Hebrews: Final Benediction and Greetings
Hebrews 13:20-25; John 10:7-18 - The Good Shepherd/the Great Shepherd/the Chief Shepherd guides us into service to Him.
“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.
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.”
Hebrews 13:20-25 NASB1995
Well, folks, I have reached the last regular devotional for this in-depth study of the Epistle of Hebrews. Believe it or not, I started this series on September 29, 2025, with a write-up every other day since then (including when I had major eye surgery in early December and was recovering). I will have one more summary devotional for Hebrews on Thursday, March 12, before diving into Ephesians. That epistle will probably take a while and I want to savor it, but after Ephesians I hope to timidly approach the ultimate Scriptural roller coaster of the book of Isaiah. As long as I can somewhat see the text I will keep doing these and learning from these deep dives into the Bible.
Do you look at something and get tears in your eyes? Steve asked ChatGPT for the AI image at the top and I find it to be just so beautiful. Back in my ugly, snarky, cynical (and stupid) days, I would have mocked this for being too kitschy, rolling my eyes thinking about the similar wall of images that my Mom had in my parent’s bedroom. I never grabbed any of those plaques when my parents were both gone, which I seriously regret now (especially the famous image of Jesus with the two men on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection). I now think this is a gorgeous image for this benediction and it is so calming to look at.
Jesus is the good and great Shepherd and this is one of the “I AM” statements that He made in the Gospel of John:
“So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.””
John 10:7-18 NASB1995
Many of the commentators I read for this passage in Hebrews consider this one of the most beautiful benedictions in the Bible. Here is what Enduring Word says about it:
a. Now may the God of peace: This is a blessing in the style of the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:22-27: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
i. After asking his readers to pray for him, the writer to the Hebrews prays for his readers. “The apostle had exhorted the Hebrew believers to pray for him in the words, ‘Pray for us;’ and then, as if to show that he did not ask of them what he was not himself willing to give, he utters this most wonderful prayer for them. He may confidently say to his congregation, ‘Pray for me’ who does unfeignedly from his soul pray for them.” (Spurgeon)
b. Now may the God of peace: In this blessing God is first recognized in His attributes: peace, power (brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead), loving care (that great Shepherd), and ever giving love (the blood of the everlasting covenant).
i. Some take the idea of the everlasting covenant to express the covenant that existed before the foundation of the world between the Persons of the Godhead, working together for the salvation of man. Other passages which may speak to this everlasting covenant are Revelation 13:8, Ephesians 1:4, and 2 Timothy 1:9.
ii. Some however simply take the everlasting covenant as another name for the New Covenant.
c. Make you complete in every good work: This expresses the desire for blessing, wanting God’s working in you, and all through Jesus Christ.
Precept Austin has another outline from Brian Bell describing this benediction:
Peace is not the absence of trouble,
but the presence of God.
This lovely benediction captures a number of the major themes of the epistle (e.g., peace, blood, covenant, resurrection, Shepherd, equipping).
With such marvelous resources as these, who can excuse any failure to become the man or woman God intends you to be? (Ray Stedman; pg.158)
A PRAYER (Hebrews 13:20,21)
He asked for prayer and now prays for them.
C. He extends Peace, Care and Promise to us.
PEACE - The God of Peace [5 times in the NT]
Divine tranquility. His personal Shalom.
Jer.29:11 I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of shalom and not of evil.
And this promise of peace was given to the children of Israel in the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.
Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.
No storm need sink you Christian. Jesus said, Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
CARE - The great (risen) Shepherd of the sheep
There are 3 separate titles given to Christ, the Shepherd:
The Good Shepherd who dies for the sheep [John 10:11; Ps. 22]
The Great Shepherd who perfects the sheep [hear; Ps. 23]
The Chief Shepherd who will come for the sheep [1Pet.5:4; Ps. 24]
Dr. Bob Smith Philosophy professor at Bethel College in Minnesota makes a humorous point to his classes that sheep are the prima facie evidence against evolution. Sheep are so unintelligent & obtuse & defenseless, they could not have possibly evolved – the only way they could have survived is with a shepherd.
Jesus took this term and applied it to Himself when he said, And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. (Mt 9:36, Mk 6:34)
He lives not only to give us life but also to tend us (care/look after), so we may bring Him glory.
