm saying Melchizedek was a picture of the coming Messiah."

Melchizedek's very name means righteousness, and he was king of Salem — which means peace. He was a king-priest of righteousness and peace who blessed Abraham with bread and wine. Sound familiar? Pastor Elliot drew the connection beautifully: everything in the Old Testament was pointing forward to Christ. The New Covenant isn't God changing his mind. It's him finishing the work.

The Card That Will Never Be Declined

One of the most memorable moments of the message came when Pastor Elliot described what it feels like to hand over a card at a restaurant and not be sure it's going to go through. That anxious pause. The sideways glance at the server's face. The relief — or embarrassment — of what comes next.

"I think sometimes when it comes to faith, we live that way too," he said. "Crossing our fingers and holding our breath."

But Hebrews 7 pushes back hard on that kind of tentative faith. The passage declares that Jesus "holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever" and 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 7:24-25).

The card will never be declined. The check will never bounce. His priesthood is permanent, eternal, and guaranteed.

Pastor Elliot was careful to name what this doesn't mean. The security of grace isn't a license to keep living in sin. Quoting Romans 6:1-2 — "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means. How can we who died to sin still live in it?" — he reminded us that salvation is participation in Christ's sacrifice. We died with him. And just as he rose, so do we.

Righteousness, he told us, doesn't just bring peace as a reward. It brings peace as a result. When we walk in God's ways, there's a freedom that comes — not because we earned it, but because his ways are genuinely better.

The Only Answer That Actually Works

Near the close of his message, Pastor Elliot referenced a story from a sermon by pastor Alistair Begg about the thief on the cross. No baptism. No theological training. No track record of good deeds. Just a dying man who cried out to Jesus — and heard, "Today you will be with me in paradise."

If that thief were asked at the gates of eternity why he should be let in, the only answer he could give was this: "The man on the middle cross said I could come in."

That's the gospel. And Hebrews 7:25 is its guarantee: "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

The invitation hasn't changed. Draw near. Not because you've earned it. Not because your performance has been good enough. But because the work is finished, the price is paid, and the High Priest who offered himself once for all is still — right now — making intercession for you.

Key Takeaways from This Week's Message

• We all have a priest. The question isn't whether we need outside validation — it's where we're looking for it.
• Jesus fulfills what Melchizedek only foreshadowed. The Old and New Testaments aren't two different stories. They're one story, completed in Christ.
• We can't earn what's already been given. Trying to do so leads either to despair or arrogance — and both keep our eyes on ourselves instead of the cross.
• His priesthood is permanent. Christ doesn't waver when we do. His intercession on our behalf never stops.
• Security produces growth. The grace of the gospel isn't an excuse to stay the same — it's the foundation that makes genuine transformation possible.

If you missed Sunday's service or want to revisit this message, you can watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel. And if you're looking to go deeper into what it means to follow Jesus in community, we'd love for you to explore Rooted, our discipleship journey here at Cornerstone. Ask us about the next group starting soon.

Social Media Excerpt (Facebook/Instagram): What if you already have a priest — you just don't know it yet? This Sunday, Pastor Elliot unpacked Hebrews 7 and showed us that every one of us is looking for something to validate us and deal with our guilt and shame. The good news? There's only one High Priest whose work is finished, permanent, and guaranteed. Watch the full message on our YouTube channel — link in bio.

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