“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, (Genesis 14:18-20) first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

I have read Hebrews several times over the years. It was only today that the light bulb went on and I realized that the Melchizedeck mentioned in Hebrews 7 was Jesus who appeared to Abraham.

There is a terrific exposition of this at this site. Wow…that’s why I love studying God’s word. How amazing is the thread of Jesus from beginning to end.

Why do priests today sacrifice Jesus afresh all over again? Scripture is clear that there is no need to go through this ritual anymore:

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.’ “^[a] 8First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.