Hebrews 13:20-21 Now 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.
God is connected to peace many times in the Bible. Peace with God by having our sins forgiven is the beginning to experiencing peace in other areas of our lives. The desire for peace lies at the deepest part of the human soul. Peace disappeared in the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. From that point on, humanity has been struggling to find peace, often looking in the wrong places. The world and its enticements offer false promises of peace but cannot consistently and deeply fulfill those promises. As a result, peace is fleeting and never able to be grasped. The peace of God is most visibly and powerfully expressed in the new covenant begun through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and confirmed through his resurrection. God is the author of all of this and the power that made it happen. The author knew the teaching of Jesus as the Good Shepherd found in John 10. Jesus is the best example of a pastor who takes care of the flock. This loving, peaceful, and power God is able to give us what we need to carry out his will. He gives us “everything good,” whatever we need, blessings, “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). God does the work” in us.” His grace and power help us to carry out his purposes. We are not left to struggle on our own. Philippians 2:12-13 states, “12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” We work because God works in us. We carry out God’s will because God enables us to do this. What God calls us to do, he will enable us to perform. All of this happens “through Jesus Christ.” He is the perfect human representative of God’s character and it is through what Jesus did that we are enabled to carry out God’s will because our sins have been forgiven and the power of sin broken. These verses contain the core of the gospel message in the form of a benediction and prayer. These verses should give us assurance for living the victorious Christian life.
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