PROMISE - Through the blood of the everlasting covenant. [an eternal promise]
This was the blood-shedding Christ Who made the covenant, procured the covenant, and sealed the covenant.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd of our lives. He died for us, He perfects us and He will come for us and tend to us. I think the comparison of humans to sheep is so appropriate. Sheep are unintelligent, stubborn and defenseless; despite our wily ways and creativity, humans are also not smart, we are incredibly obtuse and we are defenseless against the attacks of the enemy and the temptations of sin without relying on our Savior.
His will works in us to accomplish that which is pleasing in His sight. It IS true that some people can be kind, compassionate and generous without believing in Him but with Him we become His missionaries to a broken world by imitating Him. I can tell you from personal experience when I wandered in that desolate wilderness many years ago that kindness, compassion and generosity are NOT attributes found among people who call themselves secular humanists. There were and are no secular humanist charities that help the destitute or assist people struck by natural disasters.
A commentator named Chris Tiegren has this to say about the works we accomplish through Christ, as quoted on Precept Austin:
IN WORD Are you on a mission with God? It’s an important question to ask, isn’t it? Our God looked upon this rebellious race and saw a world festering with need. He saw brokenness and pain, despair and disease, and sin and rebellion. He saw a lost race. How did He respond? He met the need. It was His nature to do so—He’s driven by love and mercy.
That’s not all. He has given us His nature. Not only did He meet our deepest needs, He has drawn us into His redemptive work. We aren’t just recipients of His grace, we are ministers of it. We labor together with Him.
The eyes of the biblical God search His creation, and when He finds brokenness, He points it out. All around us are hurting people and sinful lifestyles. The God who sent Jesus into this world to save us sends us into this world to further His mission. Why? Because He wants to work through us to meet the needs. The God of compassion, mercy, peace, and hope wants to use us as instruments of compassion, mercy, peace, and hope. He doesn’t often reveal Himself out of context. Instead, He reveals Himself through His people.
That’s the picture of the New Testament church. God has drawn us into partnership with Him to demonstrate that our salvation is complete. Redemption wasn’t just about getting us right with Him, it’s about getting us completely in sync with Him. We are to reflect Him in every way that He has revealed Himself, and part of our reflection is to have a zealous compassion for those who need Him. He works in us to accomplish His will, because by being like Him, we glorify Him.
IN DEED So the question remains. God has revealed Himself to you in some degree, but the issue now is whether He is revealing Himself through you. And for a world in desperate, screaming need of a God who cares, your answer to the question is critical: Are you on a mission with God?
We do the works, but God works
in us the doing of the works.
—AUGUSTINE
Hebrews 13, and the book of Hebrews, ends with a greeting from the author. I’ll repeat it here for reference:
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.”
The author of Hebrews knows Timothy and the leaders and saints that are probably in the area of Rome. This does not mean that the author is Paul. After I went through this epistle in detail, I’m convinced that someone else wrote this; that person probably had to be another converted Jew, due to their extensive knowledge of OT covenants and practices. It is a mystery that God will answer someday.
The author is asking the brethren to bear with the words of exhortation. Chuck Swindoll says it so well in this brief commentary found in Precept Austin:
The writer’s deep desire is that his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ not merely close the book of Hebrews and check it off their “Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year” list. He wants them to plant its truths deep in their hearts—to “bear with” the teaching. The Greek term for “bear with,” anechomai, is an interesting word choice here. It means to “endure, bear with, put up with,” almost in the sense of tolerating something uncomfortable, frustrating, or irritating (see Mt. 17:17; 2Co 11:1; Col 3:13). The author knows that his letter’s stinging warnings and intricately constructed biblical, theological, and logical arguments don’t make for an easy read. However, he had confidence that his recipients could take it in—not only hearing it but also heeding it, applying what they heard. He even adds a line that indicates he could have written much, much more on the subjects addressed in Hebrews, saying that in this (now) thirteen-chapter treatise he had written only “briefly” (Heb. 13:22). (See Insights on Hebrews - Page 228).
Hopefully, my readers have learned something more than just a cursory glimpse at one of the more difficult epistles in the NT. I know I have learned a lot and my next devotional will summarize Hebrews. The next time you read Hebrews, dig a little deeper!
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I eagerly follow You as the Shepherd of my life and my salvation! Amen.
Credits and Citations:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 03/09/2026 to review commentary for Hebrews 13:20-25.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)
Thank you for the journey Barb❤️
Thank you for your insights.
A Hebrew scholar wrote something several months ago, reminding us of what bless means, and it was shocking and beautiful. Bless means to bow down, bend the knee. So, when God blesses us, he is kneeling in front of us to be on eye-level with his children. Sigh..