He is able to save to the uttermost…

The overall theme of the book of Hebrews is that Christ is better than other things – better than angels, other priests, and the Old Covenant, to name a few.  So in 4:14 we find an early description of Christ as High Priest.  Moving on to chapter 7 we find Him compared to Melchizedek (7:1), the king and priest in Genesis.  This mysterious person received tithes from Abraham (vs. 2, 4) and was “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God” (v. 3).  This last clause is intriguing.  The word like comes from a rare Greek word and is used nowhere else in all of Scripture.  It means that the brief description of Melchizedek in the text of Genesis makes him appear to have similarities to Christ.  It doesn’t mean that Melchizedek was like Christ in his character, or that he was a form of Christ in the Old Testament.

Why is this important?  It is important because the nature of Christ’s priestly character, being similar to that written of Melchizedek, proves that He is able to save.  Notice the parallels.  First, Melchizedek was priest for the Most High God.  Second, he received tithes from Abraham, a clear indication that Abraham considered this priest to be greater than himself (v. 7).  Third, this priest seems to be from another world, without parentage and genealogy.  While Christ had an earthly mother and 2 genealogies written for other purposes, we know He came from Heaven (John 6:33, 35).  Fourth, his life and priesthood continue forever (v. 3).  While all of these factors are inherent to Christ as High Priest, it is this last one that enables all the others.  It is fueled by “the power of [His] endless life” (v. 16).

This word power comes from the Greek word dunamis, which gives us the English word dynamite.  It is also the same word translated able, as in “able to save.”  To say He is able to save is to say He has the power to save!  And the source of this power is His endless life.  We should not allow this to escape us.  We have our life from God; He donates life to us for a short season on the earth.  But Christ has life within himself (see John 1:4).  He is dependent on no one for this life.

Because of Christ’s endless life, his priesthood is not weak and unprofitable (v. 18).  His endless life guarantees that death does not interrupt his ministry (v. 23).  It also insures that His service continues forever and will not change (v. 24).  And what does a priest do?  Generally speaking, they intercede favorably for the people to God (v. 25a).  Now apply this definition to Christ’s strong, profitable, uninterrupted, unchangeable and never ending priesthood.  That is why he is able to save us:  “He always lives to make intercession for… those who come to God through him” (v. 25b).

Not only that, for added emphasis the text says he is able to save “to the uttermost,” which means “perfectly, completely, entirely.”  None of those who come to Christ will ever be lost for any reason.  Jesus said, “This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:39-40).  For Jesus to say something like this not once, but twice, you know he was drawing specific attention to his words.  He will be there at the last day.  So will you and I, and every believer from every generation.  It is a date for all eternity!

Have you thanked this wonderful High Priest today for “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3)?