Benediction – God Bless you Through Hebrews

Hebrews 13:20-25

20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter.

23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

25 Grace be with you all.

This end finishes with greetings, blessings, and doxology. Let me also end this way.

Thank you all for being with me through the study of Hebrews. Although we have finished Hebrews, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is our Great, High Priest and our shepherd.

v. 22

“Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter.”

“My word of exhortation” is this letter – it is very short, and can be read in only 1 hour, but includes much, deep Christian creeds and truth. It contains rebukes, warnings, encouragement, advice, and so on. We are encouraged to follow these things with the right heart.

At that time, some Christians received this book with a hard heart, because some sentences are very strong. And some received it with a soft heart.

Yes, even today, with the same message, different people receive the message in different ways. How about my message? How are you receiving it?

v. 23-24

“23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.”

In the whole Bible, this is the only location that we see the imprisonment of Timothy. He was imprisoned in Rome maybe one time and then released. He is accepted as the same Timothy in the NT that Paul wrote two letters to. He joined Paul in his second missionary journey and is listed as a co-sender of the letters to the early church.

He is one of the key members of the early church, continuing the ministry of the gospel after Paul’s death.

Here, the book ends with a benediction, and we also likewise end our service with a benediction.

v. 20-21

“20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

This benediction is also a doxology. It begins with God as a God of peace.

Jesus is a God of Peace

Peace is intrinsic to the character of God. God’s peace is soundness, wholeness, completeness, well being. And only God’s peace is real – only he can make us at peace with each other and with ourselves. God wants us to enjoy his peace.

Jer 28:11 “God declares, ‘My plan for you is peace, not disaster. I want to give you a hope and a future.'”

That’s why Jesus came into this world, as the Prince of Peace, the King of Peace. Jesus said, “I do not give to you as the world gives.”

You know, in this world, there is no real peace, but God gives us heavenly peace. “He has made the two one…”

God is the God of peace and reconciliation.

Jesus is the God of Life

God is also the God of life (resurrection and resurrected life).

v. 20

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,”

Yes, only God can give us peace in life, and even triumph in death. Without the resurrection of Christ, there would be no new covenant. This is a central fact of Christian history. On this fact, the church of Christ is built. Without his resurrection, there would be no church, it would be complete vanity, nonsense.

Even other religions have strong ethical concepts about the afterlife, their holy writings, etc. But only Christianity has a God who became a man who came to earth and died for us, then rose again.

Other religions base their beliefs on the recognition of their teacher’s teachings. But Christianity is the ONLY one that puts its whole emphasis on Jesus’ resurrection. His atoning sacrifice happened once for all and was verified by his resurrection.

Take away the death and resurrection of Christ and the heart of Christianity is gone.

Jesus is our Great Shepherd

This Jesus is our Shepherd. Ps 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not be in want.”

What kind of shepherd? The Good, Great, Kind Shepherd. He worked for us and died for us. On the cross he completed the great work of redemption.

“The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

And now as our Great Shepherd, he is still interceding for us and caring for us. He is providing us with everything we need.

Finally, as our Chief Shepherd, he will come for us again.

“When the Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

He is working in us and will bring us to a place of spiritual perfection. We will reach that place when he returns.

We have God’s eternal life, eternal promise that is called the New Covenant. And we also have our Great Shepherd’s prayer.

We are also blessed with this doxology and benediction (v. 21).

v. 20-21

“20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

From this benediction, know:

1. God has a purpose for us

God has a purpose for us, a special will for us.

Eph “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared in advance for us to do.” Because he is our Maker, Father, Creator, we can say, “The best knowledge is to know God’s will / purpose upon my life.”

The most glorious life we can enjoy in this world is to do and finish the works that God is calling us to do.

Through this benediction, we can also see that:

2. God wants to do his work through us

Phil 1:6 “God, who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Phil 2:13 “It is God, not man, who works in you to will, to act, according to his good purpose.”

3. God is equipping and enabling us to do his work

He never gives us a task without giving us the power to also accomplish that task. When he sends us out, he sends us out equipped with everything we need.

“…he works in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.”

Phil 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs through his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus works in us to make us the kind of people who will please God; and he equips us to do the work that pleases God.

“I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. But apart from me, you can do nothing.”

This is entologically true because apart from Jesus, we would not exist.

All creation and all God’s work is done through Jesus Christ. He created all things, and sustains all things.

Col 1:16-17 “By him [Jesus] all things were created – in heaven, earth, visible, invisible, thrones, dominions, powers, authorities, spiritual, material, and FOR him, and IN him, all things hold together and find their being.”

When we started Hebrews, chp 1:3 “Jesus is sustaining all things with his powerful word.”

This is an unchangeable, immutable truth. The power to do what is pleasing to God is only given to us through Jesus Christ, IF we want it.

Q: Do you want it? Do you desire it? Do you pray for it?

If you pray this kind of prayer every day, there will be great change in our daily lives: “Oh Lord, make me perfect in every good work to do your will. Do it through me in Jesus Christ and may he receive the glory.”

If we pray this prayer, there will be great change from the inside. Let there be, and let God use the change to change others.

v. 25

“Grace be with you all.”

The last sentence of the Bible, Revelation last sentence, last verse, 22:21 “Grace of our Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

Grace be with you all, and God bless you with this wonderful, holy book. Thank you again for having been with me through the study of this book.

Let’s pray.