1. A Benediction (verses 20-21)
2. A Brief Exhortation (verses 22-25)

We come this morning to the end of the book of Hebrews. For almost two years now, we have maintained a steady diet of the book of Hebrews, working through it verse by verse, and phrase by phrase. Hardly a single word in this entire book has been left unturned. This is my 60th (and last) message in this wonderful book. In some ways, I’m very sad to see this book go. It has been a great ministry to me and my soul. It has helped me to see week in and week out of the greatness of Jesus Christ.

I feel privileged to be able to finish this book. I was talking recently with a former pastor, who isn’t preaching week to week like he used to do. He was telling me about how in recent days, Hebrews has come to be his favorite book in all of the Bible, because it shapes so much of how we ought to look at the Old Testament. He was telling me how he longs to preach through it. He’s hoping to be able to preach in a church again. He’s hoping to be able to preach through Hebrews.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to preach this great book. We may have been blessed by it as a church. But, I have been doubly blessed. It has helped me to see how to look at the Old Testament. It has helped me to see the glories of Jesus.

As a church, we have been in this book for two years, but I’ve been in the book a bit longer than that. It took me about 2 years to memorize the book, and so, even 2 years before I preached a single message, I had been meditating upon this book and it’s truths, "Jesus is so great, that we have no reason not to follow Him." He is entirely trustworthy. He is our everything. So, let us give our all to follow Him.

Let's consider our text:

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Here’s my first point, ...
1. A Benediction (verses 20-21)

The author has just requested prayer for Himself (in verses 18 and 19), and now, he turns around and offers a prayer for his readers. It is an awesome prayer, filled with themes from the book of Hebrews, filled with everything that you need to live godly in Christ Jesus. In other words, if this prayer is answered in your life, you will live a contented and God-honoring life. I remember one father telling me that this is the prayer that he prays every day for his children, It’s a great prayer to pray for your children. It’s the sort of all-encompassing prayer that will help your children, if answered.

So, I want to linger a bit on this prayer, this morning. I want to dissect it like a biology student might do. I want to take apart each phrase and then, putting it back together again, only to look at the next phrase. I want to repeat the process until we can grasp the whole prayer and rejoice in it.

I have called my point, "A Benediction." Benediction comes from two words. "Bene" which means "good," and "Diction" which means "speaking." Indeed these are "good words." They are often quoted at the end of worship services, when a pastor lifts up his hands toward the congregation and pronounces the benediction, "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." How I long for this prayer to be answered in your lives.

Let’s just break it apart, phrase by phrase.

1. First of all, you have a description of God.

He is identified as "The God of peace." This is a very generic statement. It is very broad. It encompasses everything about God's peace. This is the God who gives inner peace. This is the God who brings peace among men. This is the God who established peace between us and the Lord. And all of these scenarios would have been comforting to the original readers.

Some of them had doubts regarding their standing with God. Many were facing hostility from those around them, for their faith in the Messiah. But God can bring peace, even in tumultuous time. He can bring peace in the heart, even when facing a "great conflict of sufferings" and "being made a public spectacle" (10:32-33).

I was on Facebook this week, just looking at names of people that attended college with me, wondering what’s up with their lives. There was one guy who I was curious about. He’s one of the smartest guys that I ever remember meeting. He was a mathematical genius. So I Googled him. Come to find out that he committed suicide this past October, just nine months ago. He drove his car up to the top of a parking garage, got out and jumped to his death. In reading his suicide note, his lack of inner peace was evident. He talked freely of his struggles with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and related how he experienced many "panic attacks." God was entirely absent from his note.

Here’s a guy who had no inner peace. But, God can give inner peace. He can give inner peace to those who believe in Christ. By His death, He has broken down the wall of sin that has kept us from God. And this is the emphasis of the letter to the Hebrews. And this is what God did through Jesus Christ. He reconciled us to God. He abolished the enmity of our sin. And He did it with one sacrifice. Three of my favorite verses in all of Hebrews come in chapter 10. They all speak of the once for all sacrifice of Jesus, which brought us peace.

