Christ’s Reproach and Future Glory - Hebrews 13:10-14

Please turn with me to the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, the last chapter in the book.  I read something rather disturbing the other day regarding Hebrews chapter 13.  This is from an endorsement of a commentary which is being reprinted by an online Christian bookstore.  It says: "We are so grateful to Solid Ground Christian Books for reprinting [William] Gouge's magnum opus, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews.  This massive book [over 1120 pages!], originally published in three volumes, contains the notes of more than a thousand sermons given over a thirty year period. . ..  The first volume was published in 1655; Gouge was still working on the last half of the last chapter of Hebrews when he died.”  I trust I will be shown mercy for not attempting to preach 1000 sermons through Hebrews for another 29 years!  Maybe I’ll be able to finish the last 16 verses of Hebrews in my lifetime.  At least that’s the goal.

We are beginning at verse 10 of chapter 13 this week, and as is often the case, it is hard to break into the context right in the middle of an argument which the author is making here.  But bear in mind that this book could be described as the most Old Testament oriented book in the entire New Testament.  It was probably written to Jews exclusively.  Chapter after chapter, it is a call to embrace the fulfillment of all the promises of God to send a Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ.  That acceptance was extremely difficult for the religious Jew.  For the apostle Paul, it was impossible prior to his conversion.  He hated and killed Jews who followed Jesus Christ.  In fact, from the very earliest days of the New Testament, the disciples of Jesus were persecuted, imprisoned, and put to death because they were considered apostates.  Jesus was considered a false teacher, and the vast majority of Jews rejected His claims to be the promised King of Israel.

Secondly, the first century Jews had become more and more culturally Jewish, as opposed to religiously Jewish.  The religion of Judaism became their common denominator, rather than the God of Judaism.  It was becoming more and more important to be Jewish than to be faithful to the Scriptures and obedient to the commands of God.  So when a fellow Jew writes the book of Hebrews in order to convince some of his brethren to seriously consider who this man Jesus really is, the Holy One of Israel whom their own prophets spoke of for centuries, most of them cannot tolerate it.

Israel was expecting a King to liberate them from the oppression of the Gentiles, all the non-Jews who surrounded them and ruled over them.  Their expectations were political.  They were looking for another King David who would establish them as a national power to be reckoned with, instead of a subservient puppet state of Caesar.  They hated Rome and they hated Gentiles.  They wanted a conqueror.

What did they get instead?  Some guy from Nazareth who made claims like, “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days!”  And what happened to Him?  The Romans made a mockery of Him and crucified Him.  They ridiculed Him and stripped Him and spat in His face and beat Him and tortured Him, and nailed Him to a cross with common thieves.  How could anyone seriously think HE is the Messiah?

Well, mostly because God raised Him from the dead!  That is something the Jews might want to consider, particularly since their own scriptures actually predict the Messiah’s resurrection!  And of course, we have hundreds of witnesses to His resurrection, and we have thousands of converts who are willing to die for the truth of this gospel of salvation from sin through the sacrifice of the Son of God.

The writer is constantly comparing what his Jewish readers are already familiar with in Scripture, to the fulfillment of those things in the person of Christ.  So much of Old Testament Judaism is indicative of the New Testament Messiah.  And Jesus is that Messiah.  Look back to chapter 11 with me, and notice verses 23 through 26:

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Hebrews 11:23-26, NKJV).

Moses was part of that minority among the Jewish people who actually believed in a coming Messiah and was willing to suffer for his sake.  The word is “reproach.”  In the margin, an alternative word is “reviling.”  God’s true people have always been reviled because of their faith in God and their hope of a future reward.  Even Moses suffered in this way.

Now in chapter 13, the writer speaks to those who have the faith of Moses and says this:

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

“We” versus “those.”  “We” designates the Jewish Christians.  “Those” designates Jews who are not Christians, particularly the priesthood.  We have an altar, and they have an altar.  They, the unbelieving Jewish priests, are not worthy to eat from our altar.  Why?  Because our altar has been sprinkled by the  blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  And like the bodies of the sacrifices of the unbelieving priests that are taken outside the walls of Jerusalem and are burned, Jesus was also taken “outside the camp” to Calvary to be disposed of.  His blood was spilled within the gates, and after He was practically dead, was lead outside the city in a state of reproach.

The emphasis here is in the phrases “outside the camp” and “outside the gate.”  The bodies of the sacrifices of the Jews were burned outside the camp of Israel in order to dispose of them.  Jesus was led to be destroyed outside the city, which is being symbolically used by the writer here as a parallel for outside the camp of the people, removed from them, separated from the Jews.  The Old Testament Jews didn’t want the carcasses of their sacrifices to be burnt in their midst, so they disposed of them outside the city limits, so to speak.  Jesus, like the many millions of sacrifices before Him, suffered “outside the camp” as well.  

