That You May Do His Will
Hebrews 13:17–25 – Jesus Is Better
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 26th, 2026 (am)
When I was a child, my father traveled periodically—not regularly, but maybe two or three times a year. He directed touring choirs at the different colleges where he served as a professor of music. And he might also be away performing in an opera somewhere. Just before he’d leave each time, we’d have a talk that might best be described as correction in advance. They were always good talks, more general in nature. He’d remind me to be faithful in whatever tasks were my chores at that time. He’d tell me to listen to my mom and obey joyfully. And he’d remind me that I was the man of the house while he was away. I was never entirely sure what that meant—to this day I can’t name any special privileges that came along with the role—but it did have an impact on me. I think it made me notably more attentive to whatever noises I might hear in the night, or to any challenges my mom or sister might face. It made me feel like I was the protector of this home and family until he returned, and I became more vigilant toward anything a child my age might perceive as a threat.
I sense a similar vibe in today’s text, like the author is giving them more generalized, categorical reminders. Oh, they’re specific instructions—obey your leaders (17), pray for us (18), even bear with my word (22)—but I also believe they’re more general in their intended meaning, like these are the charges most likely to keep the instruction of the entire letter before the readers until the author is able to return to them again (23). Categorically, he gave them three final words.
A Final Word of Instruction – 17-19
Alex pointed out last week that the instruction back in v.7 to remember your leaders was probably speaking of their leaders from the past. Here in v.17, he’s speaking of their present leaders, their elders, those who will have to give an account to God for their souls, for their spiritual wellbeing.
It’s actually possible that the author had heard from these elders about different ones in this body who were turning back to their old covenant practices and that this is the reason he wrote this letter. That would explain his detailed knowledge of what was needed here, and also his dual-reference to their leaders (7, 17). His call is to respect you present leaders—listen to them, obey them, submit to them (17)—given the role God has appointed them to play in the life of the church. And it’s not just about how you interact with your leaders directly; it’s about living your life in a way that brings joy (17) to those who are accountable to God for your instruction and correction. That’s what will work toward the greatest advantage (17) for all involved.
One of the clearest indicators that a man is gifted by God to serve as an elder is that he has deep and unswerving desire for the spiritual wellbeing of the body. He hungers for it, prays for it, is willing to sacrifice for it—giving up personal time to help maintain it, carrying the needs of the body on his heart along with the needs of his family. When the body appreciates that and uses their tangible relationships with their elders, alongside their relationships with one another, as a reminder when they’re in potentially compromising circumstances, that’s when body life in the church is at its sweetest.
Temptation is present. Desire to indulge is running strong. But then, up from the recesses of our minds comes the thought of rich relationships with the other men at church, or with the other women, or with that Bible study leader, or that elder with whom you just had breakfast, and from there comes the extra boost to say: No, I can’t give in to this. There’s too much at stake. I can’t be the one through whom this sort of compromise infects our fellowship. There’s the sort of attitude, disposition, the author’s talking about here in his final instruction, just like he’s been doing throughout this letter.
It’s this way of thinking that 3:13 … exhorts one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of [us will] be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. It’s this attitude that will 10:25 not neglect… meeting together, as is the habit of some, but will encourage one another [every day], and all the more as [we] see the Day of the Lord drawing near. It’s this disposition that will 17 obey [our] leaders and submit to them…, recognizing the spiritual advantage we all gain by that, the atmosphere of joy it generates.
And it’s precisely the absence of this sort of atmosphere that indicates a problem. Whenever someone is disinclined to talk to the elders, or worse, think the elders are conspiring against them, that’s one of the clearest indicators that something’s wrong. We’ve been seeing that since early on in this letter.
But when our hearts are for one another, that’s when we’re seeing the work of God done among us. The writer says: 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things, surely not least in all the instruction he’s given in this letter. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. It sounds like the author really wants to come visit them, but we’ll get back to that in just a few moments.
A Final Word of Encouragement – 20-21
This is surely the richest portion of today’s text. It has the general structure of a collect, a gathered-together prayer (Latin, collecta oratio) (Bruce 387 w/ f.n. 114). But we’ll just hear it as a benediction whose rhythm and structure are just as sweet as its wording and meaning. 20 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, 21 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.
The God of peace has brought about peace (shalom) by [raising] our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, confirming God’s acceptance of His sacrifice to atone for sin and defeat death in the lives of all who believe—confirming that Jesus is better than what His people had prior, proving that Jesus was the intended fulfillment of all God’s promises from the very beginning, when He first came into the Garden after the sin of Adam & Eve to ask them about what they had done, and to begin a series of promises that He’d fix it.
And just like He provided a great high priest in Jesus (4:14), He also provided in Him a great shepherd of the sheep (20), One Who can reconcile us to God, establishing a new covenant with Him that will last for all eternity because the blood that was shed was that of God-become-flesh (cf. 2:17; 5:9). He’s the great shepherd Who can Psa.23:2 … make [us] lie down in green pastures [and] lead [us] beside still waters forever—eternal shalom.
He’s the great shepherd Who can 21 equip [us] with everything good—make [us] perfect in all goodness (neb)—that [we] may do his will. We need to do his will, but He equips us with everything we need to do it; He makes us perfect in all goodness to do it, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight. As Paul wrote, we need to Phi.2:12 … work out [our] own salvation with fear and trebling, 13 [but] it is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Therefore, God receives all the praise through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever!
What could be more encouraging than that at this stage of this letter? All that’s needed for us to endure has been provided for us in Christ! We just need to not let go! We need to press on in endurance! But the strength to do even that has also provided in Christ! It’s like being told that if you just begin running in that marathon, you’ll find that strength is supplied from outside of you to keep going. It’s not like you won’t feel any tiredness at all, but if you’ll just press on, just keep going, you’ll find that you won’t run out of energy or resources to finish the race!
A Final Word of Fellowship – 22-25
And that’s the final word. The rest of this is just the typical personal niceties at the end of a letter: 22 … bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. It’s like he’s saying: Forgive me for not going into greater detail. That’s hard for us to imagine! But twice he’s given us the sense that more would’ve been helpful: 5:11 About this we have much to say. And: 9:5 … Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. So, it really does sound like he’s saying: Please don’t hold it against me for leaving some points undeveloped. While it may seem like a pretty long letter, it’s a normal-length sermon; you can read it in forty-two minutes.
From there, it’s even more relational. Timothy (23) is almost certainly [the friend of Paul] (Bruce ???) who we know well. And the author hopes Timothy can come with him on a visit. He then extends greetings from those who come from Italy (24); that may be where this church was located (perhaps Rome [Hughes 16]). And those who’ve traveled or relocated from there have asked the author to express their greetings in his letter.
Then he finishes: 25 Grace be with all of you. This grace, says Spicq, “is a stream of living water flowing through the desert, a power which enables us to withstand every adversity and to reach the promised land, the place of our rest, the heavenly Jerusalem.” The source of this grace is the throne of grace where divine assistance is ever available to us in the hour of [need] (Heb.4:16) and strength to… overcome every assault of the enemy and to persevere to the end (Heb.13:9; cf. 2Co.12:9f.) (Hughes 594) is ours in unlimited abundance.
Conclusion
God’s grace is His merciful disposition toward us by which He 21 makes [us] perfect in all goodness (neb) that [we] 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. As we fulfill this statement, we live out—live into—all the instruction in this letter. 25 Grace be with all of you in that pursuit.
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Resources
Anders, Max, gen. ed. 1999. Holman New Testament Commentary. Hebrews & James, by Thomas D. Lea. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.
Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 4, Hebrews to Revelation. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 2-82. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Barclay, William. 1976. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Letter to the Hebrews, Revised Edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.
Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 919-995. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Bruce, F. F. 1990. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Calvin, John. 1553. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, trans. by, John Owen. Logos.
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Clendenen, Ray E., gen. ed., David S. Dockery, NT ed. 2010. The New American Commentary. Vol. 35, Hebrews, by David L. Allen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.
Dever, Mark. 2005. The Message of the New Testament. Ch. 19, The Message of Hebrews: Sticking with the Best, 413-425. Wheaton: Crossway.
Fee, Gordon D., gen. ed. 1990. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Revised Edition, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Hebrews, by David W. Chapman. Wheaton: Crossway.
Guthrie, George. 1998. The NIV Application Commentary. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker, gen. eds. Ralph P. Martin, NT ed. 1991. Word Biblical Commentary. Vols. 47a, Hebrews 1-8; Vol.47b, Hebrews 9-13, by William L. Lane. Dallas: Word.
Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. 1979. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2006. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 13, Hebrews-Revelation. Hebrews, by R. T. France, 17-195. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Morris, Leon, gen. ed. 1983. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 15, Hebrews, by Donald Guthrie. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
Owen, John. 1855. Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, 7 Vols. Edinburgh: Johnstone and Hunter.
NEXT SUNDAY: Teach Us to Pray, Luke 11:1–4