“For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So, Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. (13) Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (14) For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Heb. 13:11-14). After an unblemished animal was sacrificed on the Day of Atonement, the rest of it was commanded to be burned outside the camp. Ex. 29:14, “But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.”
That happened in a ceremonially clean place and even the priest who burned it had to be “cleansed” before returning. It may seem strange to do that. Lev. 16:28, “And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.” The obvious question raised by this commandment is, “Why not just eat what is left instead of wasting what was left of the carcass?” Well, since it had been used in a sin offering for all the people of Israel, it was considered unclean and unsuitable for consumption by the purified people of God. Something worth noting is that for the many other sacrifices other than the specified Day of Atonement, the animal could be eaten.
John 19:20 reads, “Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.” The author is expressly highlighting an otherwise obscure point, “Just as the animal who bore the sins of the people was taking outside the camp, Jesus, who bore the sins of all people by his blood, suffered outside the gate.” What a figuratively rich comparison that is – one that could be studied at length for those who find it intriguing. But I want us to concentrate on the next part of today’s text, v. 13-14. What is being alluded to here is of great importance to every Christian who obediently follows Jesus.
“Just as your Savior suffered and died for you in order to make you holy and acceptable to God, you should be prepared to go, ‘outside’ your camp and suffer for Him.” At the time of the writing of Hebrews, Christians were facing much persecution and they may not even have wanted to venture into the streets of Jerusalem. To make matters worse, the vile act of the emperor Nero making Christians the scapegoats for the burning of a portion of Rome must have been fresh on the memories. Who could really blame them for being scared, considering what they were suffering? But the author wanted his readers to rise above their fear and hesitations. The same lesson applies to us today. We need to be courageous in our spiritual walk and face the dangers without fear since we know two things. First, our persecution is guaranteed, John 15:18-20, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
And secondly, the Creator God is on our side, and we have the armor to defend against and overcome those persecutions (Eph. 6:10-18). We overcome by meeting Christ and walking with Him, and the only place to do that is “outside the city.” In other words, we will be cast aside by society, and we will definitely need to step out of our comfort zone. We should go to that place where He was crucified to properly meet our Savior – away from the glitz and glamor of the world. Our fear should never be persecution by man, or even losing our standing and status in society for putting Christ on in baptism. The reason for that is that this earthly dwelling is but a temporary one; our real dwelling is waiting for us in heaven where we will spend a blissful eternity with the Father.
If Jesus was willing to go outside the gates to be crucified to provide salvation for us, we should be willing to go outside the gate and meet Him. Moreover, outside the gate is, as I said previously, outside our comfort zone. Leaving the city shows a willingness to sacrifice worldly things for the spiritual. That is where we will find an opportunity to engage those still in the darkness; to witness to the waiter, or the mechanic working our car. That is where we will find the abused spouse, the hurting child, the discontent, the anguished, and the seeking. If we stay inside the city with all its lavish distractions, we will not be effective ambassadors for the peace that comes with the hope that we found in Christ. So, step out of the city, meet Christ in person and fight the good fight – you need it, and they need it even more.
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