The blood of our Sacrifice has been spilled on a heavenly altar.  And in a symbolic sense, we who believe eat of that sacrifice when we partake of the Lord’s Supper.  But those who continue in their belief regarding animal sacrifices at the Temple have no right to partake of the Lord’s Supper.  Only those who are willing to really and truly follow the Lord Jesus, and to suffer His reproach, only they are qualified to partake of the heavenly altar, the Lord’s Supper.  

A part of going “forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” involves separation from those within the camp.  The camp is synonymous with Israel.  There is a departure that must take place in order to embrace Christ.  It involves leaving the camp, leaving Israel, leaving Judaism behind, and being willing to suffer for it at the hands of the Jews who continue their sacrificial offerings that do nothing.  It is merely ritual.  Christ is outside the ritual, outside the traditions, separated from all the symbolism, and superior to everything the Jews have ever believed in the Old Testament.  To be saved, they must leave the old and follow Jesus.  They will be hated for it.

But the overriding reason for such a departure from how it has always been done, is faith.  The author is demanding that the Jews forsake the old ways, to be willing to suffer for the name of Christ, because like Abraham, they believe Jerusalem and the nation of Israel is not their final destiny.  There is a world to come, a Heavenly Jerusalem, a heavenly kingdom with a heavenly King.  That King is Jesus Christ, and He will one day establish His Kingdom and His heavenly city.

Many people associate our future life in the heavenly city to come with life as it was in the Garden of Eden.  There will be some similarity.  For instance, there will be no sin there.  That’s about it for the similarities.  How will the New Jerusalem be different from the Garden of Eden?

First, Heaven will be a different creation from Eden which does not require the sun or the moon for light because God Himself will be the light there.  There is no passage of day and night because it will never be night there.  At least one hymn refers to our heavenly life as the eternal day.

Second, unlike Eden, thankfully Heaven will have many inhabitants, not just two.  It will be filled with multitudes of people from every tongue and tribe and people and nation.

Third, unlike Eden, Heaven will be filled with former sinners who have been redeemed by God from condemnation.  These are people who were not holy, but have been made holy permanently.  Eden contained holy people who fell into sin and condemnation.  That is not possible in Heaven.  There is neither the inclination to sin or the temptation to sin in Heaven.

Fourthly, there is no threat of death in Heaven.  In Eden, Adam was told he would die if he ate the forbidden fruit.  But in Heaven, we experience eternal life because of the sacrifice of Christ for our sakes. 

Fifthly, Jesus Christ is there as one of us.  He is a man, and He is God.  He is the Son of God, and He is our brother.  And we will see Him as He is, not through a glass darkly.  He is our perfect and perpetual Mediator to God on our behalf.

Turn to Revelation 21.  Here is John’s description of the New Jerusalem:

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 21:22-22:5, NKJV).

Heaven is infinitely superior to Eden.  Adam and Eve enjoyed temporary innocence in a dangerous place.  We will enjoy eternal forgiveness where sin and sorrow cannot exist.  Satan and all of the enemies of God will be destroyed.  Even Death will be no more.  Can you imagine being in a place where it will be said there is no such thing as death?  Where no one ever experiences temptation to sin?  Where everyone loves God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength unceasingly?  And they love you just as they love themselves, and vice versa?  

The city itself is described in terms that are hard to comprehend.  In chapter 21 we read this:

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. [Marginal note says this is equal to about 1,380 miles in all]  Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (Revelation 21:9-21, NKJV).

How can the Bride of Christ be a city?  Because a city is comprised, not of buildings, but of people.  Our new relationship to Christ is like that of a man and wife, and God hates divorce.  That’s a good thing because He is going to transform His Church into a spotless Bride, without spot or wrinkle.  We will be beautiful, we will be loved, and we will love for eternity.

That is just a small glimpse of what the followers of Christ have to look forward to.  Hebrews tells us it was for the joy that was set before the Lord Jesus that He endured the cross.  And for that same joy, we must be willing to bear His reproach, forsake the world, and be His disciples.  This is the city to come which the Christian seeks.  This is what is worth everything.  

But that future life comes at the expense of reproach in this life.  We cannot love this world and God at the same time.  We cannot follow the vain philosophies of this world and follow Christ at the same time.  We cannot hold to empty religious traditions and be followers of the Lord Jesus.  We cannot love anything more than Him, and we must be willing to suffer anything for Him.  That is reproach.  Jesus put it this way: 

“18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 "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. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. (John 15:18-21, NKJV).

So let’s get on with it.  “Let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.  For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”