Final Exhortations in Hebrews

Welcome brothers and sisters!

Today is a beautiful gift from the Lord, and as we revisit the final exhortations in the book of Hebrews we pray that you will join us in looking to the Lord to follow His will together.  As Pastor Scott takes us through these final verses (Hebrews 13:20-25), we encourage you to watch, share, listen and always check all things through the lens of scripture.  The day and hour is short, but eternity is forever...we should aim to see the very people made in the image of God turn to Him for salvation that they wouldn't be lost to eternal torment apart from Him.

The God of Peace and the Great Shepherd

Hebrews 13:20-25 is the last part of the letter to the Hebrews, a group of Jewish Christians who were facing hard times. The writer of the letter has encouraged them to keep following Jesus, the best and perfect high priest, who has started a new and better relationship with God through His death and resurrection.

In this part, the writer gives a blessing, a final reminder, a personal news, and a goodbye greeting. Let's look at each of these parts and see what they teach us about God and His plan for us.

Blessing (vv. 20-21)

A blessing is a prayer that asks for God's favor and protection. The writer starts by calling God "the God of peace". This name shows God's character and His work of making us friends with Him and with each other through Christ. Peace is not just having no problems, but having harmony, wholeness, and well-being. God is the source and giver of peace, and He wants us to enjoy His peace in every part of our lives.

The writer then reminds us of the reason for God's peace: "who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep". The blood of the eternal covenant means the death of Jesus, which made the new relationship that God promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This relationship is eternal because it is based on God's unchanging promise and secured by Christ's never-ending life. The resurrection of Jesus is the proof and power of God's promise, and it also shows Jesus as the great Shepherd of the sheep, a name that reminds us of Psalm 23 and Isaiah 40:11. Jesus is the one who leads, feeds, protects, and cares for His people, the people of God.

The writer then prays that God would "equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ". This is a prayer for God's grace and help to enable us to live according to His will. God does not leave us alone, but He gives us everything we need to do His will, which is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). He also works in us, by His Spirit, to change our hearts and minds, so that we would want and love His will. All of this is possible only through Jesus Christ, who is the way and the example of God's will. The writer ends the blessing with a praise to God: "to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen". This shows the ultimate goal and reason of God's will: His glory. Everything we do should be done for the glory of God, who deserves all praise and honor.

Final Reminder (v. 22)

The writer then asks his readers to "bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly". The word of exhortation is a summary of the whole letter, which is a mix of teaching and application, warning and comfort, instruction and persuasion. The writer asks his readers to bear with his words, which means that they may have been hard to hear or accept. He also says that he has written briefly, which may seem funny, since the letter is one of the longest in the New Testament. But compared to the deep and complex topics he has talked about, the writer has been short and clear. He hopes that his readers would not ignore or forget his words, but rather listen and obey them.

Personal News (v. 23)

The writer then gives a personal news: "I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you". Timothy is a well-known friend and co-worker of Paul, who was involved in many of his missions and church planting efforts. He is also the receiver of two letters from Paul in the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews seems to have a close relationship with Timothy, and he tells his readers that Timothy has been released from prison or some other kind of trouble. This shows that Timothy, like the Hebrews, was also suffering for his faith. The writer expresses his hope and plan to visit the Hebrews, with Timothy, if he comes soon. This shows his personal care and love for his readers, as well as his trust in God's plan.

Goodbye Greeting (vv. 24-25)

The writer ends his letter with a goodbye greeting: "Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all. Amen". He asks his readers to greet their leaders, who are in charge of teaching and leading the people of God (Hebrews 13:7, 17). He also asks them to greet all the Lord's people, or the saints, who are the members of God's family. He then sends the greetings from those from Italy, which may mean that he is writing from Italy, or that he is in contact with some Italian Christians. He finally wishes and prays for his readers: "Grace be with you all". Grace is God's undeserved favor and kindness, which is the source and substance of our salvation and growth. Grace is also the theme and the tone of the letter to the Hebrews, which shows the grace of God in Christ, and urges us to come to God's throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). The writer prays that God's grace would be with his readers, to support them, strengthen them, and satisfy them. He ends his prayer with an "Amen", which means "so be it" or "let it be done".

Conclusion

Hebrews 13:20-25 is a good ending to a letter that is rich in truth and practice, challenge and comfort, reminder and encouragement. It reminds us of who God is, what He has done for us, and what He wants to do in us and through us. It also shows us how to relate to God, to each other, and to our leaders. It calls us to live by faith, hope, and love, in response to God's grace and glory. May we, like the first receivers of this letter, listen and obey the word of exhortation, and experience the blessing of the God of peace and the great Shepherd. Amen.

With this great letter to take in as often as we can, we encourage you to do so. We also hope to see you next time for worship, fellowship and a meal starting at 7pm each Saturday. Don't forget to share the very hope we have within us, for the Gospel is needed by all people in every age. If you need a bible, just let us know!  You can also use a great online bible source from www.biblegateway.com as they have so many wonder resources available as well.  We love you and care for you belove and until we meet again, lets go serve our King!

FRF Family