- Hebrews 10:10, "By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
- Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified."
- Hebrews 10:18, "Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin."

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross brought us to God. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ brought peace between us and God. We merely need to believe, and it’s all done. What a great thing, from the God of peace.

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

2. Notice also the resurrection in this verse.

Verse 20 says, "... who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep."

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead hasn’t been a predominant theme in the book of Hebrews. In fact, the resurrection hasn’t been mentioned in the book of Hebrews at all. It is only there by implication. On several occasions, we read of Jesus, seated at the right hand of the throne of God (1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). This implies a resurrection, that Jesus raised from the dead to sit at the right hand of God. Furthermore, Jesus is often described as our high priest, who pleading God’s mercy on our behalf (2:18; 4:14-16), who "ever lives to make intercession on our behalf" (10:25). To be able to plead for mercy implies that Jesus lives on! He was raised from the dead.

But, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead has never been explicitly mentioned until this verse. But, here it is, because it’s important. In fact, it’s the resurrection that puts God’s seal upon the sacrifice of Christ. Apart from the resurrection, His death would have been meaningless. But, with the resurrection, Jesus shows that God has accepted His sacrifice. The resurrection enables Jesus to be our help. He is alive! He ever lives to make intercession for us.

Oh, church family, let us realize that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and is alive to help us right now in our hardships and pains. He is able and willing to help. Consider the following:

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So, call upon Him. He is ready to give mercy and grace. He is alive and active.

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

3. Notice how Jesus is identified as "The great Shepherd of the sheep."

That’s even higher than Jesus called Himself. Jesus called Himself, "The good shepherd" (in John 10:11). But, here, Jesus is identified as the "great Shepherd."

The adjective "great" is entirely consistent with this whole letter, as we see the author lifting Jesus higher and higher. On several occasions, Jesus has already been identified as the "great high priest" (4:14; 10:21), the high priest above them all. And here, being identified as the "great" shepherd, Jesus is being identified as the shepherd above all other shepherds! This is similar to Peter calling Him, "the Chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:14).

The idea is that Jesus is the one great shepherd over the entire church. Any other shepherd or pastor or elder or over-seer, is an under-shepherds of the great shepherd. Jesus is the one who looks over the sheep, cares for the sheep, guards the sheep, protects the sheep, and provides for the sheep. He does this in a far greater way than any human shepherd ever will. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice. And I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 11:27-28).

What a comfort, that we all have a great shepherd, who watches over us, who is ready to help us!

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

4. Look at the phrase, "eternal covenant."

This is a new phrase in the book of Hebrews. We have heard of the "Old Covenant" and the "New Covenant," but what is this "eternal covenant"? There are several places in the Old Testament that speak about this "eternal covenant."

- Isaiah 55:3, "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David."
- Isaiah 61:8, "I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them."
- Jeremiah 32:40, "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me."
- Jeremiah 50:5, "They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten."
- Ezekiel 16:60, "I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
- Ezekiel 37:26, "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever."

When you read these passages, this everlasting covenant has the same language as the "New Covenant" has. I believe that they are one and the same. However, calling it the "eternal covenant," tells us that it will never go away. It will continue forever. They will be everlasting. In other words, it is the last covenant that God needs to make with man.

Our neighbors just put a new roof on their house. As they are old and retired, they know that this will be the last roof that they will put on their house, because they aren't going to out-live the 30-year roof.

When the prophets spoke of a "New Covenant," they implied that the other covenant was an "Old Covenant." That’s the argument of Hebrews 8. But, there was no guarantee that there wouldn’t be a "Newer Covenant." But, when the prophets spoke of an "everlasting covenant," they implied that there would never be a "Newer Covenant." The New has come, and it’s here to stay. It’s never going away. The blood that Jesus spilt upon Calvary will continue to work throughout all eternity.

Last year, Visa ran a sweepstakes, where the winner would get Super Bowl tickets for life! If you won the prize, each year, you would get free tickets to the Super Bowl, along with airfare, and hotel. It was all included. Additionally, you would receive $3,400 spending cash each year. This is a pretty sweet deal. I’d love to have that deal. For the rest of my life, being able to enjoy the Super Bowl live and in person!

But, the eternal covenant is much better than this. It doesn’t merely last for this lifetime. It will last throughout all eternity. And, if the Lord tarries, it will last through this generation and the next generation and the next generation. There will never need to be another sacrifice again. It is no accident that when you read of worship in Heaven, Jesus is there as a slain Lamb, being worshiped because of His sacrifice, which brought in the New Covenant, which is the Eternal Covenant. In heaven they worship Jesus saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and thy will reign upon the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10).

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

5. Finally, let’s focus now upon the prayer (in verse 21).

Verse 20 is a summary of what God has done in Christ. Verse 21 is a request for what God will do in Christ’s people. ^[1] Here’s the request, "[may He] equip you in every good thing to do His will."

In Ephesians 4:12, we read of the purpose of the leaders of the church. They are given "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service" (Ephesians 4:12). In other words, a church isn’t merely to be run by the leaders who do everything. No, the people have a crucial role. They are to serve. the leaders equip and the saints serve.

Do you remember the story recorded in Acts 6? The leaders were doing all the work. The results were tragic. They couldn’t do everything. Important things were being neglected, on all fronts. They were neglecting the Word of God. They were neglecting the widows. So, they equipped others to do the work. They focused their attention upon doing what only they could do. But, here, we see the true reality of what goes on in a church. Yes, the leaders work hard at equipping. But, in the end, it’s God who equips.

What a prayer. "God, ... may you equip Your people to do Your work." Let us not ever think that God has merely let us go, to do what we will, only later to look upon us and evaluate what we have done, for good or evil. If this were the case, we’d be sunk. We’d never achieve anything. We need God’s help to do God’s will. In other words, we need a divine gift to keep divine commands. That’s how the prayer ends, "[May God] equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

In other words, the prayer is for God to equip His people to do His work, by doing the work, Himself! God is "working in us." This is other places in Scripture.

Philippians 2:12-13
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Sure, we work out our salvation. We do it with fear. We fear, precisely because we are dependent upon the Lord every step of the way.

I love Augustine’s famous prayer, "Grant what you command. Command what you desire." In other words, "God, the things that you command us to do. So work in us, that you might see them done." This is the heart of Christian ministry.

Colossians 1:28-29
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

The ministry is set before Paul. He sees it and works hard to obtain it. All the while knowing that he is utterly dependent upon God working in Him to actually accomplish what needs to be done. Here’s Paul’s personal testimony, "I labored even more than all of [the apostles], yet not I, but the grace of God with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). In other words, Paul worked hard at the ministry, every day, laboring to make Christ known. But, in the end, he knew that it was God’s grace that energized him to do so.

We are like the little girl, who wants to make some cookies. She is too young to do things herself. Her mother needs to help her. She needs help reading the recipe. She needs help finding the ingredients. She needs help measuring the right amounts. She needs help mixing the ingredients. She needs help placing the cookies on the cookie sheet. She needs help with the oven. She needs help in setting the timer. She needs help taking the cookies out of the oven. In the end, she says, "Look at the cookies that I made."

Now, certainly, she made them, but it was mom, behind the scenes who gave direction and counsel and a helping hand wherever needed. So is our life, we go about working in our ministry, but all the while, God is "working in us that which is pleasing in His sight" (Hebrews 13:21).

And if you think about it, this is the only way that all praise can go to God. "to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." If we do all that we do by our own strength, then who gets the glory? We do. But, if we do all that we do by the strength that God supplies, then who gets the glory? God does. So, let us acknowledge these things, and give all glory to God, and let us constantly pray, ...

Hebrews 13:20-25
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Well, there’s (1) A Benediction (verses 20-21). So, let’s continue on to our second point, ...
2. A Brief Exhortation (verses 22-25)

Hebrews 13:22-25
But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all.

I’m taking my phraseology from verse 22, "But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. " Now, what’s he referring to? He’s referring to the entire letter of Hebrews, all thirteen chapters. And he calls them, "brief." Do you have any idea how long it takes to read through the book of Hebrews? It takes about 45-50 minutes. To this writer, 45-50 minutes is "brief." (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions regarding the length of my messages.)

Anyway, the author here urged them to bear with the word of exhortation. Fundamentally, that’s what the book of Hebrews is. It’s an exhortation. It’s a command. It’s a call from God regarding how we ought to live. And the form of the exhortation is quite easy. Over and over and over again, the writer puts for the excellencies of Jesus, how Jesus is a better option than anything that they ever left. As this was written to the Jews (thus, the name, "Hebrews,") who had left the ways of the Old Covenant. They had left the priests and the sacrifices and the stipulations of the Old Covenant. The temptation in their lives was to return to these things.

But, over and over and over again, the writer shows how much greater Jesus is than any of those things. It makes no sense to return, so continue in your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, as I have chosen to put it, "Jesus Is Better, So Press On!" In light of the greatness of Jesus, continue to trust in Him. That’s the "brief word of exhortation."

You get a sense of how difficult things are in verse 23, where we see Timothy being mentioned, "Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you."

This is certainly a release from prison. Timothy hasn’t been jailed for murder or theft or assault. He’s been in prison for being a faithful pastor, who had been preaching the gospel. Somehow, the writer to the Hebrews found out about this and wants to bring Timothy when he comes to see these Jewish people. But, he doesn’t know exactly when Timothy is coming. His prayer is that he might come soon.

Regardless, you get a sense of the environment of the day. It wasn’t calm, peaceful, and easy going. No, it was a time of persecution and hardship. And following Jesus meant that you could be thrown into prison, as Timothy had been. It’s not without purpose that Hebrews 13:3 calls us to "Remember the prisoners." It’s because some of the Jews who had believed in Jesus were in prison. Timothy was just one example. And prison isn’t what it is today.

About a month ago (June 9, 2011), 59-year-old Richard James Verone handed note to a bank teller, demanding one dollar. The note said that he had a gun. When he received the dollar bill, he told the teller, "I’ll be sitting right over here, on the chair, waiting for the police." He then sat down and waited. 9-1-1 was called. The police arrived and promptly arrested Verone, finding him unarmed. Now, why would someone do this? Medical care. Mr. Verone has a growth in his chest, two ruptured disks and no job. He was hoping that a three-year stint in prison would afford him the health care he needed. ^[2]

But that’s not prison in the first century. In those days, prisoners had no rights. They were thrown into a pit, filled with smells of the sewer, because there weren’t any toilets in the jails. Furthermore, they didn’t even provide you with meals. Your friends had to come and bring food to you, if you were to survive. That’s the point, "Remember the prisoners" (Heb. 13:3) and go and visit them and bring them food and clean clothes and medicine and whatever else they may need. Certainly, there was no free health care.

And if you weren’t thrown into prison for your beliefs, the authorities may well come and confiscate your property. We saw back in chapter 10, how those who believed in Jesus had their property taken from them. "You accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one" (Heb. 10:34). These were the sorts of things happening to these people who were coming into the church.

Please note: all the persecution could be stopped in a moment, if they but would renounce Jesus. But, the brief exhortation of the book of Hebrews seeks to make that impossible. Why turn away from Him, who is everything?

I trust that you will remember the structure of the book of Hebrews. The book is fundamentally an exposition on the greatness of Jesus. Interwoven into argument are five warning sections. Each of them increase in intensity, which is only natural, because, as the greatness of Jesus Christ is put forth with further and further clarity, the responsibility to respond rightly comes upon with greater strength. So, on the one hand, the book is all about Jesus. But, on the other hand, it is an exhortation. The warnings are exhortations.

