The Great Shepherd of the Sheep
Well, the day has come — our very last sermon in the book of Hebrews. Our text this morning is this incredible book’s conclusion. But don’t let that word fool you — it’s not a conclusion like the kind we may be accustomed to — one that simply restates all the main points we’ve already covered. No, but here at the letter’s end our author is yet pushing us onward — further into the margins of our care for one another, and deeper into the realities of the God whom we worship.
Of the three main points of this sermon, the first will correspond to the former, our care for one another, points two and three with the latter, the deep realities of our God. Here’s the three points: Our Prayer, God’s Power, Jesus’ Unique Glory. Before we go any further, let’s pray and ask God for his help.
1) Pray For Us
First point, prayer. Our text opens with the entreaty, v. 18 “Pray for us.” And I think one litmus test for us, this morning, of how deep the realities of Hebrews have permeated our souls, is how we react to those three words – “pray for us.”
As One Near God
For example, when you hear “Pray for us,” you may think, “Why pray, I mean, would the God of the universe even hear me? I’m no writer to the Hebrews. I’m no apostle Paul. I’m just a standard issue, run-of-the-mill Christian.” Hebrews would reply, “Brother, sister, if you’re a Christian, then how could God not hear you when you pray?”
Recall how Hebrews has labored to show that to be a Christian is to be one who is intensely near to God.
One who recognizes that there’s “a better hope (that’s been) introduced, through which we draw near to God.” (7:19)
As one who believes that “(Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.” (7:25)
One who has, “confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,” (10:19-20)
One who, because you have a “great priest over the house of God, should “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (10:21-22).
One who “with confidence (can) draw near to the throne of grace, (to) receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
Do you pray as one dialing up a long-distance phone call? Do you pray as one wishfully-thinking – perhaps God will hear me, eventually. If you’re a Christian, you live all your days – morning, noon, night, at work, at home, good times, bad times, before the face of God. So when we hear the writer’s request to, “Pray for us,” we should think, “Of course he’s asking us to pray for him, we’re Christians — when we pray, we pray with God in the room. How could he not hear us?”
As one dedicated to others
You may read, “Pray for us” and think, “Why pray, it’s not like it’s my responsibility.” Hebrews would say, “Actually, brothers and sisters, one another’s spiritual good is our responsibility.” No, not responsibility in the sense of control – we can’t manage or manufacture another’s spiritual good. But it is our responsibility to work toward, put effort toward, our brothers and sisters spiritual good. Hence the exhortations,
“Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” (3:13) and “Stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together,” (10:24) and “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God” (12:15) and now, “pray for us.” This is no mere preface to the paragraph for us to gloss over, but a real, live call to action to work and labor for the good of your brothers and sisters in the faith through prayer.
There’s two more possibilities.
As Christlike
You may read, “Pray for us” and think, “Why pray, isn’t that a bit too menial of a task? Too simple? Like, ‘Give me something that takes a bit more skill and knowledge, not this little stuff like prayer.’” Hebrews would say, “Have you missed my description of what Jesus, your Great High Priest, has been doing for the sake of his people, for the past 2,000 years?”
“(Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25)
Jesus prays for his people. In fact, that is what he is doing for you and me, before his Father, right in this very moment. The author to the Hebrews — and this should shock us — in saying, “pray for us” invites us to join Jesus in his prayer ministry — praying with the same names on our lips that are also on his.
As those who believe it does something
Lastly, You may think, “Why pray, it’s not like it’s actually going to change anything.” Hebrews would say, verse 19 of today’s text, “I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.”
Hear the urgency in those words, “I urge you the more earnestly to do this?” Like, “I’m really asking you to do this, it’s really important, I’m expecting it of you.
He’s so after their prayer, in fact, that he even gives them personal testimony, v. 18, “For we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” lest any doubt about their motives arise and cause them not to pray.
That’d be quite the ridiculous ask if prayer changed nothing.
He goes further, “I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you sooner.” See that. Sooner. Like, “Listen, my current location will change, and the time of my arrival will change, and things will move into motion, events will fall like dominoes — I’ll be restored to you, sooner, if you pray.”
Implication: if you don’t pray, well then, I might not.
Interestingly, it seems he is, after all, confident that these Hebrews will respond in prayer. Look at the hint in verse 23,
“You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon.”
In other words, “Since I know that through their prayers I will be restored to them sooner, then Timothy better hurry up, because I’m taking off here, shortly.” He’ll come with me, but only if he gets here soon.
First point, Pray. Now, second, God’s power.
