We have come to the end of a study of one of the most wonderful ideas in the Bible, the doctrine of God’s amazing grace. And we have come to the very last verse of the Bible, which not surprisingly is about grace also. In the first of these studies we began with Genesis. Now we end with the very last verse of Revelation. The verse is a benediction. The word “benediction” literally means “to speak a good word concerning somebody” or “to wish another well.” In biblical language, specifically it is a wish that God might be gracious to or bless another person. In our last study we were looking at a verse that sounds like a benediction but is actually a promise: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Pet. 5:10). That verse tells us what God will do. The last verse in the Bible, the verse we are going to consider now, is a true benediction. It is the wish or fervent desire that “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with God’s people.”
I have not taken the time to count the Bible’s benedictions, but it is no exaggeration to say that there must be hundreds of them. There are even scores that contain the word grace, the object of these studies. I noticed that fact early in my preparation for this series. So when I began this series of sermons, I decided to end each of the worship services with a different benediction that included the word “grace.” I did that in nearly every case for a period of four or five months. Here are some of these splendid benedictions.
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:7).
“The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Rom. 16:20).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:3).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you” (1 Cor. 16:23).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:2).
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:13).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:2).
“Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love” (Eph. 6:24).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:2).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen” (Phil. 4:23).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father” (Col. 1:2).
“Grace be with you” (Col. 4:18).
“Grace and peace to you” (1 Thess. 1:1).
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Thess. 5:28).
“Grace and peace to you” (2 Thess. 1:2).
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (2 Thess. 3:18).
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1 Tim. 1:2).
“Grace be with you” (1 Tim. 6:21).
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Tim. 1:2).
“Grace be with you” (2 Tim. 4:22).
“Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior” (2 Tim. 1:4).
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:3).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Phil. 1:25).
“Grace be with you all” (Heb. 13:25).
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Pet. 1:2).
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2).
“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Rev. 1:4).
And the last one, our text: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).
These benedictions are most frequent in Paul’s letters, but they are scattered throughout the New Testament and are abundant, several of them even appearing in a single book or letter. Frequently grace is linked with two other blessings that we have also received from God: mercy and peace. These are said to have come to us from God the Father and from or through the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the words appear in different combinations, the most complete form of these benedictions is the one found in 2 Corinthians 13:13: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
