16. He was made a priest, but not because he met the requirement of being born into the right family. He became a priest by the power of a life that will never end.
17. This is what the Scriptures say about him: “You are a priest forever—the kind of priest Melchizedek was.”
18. The old rule is now ended because it was weak and worthless.
19. The Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us. And with that hope we can come near to God.
20. Also, it is important that God made a promise with an oath when he made Jesus high priest. When those other men became priests, there was no oath.
21. But Christ became a priest with God’s oath. God said to him, “The Lord has made a promise with an oath and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” Psalm 110:4
22. So this means that Jesus is the guarantee of a better agreement from God to his people.
23. Also, when one of those other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many of those priests.
24. But Jesus lives forever. He will never stop serving as a priest.
25. So Christ can save those who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and is ready to help people when they come before God.
26. So Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy. He has no sin in him. He is pure and not influenced by sinners. And he is raised above the heavens.