2) God’s Power
Hebrews follows his exhortation to his readers to pray for him more earnestly with his own prayer, in the form of a benediction, for them (verses 20-21). And very prominent in his benediction — certainly anchoring and supporting his prayer — is the unparalleled power of God.
Now, God’s power has already been implied. In verse 19, note the passive language — not “I’ll go to you sooner” but “I will be restored to you sooner.” It’s not him that’s going to do the restoring, but God.
God’s power will be called upon in v. 21, It is God who “will equip them with everything good, and work in them that which is pleasing.”
But nowhere is God’s power more plainly evident than in verse 20, God’s raising of Jesus from the dead.
Interestingly, the wording here doesn’t seem to emphasize the new life to which Jesus was raised to, but rather on the death he was taken out from. “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.” Death, and the fact that the same Jesus who went into it, God brought out from it, that’s what’s in view. In order to grasp just how that bringing out of death shows us about God’s power, we need to begin by asking, “What is death in the first place?”
Well, Death is the pitiless wall between man and every one of God’s promises. Death is the dividing line between man and everlasting joy, peace, and life. Death is the chasm of darkness that swallows sinners whole. Death is the final ticking of the clock, the “game over” moment, the snuffing out of ones hope, happiness, and wholeness. Death is the thing that all of us naturally fear. Because Death is the thing that we are all born into. And Death is the thing that we all deserve.
Even more, Death, if it were to be the end for Christians, would render our preaching vain, and our faith vain, and prove we are still hopelessly lost in our sins, and of all people most to be pitied.
As it is, we’re not hopelessly lost in our sin, and death doesn’t render our faith in vain, because Jesus, has been:
“crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Heb. 2:9)
Jesus, through death, destroyed the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Heb. 2:14). And Jesus “has delivered all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2:15).
For the Christian, that death is dead and buried. That Death has breathed its last. That “Death has swallowed up in victory, and been robbed of it’s sting” because it was in Jesus’ death, (Col. 2:14), that God canceled our record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands, nailing them to the cross.
And it was in Jesus’ death that God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Col. 2:15).
And the proof of all this – our own freedom and victory over the death which had us so enslaved and shackled in its grasp – is in a Messiah who breathes – 3 days following his own death.
Hebrews, aiming throughout this letter to instill in his brothers and sisters a confidence in God – confidence that God can keep his promises, keep his people, equip them with all they need, work in them that which he pleases, and both hear and answer their prayers – says, “Allow me to remind you who bound the hands of the greatest enemy the world has ever known!”
How powerful is God? Powerful enough to conquer the grave. More than that, conquer the grave for the good of his people.
It think it’s fair to say we don’t often associate power with peace, do we? We associate power with destruction. Power with violence. Power, when we hear about it on the news or see it in the papers, is not usually, to us, a good thing.
But our God, verse 20, is the “God of peace” because he puts his power to work for the good of his people — to bring them peace with him, and downstream from that peace, a growing peace with self, with others, with the world, leading on into the final peace, final rest, heaven.
Col. 1:20,
“God, through Jesus, reconciled to himself all things making peace by the blood of his cross.”
For that reason we call it, Eph. 6:15, “the gospel of peace.”
Do you believe that?
Do you believe that God puts his power to work for you? That you’re not running on your own strength in this Christian life? It’s not all up to you? But that it is instead the God who conquered the grave who equips you with everything good that you may do his will (verse 21)?
Just look at that verse: It’s his power that is without limit (equipping you), and it is his will – the very thing he wants, the very thing he desires – that he’s equipping you for (verse 21). It’s what he finds pleasing that he’s moving you toward. And if the grave could not stop him, why would something as simple as equipping you for the very things that he desires for you to be and do this side of glory?
Brother, will he require a vacation in a season where you most need him near?
Sister, will he suffer exhaustion and need rest when you most need his strength?
Church, will there ever come a day when you go to him and say, “Lord, I need more faith, I need more hope, I need more strength, I need more love,” and him say, “Look, you asked me for these things last week, and I gave them to you, but I’m off today, you’ll need to wait a bit till I revive?”
We might feel that way when others ask things of us. God does not. His power never waivers, just ask the grave.
So pray. Pray in light of God’s power, and run the Christian life in light of God’s power. Final point, marvel at the unique glory of Jesus.
3) Jesus’ Unique Glory
Turn to the description of Jesus we get here, starting halfway through verse 20, “Our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep.” It’s a description not many of us would expect to come at the tail end of this letter. “Our Lord Jesus, The Great High Priest” – that’s what we’d expect, not “Our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep.”
