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Jesus on the cross

Jesus died outside the city of Jerusalem. I am called to go where Jesus is and die with Him on the cross. This is about sacrifice. Jesus calls on me to pick up my cross and follow Him. I must share in the shame and abuse. I will be persecuted.

So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is — not trying to be privileged insiders but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name. | Hebrews 13:13-15 (The Message Bible)

Here are some key ideas:

  1. Following Jesus leads to feelings associated with failure, public exposure, disgrace, embarrassment, social rejection, ridicule, and dishonor. Jesus died a shameful death for us. It was outside the city.
  2. The suffering “without the gate” was a symbol of His rejection by the religious elites. All who would be His must share the reproach which came upon Him, who was cast out by His people and crucified (Hebrews 11:26). They also must go forth “without the camp,” forsaking the company of His foes. Each one must for himself make choice either of the synagogue or of the church of the Messiah; between the two there can be no fellowship.
  3. There is a new city and world to come. It is the world of victory over death. It is a world of praise and beautiful glory for our Master Jesus. Jesus is King in this new city. God has given His Son the place of honor. It is all about Jesus. It is not about me.
  4. We do not regard this as our final home, or our fixed abode, and we should be willing to bear reproaches during the little time that we are to remain here. If there is consequence of our professed attachment to the Master Jesus, we should be driven away from our habitations, and compelled to wander, we should be willing to submit to it, for our permanent home is not here, but in heaven.
  5. The object of the writer seems to be to comfort the Hebrew disciples on the supposition that they would be driven by persecution from the city of Jerusalem, and doomed to wander as exiles. He tells them that their Lord was led from that city to be put to death, and they should be willing to go forth also; that their permanent home was not Jerusalem, but heaven, and they should be willing in view of that blessed abode to be exiled from the city where they dwelt, and made wanderers in the earth.