Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
As promised Friends, we’re continuing with the beautiful benediction in Hebrews. We ended yesterday with Isaiah’s take on the shepherd analogy. But there are two others more famous than that. Can you name them? If you can, and if you believe and live by them, then pass go, straight to heaven, (smile) because they contain very important ingredients that greatly benefit a believer’s earthly journey. Obviously, the first is Bruh David’s immortal song of praise: ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters…’ (Ps.23:1-2) And the second is: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine…and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." (John 10:11,14-16) Oh Friends, what an outstanding declaration! And having heard that sincere outpouring of LOVE, how can we not believe in, and follow Jesus eh? Whoever wrote Hebrews was most definitely justified in calling Him, ‘that great shepherd of the sheep,’ for only a most dedicated and caring shepherd with extraordinary talent, could successfully merge such large numbers of diverse sheep, Jews and Gentiles, into one fold, and also die for them. And people, don’t you just admire the way Jesus talks? Others might use bigger words, and have better oratorical delivery, but when Jesus speaks, He exudes a special kind of power that makes you…you just seem compelled to listen, to hang on His every word, with your mouth open in awe. (smile) And Peter says; ‘For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:25). He should know, having trudged all around Judea with Jesus. But how did we return to ‘the Shepherd of our souls?’ ‘…through the blood of the everlasting covenant…’ Friends, that’s what separates our God from all the wannabe’s; the sincerity and assurance of His promises. Way back in time, He told Abram to leave his country and family and follow Him. ‘And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:2-3) And the Lord kept all those promises. He even renamed him, Abraham; Father of the Faithful. During Moses’ time the Israelites developed a tradition of a blood sacrifice, using the blood of unblemished goats, as scapegoats for their sins. But their disobedience was intolerable, and several times God punished them. However, being the merciful, forgiving God that He is, through the prophet Zechariah, He promises them a new king for Zion: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass…As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.’ (Zech.9:9,11) Because of the blood covenant He’s set them free from the waterless pit. However, with Jesus sacrificial death, a new blood covenant was consummated. The shedding of Jesus’ sinless blood atoned for all sins for all time; Jesus was the last scapegoat. And hopefully, the very same God of peace, who sacrificed His Son Jesus, to pay for our sins, would ‘make you perfect in every good work to do his will;’ that He’d cause us to complete all the good works we do in obedience to His will; ‘working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.’ Oh Friends, how yuh going to tell me that is not Bruh Paul who wrote Hebrews eh? Just listen to it nuh. And here this as he explains. ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ (Phill.2:13) Doesn’t the style sound similar? Anyway people, it’s certainly the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who enables us to do His will and pleasure; without His help we’d be powerless. And like all our hopes and prayers, may it be done through our Advocate with the Father, our Lord and Saviour ‘Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Much LOVE!… my Friends…may the Lord bless you…and keep you…safe from all harm…now…and for evermore…
As promised Friends, we’re continuing with the beautiful benediction in Hebrews. We ended yesterday with Isaiah’s take on the shepherd analogy. But there are two others more famous than that. Can you name them? If you can, and if you believe and live by them, then pass go, straight to heaven, (smile) because they contain very important ingredients that greatly benefit a believer’s earthly journey. Obviously, the first is Bruh David’s immortal song of praise: ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters…’ (Ps.23:1-2) And the second is: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine…and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." (John 10:11,14-16) Oh Friends, what an outstanding declaration! And having heard that sincere outpouring of LOVE, how can we not believe in, and follow Jesus eh? Whoever wrote Hebrews was most definitely justified in calling Him, ‘that great shepherd of the sheep,’ for only a most dedicated and caring shepherd with extraordinary talent, could successfully merge such large numbers of diverse sheep, Jews and Gentiles, into one fold, and also die for them. And people, don’t you just admire the way Jesus talks? Others might use bigger words, and have better oratorical delivery, but when Jesus speaks, He exudes a special kind of power that makes you…you just seem compelled to listen, to hang on His every word, with your mouth open in awe. (smile) And Peter says; ‘For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:25). He should know, having trudged all around Judea with Jesus. But how did we return to ‘the Shepherd of our souls?’ ‘…through the blood of the everlasting covenant…’ Friends, that’s what separates our God from all the wannabe’s; the sincerity and assurance of His promises. Way back in time, He told Abram to leave his country and family and follow Him. ‘And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:2-3) And the Lord kept all those promises. He even renamed him, Abraham; Father of the Faithful. During Moses’ time the Israelites developed a tradition of a blood sacrifice, using the blood of unblemished goats, as scapegoats for their sins. But their disobedience was intolerable, and several times God punished them. However, being the merciful, forgiving God that He is, through the prophet Zechariah, He promises them a new king for Zion: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass…As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.’ (Zech.9:9,11) Because of the blood covenant He’s set them free from the waterless pit. However, with Jesus sacrificial death, a new blood covenant was consummated. The shedding of Jesus’ sinless blood atoned for all sins for all time; Jesus was the last scapegoat. And hopefully, the very same God of peace, who sacrificed His Son Jesus, to pay for our sins, would ‘make you perfect in every good work to do his will;’ that He’d cause us to complete all the good works we do in obedience to His will; ‘working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.’ Oh Friends, how yuh going to tell me that is not Bruh Paul who wrote Hebrews eh? Just listen to it nuh. And here this as he explains. ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ (Phill.2:13) Doesn’t the style sound similar? Anyway people, it’s certainly the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who enables us to do His will and pleasure; without His help we’d be powerless. And like all our hopes and prayers, may it be done through our Advocate with the Father, our Lord and Saviour ‘Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Much LOVE!… my Friends…may the Lord bless you…and keep you…safe from all harm…now…and for evermore…
SCRIP-BITS 