Benedictions need speed-bumps

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

Benedictions need speed bumps. Too often the words of blessing spoken at the end of a service roll over us like water off a ducks back. Liturgical flourishes with little meaning. But take a moment to stop and smell the "good words" (literally "bene-diction") here. In this short sentence the writer of Hebrews gives us a 30,000 foot overview of the meaning of our lives. Consider:

God's chief end is the eternal glory of Christ: "Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." God is orchestrating and accomplishing the flow of human and cosmic history to the end that the glory of His son would be on display! That is God's "big picture". That is what drives the heart of God.

His glory is best seen in his saving act of the cross and resurrection. "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant…" We can see God's glory in a lot of thing – in creation, in his providential care, in his gift of the scriptures. But the ultimate display of his glory is the cross. The writer recounts the great saving act of Christ – shedding his blood to bring us into covenant with the Father and rising from the dead to fulfill redemption.

God is now restoring us to our original purpose and design. "…equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight". We were created to find our purpose in doing God's will. That is why his will is described as "good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). We were formed to take pleasure in pleasing God. So being equipped to order our lives around God and his will for us is not a straightjacket, but a declaration of liberation! It is the restoration of the human heart to its original happiness.

So let this benediction be a good-word from God to you. And may it become your purpose and passion as well.

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom