Jesus made forgiveness possible through his one perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was uniquely qualified to do so as the ‘King of kings’ and ‘Great High Priest’.
Jesus clearly saw this royal psalm of David as referring to himself (v.1, see Matthew 22:42–45; Luke 20:42–44). It is one of the most frequently quoted in the New Testament. Two lines of Old Testament prophecy come together in this psalm.
King of kings:
Although it is about a human king, it points forward to a divine King who will be King over all kings (Psalm 110:5).
Great High Priest
The writer of Hebrews quotes this psalm as referring to Jesus (see Hebrews 7:17–22) as the one who is the priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4). Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus were Levites. But both were priests – not on the basis of their ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16).
Whereas the Old Testament priests were temporary, Jesus’ priesthood is permanent: ‘He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself (v.27). ‘You’re the permanent priest’ (Psalm 110:4, MSG).
King Jesus, thank you that you made the one perfect sacrifice for my sins so that I can be forgiven and my life can be utterly transformed.