Let's take our Bibles and turn with me to the book of Hebrews, chapter 13. Hebrews 13. I think it was two weeks ago I spoke out of Hebrews 13.20, and we looked at the first part of that verse, now the God of grace. And this evening I'd like to try to just finish that verse. We come to the end of this chapter, or this book, and the blessed writer to Hebrews is leaving these believers some thoughts. And in these last few verses, there's a precious, precious amount of truth. And I'd like for us to just look, these next few Wednesdays, as we finish up this book, I'll read the verse, 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 forever and ever. Amen. That 21st verse was a continuance, and I wanted to go ahead and read it. But we'll just look at verse 20. God the Father is set forth in this verse as being the God of peace because of what said about what He did. It says, the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus. Now from that truth set forth, we know this. We know that the Lord Jesus died. He that was brought forth, brought again, I'm sorry, brought again from the dead, died. And according to His Word, He died for the sheep. There's no debating. I know, I know what the world believes. I know that. They believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for everybody. Died to make salvation possible. Died for the sins of every man and every woman without distinction. And Scripture refutes that. John 10, 15. We've read it so many times. John 10, 15, I lay down my life for the sheep. Our Lord died willingly. He said, no man takes my life from me. And He died as the bearer of sin for His people. And the Scripture says that he died knowing no sin personally, 1 Peter 2.22, who did no sin. Neither was guile, that is, neither was deceit, neither was treachery. There was no guile found in his mouth. Now from that statement, that truth, that verse, we know this. We can believe Him. We can believe He who is the truth. I was talking today to a very dear pastor, and he said, He said someone, well I was talking to him and someone walked in, into his office and he said, let me call you right back. Someone walked in. And he called me right back and he said, and I knew who he was, I knew who he was talking about and I talked to the person. And he said, this person just came in and told me that we won't, he said, we won't be back, won't be back anymore. He said, why? She said, because what you're preaching contradicts what I've always been taught. And he said, well, let me ask you this, what you've always been taught, can you show me that in the Bible? And this person said, no. He said, you're telling me that you're going to leave. You're going to walk away. from what these Scriptures clearly set forth. He said, is there anything that I've preached that you can show me that's not in the Scriptures? She said, oh, no. No, everything you've said is absolutely so. He said, you're going to leave because I'm leaving because what I've always been taught is not what I'm hearing here. And she said, I just can't I turned my back on it. He said, you're breaking my heart. The Scripture says that there was no deceit, there's no treachery in his mouth. Our Lord is the truth. He is the Word of God. The Word that shall judge every man and every woman is Word. And the Scripture says that 2 Corinthians 5.21, He died for this reason. Now listen to this Scripture. I saw something today, and I've read this Scripture, and I want to say I know this, but it just seems as though Carl, it hit me. It hit me today. 2 Corinthians 5.21, For He, that is the Father, hath made Him, the Lord Jesus, to be sin for us who knew no sin. And here's the reason. Here's the reason because of the wording of the rest of this verse. Here's the reason. that He was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. There was a reason that He was made sin, that He bore our sin, the Scripture says, in His own body. And I've told you this before, that word bear, it's the word gravid, which means pregnant. bore in His body the sin of His people. I've heard men say, well, when He died, it was a legal thing. He wasn't really made sin. It was just kind of hovering on His shoulders or something. And God, it wasn't that He Himself was personally affected. I beg your pardon, that's wrong. He was personally affected. He was made sin. He was made sin. I don't even want to try to explain it, because the Scripture sets forth. He was made sin. If I'd say He was made wood, or He was made something else. Maybe we could understand, but He was made sin that in order that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. For God's people to be holy, this was God's purpose, having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons that we might be Holy, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in life. For God's people to be holy without blame before God the Father in love, in person of the Lord Jesus Christ, their sin is going to have to be dealt with. And it's not going to be a legal thing. That sin was actually Who could do this but God? The sin of all of God's elect, past, present, future. When He died for all of us, they were all future. But before God's elect were ever born, before they were ever conceived, That which Almighty God knew that they would commit. Known to the Lord all of His works, all things. He knows the end from the beginning. He who is omniscient, who knows every thought of rebellion that I would think. He knows. He knows. We've said before, we think way too low of Him. But everything that His people would commit, He bore. He bore our sins in His body and paid the debt and paid it in full. Believer, He died. putting away the guilt of his people. And there is no debt. There's no debt left. No debt to pay. Sin. There's sin. Sin's there. If we say we have no sin, we make God a liar. Paul said, I'm the chief of sinners. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? but the sin that we're aware of and those things we're not aware of. He paid the penalty. He paid the debt. He paid that which was owed to God's law. He paid it. That is the reason God Almighty can justly, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He justly forgives them. Why? Christ paid the debt. How do I know? How do I know that God Almighty is the God of peace back in Hebrews 13.20? How do I know that God has been appeased? How do I know that propitiation is so that He's appeased? How do I know? Here's how I know. He brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus. That's how I know. God is appeased. He raised Him from the dead. And from that statement also, I keep correcting myself. What I need to do is look at the words and quit trying to think about what I'm saying. Now, the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus. Do you know what he just said when he says, brought again? I looked this up. Brought up again. You say, okay, but what are you saying? I hear what you're saying, but what are you saying? The Lord Jesus Christ was raised in the same body in which He was buried. The God of peace that brought again raised that human nature of Christ. The body in which He was buried is the body that He came out of the grave with. Now, I'm going to tell you the significance of that. His resurrection reveals He as the firstfruits His resurrection reveals something of how His people are going to be raised. I want you to mark your place right here in Hebrews. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15.20. 1 Corinthians 15.20. We'll look at a few verses here for a minute. 1 Corinthians 15.20. But now is Christ risen from the dead. And as I said, remember, when you see Christ, you realize that Christ is God-man, the Messiah. When you see Christ, remember, that's descriptive of His divine and His human nature, Christ. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. Now, when He was raised, He was raised in a representative character. What I mean is this, His resurrection is the pledge of how His people are going to be raised. His resurrection is the proof of the resurrection of His people. Just as the firstfruits, the crop, that's a promise. That's a promise that there's going to be a harvest. When you see the firstfruits, the first indication, Those first fruits that are on the vines, on the branches, out there in the corn, whatever you're growing, the first fruits is a promise that the rest of it is going to be just like it. And that there's going to be a harvest. Now His resurrection did the same. We're going to be raised to life like Him. I'm coming back to 1 Corinthians 15, but look at Romans 8. Romans 8. Romans 8. 22 and 23. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, But ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our body. I'm talking about the resurrection of our body. Back in 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 21, the Scripture says, For since by man came death, that just what Paul is saying, that just like as a causal relationship between the death of Adam and all of mankind, just like there is that relationship between Adam's fall and all of the descendants, all of us, it's like we fell in Adam. There is that causal relationship between the resurrection of Christ and His people. Look at 1 Corinthians 15, 41 to 44. 1 Corinthians 15, 41. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars. One star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. Here is what I am saying. He died to rise to life and to die no more. That's what we're going to do. This body, verse 42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It's sown in corruption. It's raised in incorruption. It's sown in dishonor. It's raised in glory. It's sown in weakness, raised in power. It's sown a natural body. It's raised a spiritual body. There's a natural body and there's a spiritual body. It was the God of peace, the Father Himself, that brought again from the dead. Back in Hebrews. Turn back there with me. Brought again from the dead. Look at this. our Lord Jesus. He is the Lord Jesus. But to His people, He's their Lord Jesus. He's their, and I looked up the word Lord again. I've told you before, it's so important. You know, look the words up. You know, you say, well, do you know what the word Lord means? You say, well, yeah. Okay, what? You see, I'm like you. I forgot. I had to look it up again. You know what the word, there's quite a few, but you know what the main definition is, Carl? Mister. Mister. Mister. Sir. Sir. I told you when we would be in Mexico and we'd go into these pueblos and maybe Brother Walter, Brother Cody would call on one of the men to say an opening prayer. And of course, I can't understand, but usually one word, Mitch, and as they're praying in Spanish, I'd catch this word, Senor. Senor. Senor. And they were saying, Lord. Sir. Sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Whenever my dad, when I was growing up, I'm telling you, I've told you this before, but so help me, I'm telling you the truth. Man, I'm telling you, when my dad called me, The answer better include the word, sir. It's either yes, sir, no sir, or sir, sir. Man, if my dad would have called me and I'd have said, what? Oh, man, that wouldn't have been fun. Mom, I mean, really. You don't know. You don't know. Sir. Respect. Respect. Don't you answer. Don't you answer, what? Huh? No. My. Our Lord Jesus. Sir Savior. Our Lord. It's wonderful to say He's the Savior of sinners, but to say that He's my Savior, That He's my Lord, my peace, my husband, my mediator. He's my righteousness. That I stand before God complete in Him. That His blood was shed for me. That His Spirit bears witness with my spirit. That I'm His child. And that His Spirit would teach me that when He died, At Calvary, he died with Marvin Stoniker on his heart. He told Jeremiah, before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. I knew you. That he would say to me, Marvin, before I formed you in the belly of your mama, I knew you. And I loved you. And I ordained you to be a preacher. Our Lord Jesus. When He died at Calvary, the Scripture is so precious here. Acts 2, 28 sets forth this glorious truth. Acts 20, I'm sorry. Acts 20, 28. And when He died, The Scripture sets forth that it was the blood of God. The blood of God. Acts 2, 20, 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. You might say, well, God can't shed His blood. God said He did. God said He did. When He was raised, God was said to have raised Him. Acts 2.24, whom God hath raised up. That's what Scripture says. And back in Hebrews 13. The one that was raised was that great shepherd of the sheep. The great shepherd of the sheep. You know, the Scripture said that He was going to come. They'd been looking for Him. Isaiah 40. I'll read this to you. Isaiah 40, verse 10-11. The Scripture says, Behold, the Lord God will come. With strong hand, his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." I mean, when he came, his reward, salvation is with him. He's going to give it to whomsoever he will. He shall feed his flock. Ever notice how distinguished this is? Who's going to feed his flock? Like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with yon. He's the great shepherd of the sheep. We brought this out before, but you know, sheep. When we talk about sheep, and a believer loves that term. That's such a term of endearment. his sheep. But there is nothing that is more helpless, more stupid, wayward, ignorant, wandering a sheep. They are just ignorant, ignorant animals. They just don't mind what's going on. They just and eat and walk and just, you know, they need a shepherd. The great shepherd of the sheep. And the one that raised, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, our precious Savior, Let me tell you about the great Shepherd of the Sheep. The Scripture says that God calls him His fellow. He is my fellow. God Almighty, human flesh. Here is what the Scripture says about him. One that humbled himself, made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of sinful flesh, yet without sin. He's the mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, the government of everything on His shoulders. I think when Mary carried the infant in her womb for nine months, that infant that she carried for nine months was running everything. You say, how in the world can that little infant that came forth just like every other child, started as an embryo, just grew, grew, grew, grew, nine months later came forth, born just like every other child is born? And the government was upon his shoulders. That's the mighty God. That's the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father. And His name is Wonderful Counselor. That's our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. Notice who He's the Great Shepherd of. Not of the world, not of the goats, not of the wolves. He's the great shepherd of the sheep. Isn't it amazing how exact the Spirit of God is when He writes just every word. There's not a word out of place, not one word too many, not one word lacking. It's just exactly that great shepherd of the sheep. It's not going to fail. That blessed peace that has been established has been established, the scripture says, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. How has peace been established? Let me tell you this. It has not been established through the baptismal pool. It has not been established through praying in tongues. It's not been established walking down an aisle. It's not been established by me exercising my free will. The Scripture says, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, that covenant that David said, this is all of my hope, this is all my salvation, this is all my desire. I don't want, I don't want to talk about it. There is no other salvation. Salvation by the grace of God, that everlasting covenant that God Almighty, Father, Son, Spirit, made with Himself, that eternal counsel, no beginning, no end, no repeal, the merit of that everlasting covenant, His blood. When I see the blood, when I see the blood. I am so thankful that he didn't say, when I see Marvin's faithfulness, when I see his ability to pray as he ought, to study as he ought, to preach as he ought. No, when I see the blood, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Oh, the miracle of God's grace that Almighty God would have mercy upon one such as I, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. The Scripture says that the God of peace brought up again from the dead, our Lord Jesus. That great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. By his sacrifice for his people, he hath perfected forever. Them that are sanctified, set apart for God. Set apart for God's purpose. Set apart for God's will. set apart for God's salvation.