March 8, 2026: Sunday School

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:20-25
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Perfect Ending — Closing the Book on the Priestly Ministry of Jesus

Scripture: Hebrews 13:20-25

I. The God of Peace

• A. "The God of peace" appears only once in Hebrews — a fitting title at the close of a book devoted to the priestly ministry of Jesus.

  1. Sin brought both moral filth and broken fellowship with God.
  2. From the expulsion from Eden onward, humanity needed a way back into God's presence.
  3. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament foreshadowed the restoration of that fellowship.

• B. The book of Hebrews repeatedly invites God's people to "draw near" — an offer made possible only through Christ.

  1. Expiation: Christ put away the moral stain of sin (Hebrews 1:3).
  2. Propitiation: Christ restored the broken relationship (Hebrews 2:17).
  3. Christ's body is described as the curtain through which believers now enter the Most Holy Place.

• C. The title "God of peace" invites personal reflection: do you know God as your peace, despite sin and guilt?

II. The Foundation of Peace with God

• A. The benediction grounds peace in the resurrection: "the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus" (Hebrews 13:20).

• B. The phrase "blood of the eternal covenant" is unique — the only place in the entire Bible where "eternal" is joined to "covenant."

  1. The covenant of grace is first announced in Genesis 3:15 — the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head.
  2. It is clarified with Abraham: through him all nations will be blessed by faith.
  3. It comes in shadows and types through Moses, all pointing to Jesus.
  4. The word "covenant" (Greek: diathēkē) appears 33 times in the New Testament; 19 of those occurrences are in Hebrews alone.

• C. The "eternal covenant" points to the covenant of redemption — an eternal agreement within the Godhead.

  1. Before time began, the Father and the Son purposed together to save sinful humanity.
  2. The Son covenanted to become the surety and redeemer of his people.
  3. God's covenant grace revealed in history was never a Plan B — it was rooted in God's eternal, unchanging love.
  4. Supporting passages: Psalm 40:7-8; John 17:4; 1 Peter 1:19-20; Acts 2:23.

• D. The sacrifice of Christ did not result in God's love for his people — God's eternal love for his elect drove the sacrifice (John 3:16).

III. The Goal of Peace with God

• A. The main verb of the benediction is "equip": "Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good that you may do his will" (Hebrews 13:21).

  1. Peace with God is not merely forensic — it issues in a lived-out, growing conformity to Christ.
  2. Hebrews 12:14: "Strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

• B. Sanctification is the ongoing goal: God is "working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ."

  1. The Spirit mortifies remaining sin and produces new desires and affections.
  2. The road is long with stumbles, but the trajectory is toward full glorification.
  3. Paul's language in Galatians 4:19 captures it: "until Christ is formed in you."

• C. The final greetings (vv. 22–25) illustrate the horizontal outworking of grace — restored relationships, anticipation of reunion, and mutual encouragement among believers.

  1. Timothy's release is mentioned with the hope of the writer visiting soon.
  2. The call to "greet all your leaders and all the saints" reflects the community shaped by the gospel.

• D. The closing message of Hebrews echoes its theme throughout: don't stop believing — God keeps his people in the love of Jesus.