February 7th, 2023

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)

 

Gift-giving is an interesting thing to participate in. When we receive gifts, the desire to return the favor is almost inescapable, but the return is usually manageable. But what if the gift comes from somebody like the God of Peace described by the author of Hebrews? Normal gifts are easy to reciprocate, but sometimes we make friendships with people who just have more resources than we do and we find ourselves desiring to respond in like manner when we simply don’t have the means to do it. It can be an embarrassing situation. Say an unemployed man received a $400 watch from his wealthy friend for a birthday; when his friend’s birthday rolls around it’s only natural to want to find a gift of equal value but it’s impossible in light of bills, insurance, and family expenses. In situations like this, we do the best we can but we can’t escape the notion that it isn’t enough.  

Sometimes, the grace of God in Jesus can stir up a similar sense of shame - we’ve received the eternal gift of forgiveness and everlasting life because God the Father sent his only Son to die and be raised on our behalf. But this gift is more than just the initial forgiveness - look at the good news here! The God who raised Jesus from the dead gives us all the heavenly resources we need and, in our daily lives reciprocates his gracious gift by turning us into men and women who please him! There is a beautiful truth in these two verses: our Christian lives are gifts that are given and received within the Trinity: given from the Father to the Son, from the Father and the Son to the Holy Spirit, and back again. 

REFLECT

  • The work of God the Father, and God the Son are described in verse 20 - where is the work of the Holy Spirit?

  • The idea of our lives being in inter-trinitarian gift may seem odd - but maybe this will help. How is each person of the Trinity glorified in this passage? 

APPLY

  • How does the notion of being a gift affect your motivation to grow as a Christian? 

-Matt Allhands

 
 
Coram Deo