It’s imagery that shifts the focus a bit in a surprising way. I mean for so much of this book we’ve been dialed in on the Temple – the priests and sacrifices there – but “shepherd of the sheep” bumps the lens. Zooms it out past the Temple to the rolling hills and pastureland beyond it – focusing in there, as it were, on a group of sheep, traveling together: not wandering about and changing direction, but moving forward; not headed toward arid ground but luscious field; not walking in crippling fear, but contented peace.
They’re sheep, not known for consensus, nor intelligence, nor bravery, – yet, they seem to have all. Why? Because, as we see most clearly though this lens, they have a great shepherd. Beautiful, but what’s the connection to Hebrews?
Why the transition from Jesus as Great High Priest to Jesus as Great Shepherd, especially here at the very tale end of the letter? Well, consider two of the major themes of this book. Jesus as the Great High Priest, who’s offered the better sacrifice, and has now sat down on the throne beside his father. And, Jesus’ people bound for the better country, the city with foundations, and their need to keep moving onward, toward it.
The first, Jesus as Priest, happens at a very fixed-point on the map, so to speak – the true Temple in heaven. The second, the journey of Jesus’ people, does not happen at a fixed point on the map. It moves as the people progress toward glory.
I think Hebrews leaves us with the image of Jesus as the Great Shepherd, so as to say, “Jesus is the Great High Priest, who’s finished his work on behalf of his people and sat down on the throne, he is. And he is also, the Great Shepherd who now continues to lead his people onward, as they travel toward that very throne.” He’s not in other words, the kind of priest that says from his throne, “My work is finished, I’ll see you when you get here,” but a priest who completes his Temple work, and also grabs his shepherds crook, saying, “now, follow me through the wilderness as I lead you there.” The book ends with God’s people bound for glory.
As God’s people travel on, they look to their shepherd – eyes fixed on Jesus. As they look to him, what do they see?
In the Blood
One final point here: See there’s that little phrase at the very end of verse 20,
“By the blood of the eternal covenant.”
Where does that connect to? Are we to read, “by the blood” as referring to how the God of peace brought back Jesus from the dead? Like, “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?” — The blood being the means by which God brought back Jesus from the dead? That’s what many suggest, but to be honest, that seems a bit strange to me.
After all, throughout this book, the point of Jesus’ blood – overwhelmingly – has been that it is for his people. He bleeds for his people. That’s who the blood is for. In fact, Hebrews notes this as an area of contrast between Jesus, and the high priests in Jerusalem, saying, “the high priest goes into the Most Holy Place but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people” (Heb. 9:7). It’s a point of contrast – Jesus’ blood not being for himself, but purely for the sins of his people.
A second suggestion is to read it as, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by virtue of the blood of the eternal covenant.” So Jesus became the Great Shepherd by virtue of the fact that he shed his blood. Makes more sense— after all he is the shepherd who lays down his life, bleeds, for the sheep.
But could there be more? Could Hebrews, at the end of this letter which has been so riveted upon the glories of Jesus, be doing something other than noting the mechanics either of Jesus’ resurrection, or of how Jesus became the Great Shepherd?
Here’s what I want to suggest to you is the final image of Jesus that we get at the close of this book. I was greatly helped by Pastor David Mathis in working through this. He noted that the literal rendering of this passage in Greek would read, “May the God of peace who brought up from the dead the shepherd of the sheep, the great one in the blood of the eternal covenant, the Lord of us, Jesus.” Hear that? The “great one in the blood of the eternal covenant.”
I don’t think the focus here is on the mechanics of Jesus’ resurrection or his becoming shepherd — But is instead on the glory of Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, who as his sheep (scared, tired, discouraged as they can be at times) lift their eyes up to him, see him adorned in the blood of the eternal covenant — venerated by it, celebrated by it, glorified by it.
They see adorned in the blood of victory, not of defeat. Cloaked in the symbol of battle won, not lost. Arrayed in the proof of power possessed, authority shown, and glory made clear. His blood adorning him in awesome splendor. The great one in the blood which dismantled death, defeated Satan, and paid for our sins in full – that is who they see.
What an encouraging reminder for the sheep to look up and see the blood by which their very souls were bought. What a cause for them to bow once more before their Great Shepherd. And what an image, what a picture, to leave us with at the close of such a glorious letter.
As the hymn goes,
“crown him the Lord of love! Behold his hands and side - Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified.”
To the Table
Jesus’ blood is what now brings us to the table. Here, we bask in the presence of our great shepherd and receive from his hand — a meal which anticipates a better meal, which he is bringing us to. It’s a meal that celebrates Jesus – his blood spilled in death, the death that dismantled the grave. And so if you recognize this blood as a symbol of Jesus’ victory and the means by which you have been reconciled to God, we invite you to eat and drink with us.