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 for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21

I want to invite you to consider this text with me. When I was a young man and learning all I could about the power of the blood of Jesus, this was a portion of scripture that was very dear to me. It is tucked away at the end of the epistle to the Hebrews so it doesn’t get the recognition that some other texts may get, but there is a powerful message in these words. 

Notice the words of the text again, 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… ~ v.20

The question we need to explore is does this text tell us that Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, or does it tells us that God raised Jesus, who is the great Shepherd of the sheep, from the dead by the blood of the everlasting covenant.

Commentaries do differ, but it seems to me that there is a lot that can be learned from this text. It is my understanding that the actual rendering when the blood is mentioned is “in” or “in virtue” of the blood of the everlasting covenant, rather than through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

First, let’s consider some other Bible translations, then we’ll consider some commentaries, and close with some inspiring words from Andrew Murray’s commentary on Hebrews.

Here are some other translations:

Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus… ~ ASV

Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant… ~ AMP

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… ~ ESV

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant ~ HCSB

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord… ~ NASB

And the God of the peace, who did bring up out of the dead the great shepherd of the sheep — in the blood of an age-during covenant — our Lord Jesus …. ~ YLT

Most translations tend to translate this text in a manner that has the resurrection of Jesus being accomplished by virtue of the blood of the everlasting covenant. If that is true, there is a powerful untapped truth that we should give some time attention to in our thinking regarding the redemptive work of Christ. However, if the mention of the blood of the everlasting covenant in this text has more to do with the emphasis that Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, that too also has great blessings for us to embrace.

Now, let’s consider some commentaries. Notice that the first two, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers and Barnes Notes on the Bible reach two completely different conclusions.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English readers: “As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” In other words, “because of the blood which ratified thy covenant (Exodus 24:8) I have released thy prisoners.” As in the former case, the resemblance between the words in the LXX. and those here used is sufficient to convince us that the passage was in the writer’s thought. In (i.e., in virtue of) the blood of an eternal covenant (Hebrews 9:15-18) God has raised up the Lord Jesus. The covenant was ratified by His blood; the first of the blessings of the covenant, and that in which all blessing lay included, was this, that God raised Him up from the dead to be “the great Shepherd of the sheep.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible: Through the blood of the everlasting covenant – The blood shed to ratify the everlasting covenant that God makes with his people; notes, Hebrews 9:14-23. This phrase, in the original, is not connected, as it is in our translation, with his being raised from the dead, nor should it be so rendered, for what can be the sense of “raising Christ from the dead by the blood of the covenant?” In the Greek it is, “the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the shepherd of the sheep, great by the blood of the everlasting covenant, our Lord Jesus,” etc. The meaning is, that he was made or constituted the great Shepherd of the sheep – the great Lord and ruler of his people, by that blood. That which makes him so eminently distinguished; that by which he was made superior to all others who ever ruled over the people of God, was the fact that he offered the blood by which the eternal covenant was ratified. It is called everlasting or eternal, because:

(1) it was formed in the councils of eternity, or has been an eternal plan in the divine mind; and,

(2) because it is to continue forever. Through such a covenant God can bestow permanent and solid “peace” on his people, for it lays the foundation of the assurance of eternal happiness.

As you can see there is a difference of opinion here, and both conclusions are inspiring. I tend to think both are correct and that if we join but truths we get a more Biblical answer, Jesus who was raised from the dead is the great Shepherd of the sheep, but he was the Shepherd of the Sheep before he died according to his own words in John 10. Jesus did not become the shepherd of the Sheep after he died. He died because he is the shepherd of the Sheep.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ~ John 10:11.

We’ll look at some more commentaries shortly, but first I want to draw your attention to another text that is tucked away at the end of Romans 4. I think this text sheds some light on the truth contained in Hebrews 13:20.