And so, as verse 22 says, "I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation." Know that Jesus is better. But, don’t just know in your heads. Know in your hearts. Feel it with your souls. Jesus is better.

Let’s hear it one last time, ...

- He is a greater being than all of the angels, because they worship Him (1:5).
- He is worthy of more glory than Moses, because is a servant in the house, but Christ is the Son over His house (3:5-6).
- He is better than Joshua, who led the Israelites into their rest, because their rest was only a shadow of the true rest that we enter by faith in Jesus (4:3, 9-10).
- He is better than any of the high priests, because they are beset with weakness (5:3), but Jesus is perfect (5:9).
- His priesthood is better, because it is an eternal priesthood, according to the order of Melchizedek, and not according to the order of Aaron (7:11).
- Jesus is the "mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises" (8:6), which has been inaugurated by a better sacrifice (10:1-4).

My heart for you is that you would feel those things in your souls. In other words, my heart for you is that these truths would be deep-down convictions, not surface level knowledge. See, convictions aren’t the things that you hold to. Convictions are the things that hold you. And being convinced that Jesus is better will hold you in your day of trial. Being convinced in your heart of hearts that Jesus is better, will keep you on the track.

- It will prevent you from drifting (Hebrews 2:1).
- It will keep your heart soft (Hebrews 3:13).
- It will give you strength to press on (Hebrews 6:1).
- It will restrain your willful sin (Hebrews 10:26).
- It will prevent you from refusing Him (Hebrews 12:25).

When Jesus is your all and all, you will follow Him, and not your favorite celebrity or your co-workers who slander in the office, or your family members who entice you to evil,

Are you convinced that Jesus is better than anything? In Psalm 73, the Psalmist cried out, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth?" (Ps. 73:25). Such sentiment is certainly in the spirit of Hebrews. This is where I wish to end. Can you say that of Jesus?

Jesus, I desire you more than my checking account.
Jesus, I desire you more than my iPhone.
Jesus, I desire you more than my vacation.
Jesus, I desire you more than my movies.
Jesus, I desire you more than my Facebook.
Jesus, I desire you more than my food.
Jesus, I desire you more than my running.
Jesus, I desire you more than my health club.
Jesus, I desire you more than my sports team.
Jesus, I desire you more than my coffee.
Jesus, I desire you more than my really cool car.
Jesus, I desire you more than my fashionable clothes.
Jesus, I desire you more than my grades.
Jesus, I desire you more than my popularity.
Jesus, I desire you more than my well-paying job.
Jesus, I desire you more than my good career.
Jesus, I desire you more than my nice house
Jesus, I desire you more than my big play set.
Jesus, I desire you more than my television.
Jesus, I desire you more than my pets.
Jesus, I desire you more than my internet.
Jesus, I desire you more than my 401K plan.
Jesus, I desire you more than my cabin at the lake.
Jesus, I desire you more than my health.

Such is the aim of the book of Hebrews--to so magnify Jesus that all else pales in comparison. May God strengthen us to so live this way.

Now, we close this wonderful book with the last two verses, "Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all." These are both customary things in writing a letter. "Great everybody! Everyone here greats you." It may be that the writer is in Rome, saying that everyone here is from Italy and they greet you. Or, it may be that the writer is far from Rome, writing to Rome, saying that all of the ex-patriots from Italy who are with me, are greeting you. It’s impossible to know for sure which of these scenarios is correct. But, it shows that we need others in our lives.

And we leave with a simple greeting, "Grace be with you all." This is a customary salutation in a letter. Indeed, may God's grace be with us.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on July 10, 2011 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.

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[1] New Testament Commentary, Simon Kistemaker, p. 431.

[2] http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/nc-man-allegedly-robs-bank-health-care-jail/story?id=13887040.