Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Hebrews 13:20-21 

God does what is necessary to perfect us. The writer of Hebrews is pronouncing his benediction upon his readers. He wants God to do what is important for their spiritual well-being. He is calling upon the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant to perfect them. This would mean they would be prepared fully to imitate Christ in good works, in doing the will of God, and in becoming, in every way, the people who have all the qualities that are well pleasing in His sight. This is that person whom God has sanctified. This is the one who most closely resembles Christ. If we are going to desire anything good for others, this is the highest good. This provides us with abundant material with which we may intercede for those who are near and dear to us. We desire that God should make them complete; that He would perfect them into the very image of Christ. If this is God’s will for them, and we know it is, it should be our prayer that He would make it so.  

Great God of Wonders, 
we rejoice that You are always working. 
We praise You that You will do Your will 
to conform us to the image of Christ.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  

Hebrews 13:20-21 

We have arrived at the closing benediction of the book of Hebrews. The writer begins with ‘the God of peace.’ and takes us straight to Christ. God is indeed the God of peace. He does what He does after the counsel of His Own will to bring peace to the world. The psalmist declares, ‘He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.’ He defeats His enemies in order to establish a lasting peace. Speaking of Christ, the ‘Rod from the stem of Jesse,’ Isaiah says, ‘But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.’ The end result of His work is, ‘They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.’ These passages, and others like them relate God’s being the God of peace directly to Christ. It is Christ Who is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His Person. Christ is the agent by Whom God demonstrates that He is the God of peace. Isaiah refers to Christ as the Prince of peace. When the angels announced His incarnation, they proclaimed, ‘Peace on earth. Good will toward men.’ We cannot think of God as being the God of peace without looking to Christ. Therefore in all of our discussions of peace we must involve Him.  

Our God of Grace and Glory, 
we rejoice that You are sovereign. 
We praise You that You bring peace in the earth, 
according to Your own plan.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Hebrews 13:8 

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 

Hebrews 13:5-6  

If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever that has direct implications for us in our experience of Him. The second portion of our text utters one of the implications. Because Christ does not change, He will never leave us or forsake us. If He has said it, then He, being the same yesterday, today and forever, will be as good as His word. This means we need not covet what others have, because being always with us, He will meet our needs as the Shepherd. David said, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.’ David’s Shepherd is our Shepherd. If he did not want then neither shall we. If Christ is ever  with us, and is the same yesterday, today and forever, then we need not fear what man shall do to us. If they go so far as to end our earthly life, they only promote us into His presence. This puts into perspective the power and presence of Christ in contrast to the power of man. Christ is for His people and with His people. He is the never-changing God, Who ever cares for those whom He has redeemed by free and sovereign grace.  

Our Glorious, Living Savior, 
we rejoice that You are always with us. 
We praise You that You will never abandon us, 
and that we are utterly secure.