But for us also, to whom it (righteousness) shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. ~ Romans 4:24-25

Concerning Romans 4:24-25 W.E. Vines states, “… all that was necessary on God’s part for our justification had been effected in the death of Christ. On this account He was raised from the dead. The propitiation being perfect and complete, His resurrection was the confirmatory counterpart (Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words)

I think it is safe to conclude that scripture reveals that when God raised Jesus from the dead, he demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection, the power of the everlasting covenant by which we are raised from the dead in Christ, and because of the blood of the covenant by which we are redeemed, the Father will raise up our mortal bodies from corruption at the appointed time.

Now, let’s consider a couple more commentaries on Hebrews 13:20.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: through the blood—Greek, “in,” in virtue of the blood (Heb 2:9); it was because of His bloody death for us, that the Father raised and crowned Him with glory. The “blood” was the seal of the everlasting covenant entered into between the Father and Son; in virtue of the Son’s blood, first Christ was raised, then Christ’s people shall be so (Zec 9:11, seemingly referred to here; Ac 20:28).

everlasting—The everlastingness of the covenant necessitated the resurrection. This clause, “the blood of the everlasting covenant,” is a summary retrospect of the Epistle (compare Heb 9:12).

Jamieson -Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary of Hebrews 13:20 fits well with W.E. Vines commentary of Romans 4:24-25. In fact, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown says the following regarding Romans 4:25:

Who was delivered for—”on account of.”

our offences—that is, in order to expiate them by His blood.

and raised again for—”on account of,” that is, in order to.

our justification—As His resurrection was the divine assurance that He had “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” and the crowning of His whole work, our justification is fitly connected with that glorious act.

Think about that, the resurrection of Jesus was the divine assurance that Jesus has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and his resurrection is the crowing of the whole work of our justification!

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: that brought again from the dead ] Among many allusions to the Ascension and Glorification of Christ this is the only direct allusion in the Epistle to His Resurrection (but comp. Hebrews 6:2, Hebrews 11:35). The verb ἀνήγαγεν may be “raised again” rather than “brought up,” though there may be a reminiscence of “the shepherd” (Moses) who “brought up” his people from the sea in Isaiah 63:11.through the blood of the everlasting covenant] Rather, “by virtue of (lit. “in”) the blood of an eternal covenant.” The expression finds its full explanation in Hebrews 9:15-18. Others connect it with “the Great Shepherd.” He became the Great Shepherd by means of His blood. So in Acts 20:28 we have “to shepherd the Church of God, which He purchased for Himself by means of His own blood.” A similar phrase occurs in Zechariah 9:11, “By (or “because of”) the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit.”

Finally, consider the thoughts of Andrew Murray:

In the blood of the everlasting covenant. We know how the blood has been coupled in the Epistle with the redemption of transgressions, the opening of the entrance into heaven, and the cleansing of the heart from all conscience of sin. Were it not for that blood -shedding Christ had never risen from the dead. In that blood, even the blood of the everlasting covenant, which could only be made after there had been a redemption for transgressions, God raised Jesus from the dead. It was the blood that sealed the covenant, by which the covenant blessings of perfect pardon, of the law written in the heart, and direct fellowship with God were secured to us. It was the blood that had conquered sin and death and hell, that could give entrance into heaven, and cleanse the sinner’s heart for the reception and experience of the heavenly life. And as those who are sprinkled with his blood, the secret of resurrection power, we are invited to trust the God of the resurrection to work in us. The God of peace, who hath raised Jesus from the dead in the blood of the covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will. The God who perfected his Son through suffering to do His will, until He raised Him in triumph over death to His own right hand – O soul! This same God is waiting to do this same work in thee in the same power. What He did in Christ for thee is all for the sake of what He is no day by day to do in thee. All that thou hast learnt of the wonders of His redeeming work, and His receiving thee into the Holiest, is that thou mightest now confidently trust and expect Him to take possession of thee in perfect His work within thee. Oh, let us draw nigh and enter in, in the restful, adoring assurance that God will perfect us in every good thing. ~ Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All