Moment of Meditation: Drifter (Hebrews 7:3)

Original Broadcast: August 2008

Monthly Theme: Gospel in Country Music

Country Song: "Big Bad John" by Johnny Cash

He is without father or mother or genealogy,
Having neither beginning of days or end of life.
(Hebrews 7:3)

Drifter

This verse from Hebrews about Melchizedek brings to mind Johnny Cash’s song, “Big Bad John.” “Nobody seemed to know where John called home. He just drifted into town and stayed all alone.” John was a miner who was looked up to by the other miners, mostly because he was so huge. But when a timber cracked at the bottom of the mine, John sacrificed himself so that the other twenty miners could escape.

As a type of Christ, Melchizedek shows that the true priest-king would come from outside the world. Therefore, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Unlike Melchizedek, Jesus has a human mother to show that God does intervene in the history of the world to accomplish His purposes. His greatest purpose is the salvation of mankind.

Much like Big John, Jesus took the brunt of the punishment of the collapsing mine that is our sinfulness and buried it in the grave. No one opened the mine after it collapsed. No man opened the tomb of Jesus. He opened Himself as He raised Himself from the dead to assure the forgiveness of your sins by His sacrifice to God the Father. Take a moment to thank Him today for saving you from your collapse. Amen.