What should we do if our relationship with others is adversely impacted by our relationship with God
May 23, 2011
The Base for Grace - part forty in a study of the book of Hebrews
By Mike Gaudet
What should we if do our relationship with others is adversely impacted by our relationship with God?
“The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:11-14
In ancient Judaism, the “blood of animals” was used to take away the penalty of unintentional sin.
Blood is the divinely ordained means by which sinful men and women receive spiritual life. This lifeblood is “given” by God, not taken by Him.
We mistakenly view the practice of animal sacrifice as divine punishment. While there is no sidestepping the grisliness of the practice, it’s also true that these animals were not beaten and tortured. They were quickly and efficiently drained of that which carries life . . . blood.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” Leviticus 17:11
At the cross God gave blood in order to take away sin. Jesus is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 God provided the blood of His Son in order to give everlasting life to sinful human beings.
Once the animals being sacrificed were drained of their life-giving fluid, their “bodies” were “burned outside the camp.” Similarly, “Jesus also suffered outside the city gate.” Golgotha, the place where Christ was crucified, lies outside the city limits of Jerusalem. Jewish law did not permit executions and burials within the city limits.
Jesus was led outside the city of Jerusalem amidst the jeers of those who only days earlier had welcomed Him into the city with palm branches. Palm branches were symbols of political liberation. Because Jesus failed to be the political messiah His countrymen hoped He would be, Palm Sunday turned into Good Friday in less than a week.
One of the difficult aspects of following Christ is that He calls His followers to “go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” For first century Jews, being baptized into the Christian faith was an act of political and familial rebellion. Because Israel was a theocracy in which there was no difference between church and state, becoming a Christian meant becoming a criminal.
While this dynamic still exists in some parts of the world (Islamic states), most of us are spared this level of ostracism. Even so, following Jesus can still lead us outside the confines of comfortable religious involvement. Attempts to bring views into line with Christ’s teachings can catalyze conflicts in churches and homes that are deeply painful. At times like these it is helpful to remember that “here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
Whereas the high priest carried the blood into the Jerusalem temple, Jesus “did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one.” Rather, Jesus “entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”
Animal sacrifice enabled the high priest to enter a “man-made sanctuary.”
Jesus’ sacrifice enables all who believe in Him to enter “heaven itself.”
There is a story about a missionary from a foreign field who was sailing to the United States to retire. The President of the United States was aboard the same ship. While docking, a large cheering crowd had gathered to greet the President, while the missionary slipped off with no fanfare. He had affected many lives but no one seemed to notice his homecoming. In his heart, he began to wonder if his work had all been worth it. This thought came to Him from above, “But my child, you’re not home yet!”
Christ sometimes calls us to “go to him outside the camp.” Moving toward Him can mean moving away from relationships that have been comfortable and meaningful.
When you follow Christ and find yourself on the outside of social circles, remember . . .
. . . you’re not home yet.