Joanne Weil describes the time her young son asked what was the highest number she had ever counted to. She didn’t know, but she asked about his highest number. It was 5,372.
“Oh,” she said. “Why did you stop there?”
“Church was over,” he replied. (Mike and Amy Nappa, Bore No More! Group Publishing, p. 7; www.PreachingToday.com)
We are ending our study in the Book of Hebrews. I feel that this remaining section of Hebrews would be a challenge for us, since it was directed to people that struggled with persecution for believing in Jesus and tempted to return to Jewish traditions.
Our problem, when reading these verses, exploring how does their struggle relates to us. I invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 13, where we learn that trusting in Jesus is a life transforming experience.
So, stay with me and don’t count numbers!
The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish followers of Jesus, and these Christian Jews were going through some very tough times, and they needed re-assurance that following Jesus was worth it.
Foremost, the historical context of our passage must be understood and then applied to these verses.
The author is writing to a Jewish audience, and the Jewish religion has a lot of rituals, some of which include eating. During the era of the writing of this book, a Jewish person would never eat meat offered to idols or unknown meat. Neither would they offer their sacrificed meat to non-believers, especially Gentiles because it had merit and worth. By eating Jewish sacrificed meat, they were declared clean. (By the way this helps us to understand when Jesus told the people to eat of his flesh in John 6:51-58.)
In our study starting in verse 10, the author sets up an argument and then in the following verses of 11-16, he shares the main point. Believers have great spiritual benefits through Jesus: a permanent altar to use, a city to seek, and acceptable worship to God.
With that said, let’s look at these verses
Hebrews 13:10 “We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.”
The Christians watched their Jewish neighbors going to the temple in Jerusalem. There on the altar, they sacrificed a bull for penance and sin, part of the flesh went to the priests and their families, and the rest was shared with those who were faithful in the Jewish community. While their Jewish neighbors were enjoying a full table, they were being persecuted, struggling to eat any food and were given none of this meat to eat because of their faith in Christ.
As an encouragement against this oppression from their Jewish neighbors, the author of Hebrews reiterates the superiority of believing in the person of Jesus Christ.
There are a couple of words that I want to highlight and explain:
The first in verse 10 are the words “the tabernacle.” This is a reference to the Jewish center of worship.
The “tabernacle” had an altar, but verse 10 announces that those who follow Christ have a better altar. Through Christ there is a superior altar, and those who practice Jewish religious deeds cannot eat from it.
Also, in verse 10, he is writing about the fact that Christians have a permanent altar as I hope to show to you. The altar of verse 10 is based on the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. There on that altar outside of the temple, Jesus permanently paid for every sin. Every sin in thought, word or deed.
That is our superior altar. For a believer, it meant that there is no more need to rush to a priest with another bull or goat, for a transgression ever. Jesus blood paid for all our sin; past, present and future.
Under the Jewish religious system, the tabernacle and the altar accomplished nothing permanent, or eternal and importantly what was done there, could not contribute to salvation or sanctification for anyone.
Now in verses 11 and 12 the author makes a comparison between the atonement of animal sacrifice and Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
Hebrews 13:11-12 “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.”
Verse 11 is referencing the once a year Jewish ritual of atonement. The high priest would take a bull for a sacrifice for himself and a goat to sacrifice for the nation.
The difference between the atonement and a daily sin offering was that in an atonement sacrifice, the flesh was never consumed, but taken outside the city and burned as if “to banish sin” (Leviticus 16). The blood of the animal was then used as a cover for the nations sin on the altar.
In both cases, the animal and Jesus sacrifice were a reproach since they were brought “outside the gate.” Jewish culture saw anything such as treason, unfaithfulness, or an unclean act would not be allowed in the community. So, they removed the object or person “outside the camp.”
So, there are a couple of words that I want to highlight and explain:
The first words to highlight are very special. These words are Christ’s “suffered outside of the gate.” Christ’s body and the annual atonement bull were marked as a reproach of sin and put “outside” the camp.
However, the major difference in the atonement sacrifice is that it only covered unintentional sins for one year only, which brings us to…
The second word to highlight in verse 12. Notice the word “sanctify.” This word means that Christ’s sacrifice for sin purifies or “makes holy” every believer from ALL sin, intentional as well as unintentional, forever, never to be repeated again!
No alter sacrifice made people “holy.” But Jesus’ body did!
The writer continues to exhort the Christians;
Hebrews 13:13 “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”
This verse is encouraging Christians to consider the suffering Jesus went through for salvation and the truth of the gospel.
Outside the city, Jesus hung on a cross for the shame of sin. He endured ridicule and mocking while hanging on that cross, though He deserved worship and praise.
This is the point, when believers stand firm on the truth of the gospel of Christs’ death and resurrection, they should brace themselves for similar scorn from people and the world.
Now we come to the second benefit a believer has; a city to seek. Notice this in verse 14.
Hebrews 13:14 “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
No matter where we live in this world or for how long, we are temporary residents. Every believer is placed “outside the camp” positionally in Jesus Christ. We don’t belong in the world (camp) any more. A believer in Christ should never forget that we are longing for an unchanging reality grounded in God; “a city which is to come.”
Think of how easy it would have been for the first century believers to avoid the scorn associated with their devotion to the crucified Savior by abandoning their faith. Yet, the closer we align ourselves with the sufferings of Christ, we will also take up reproach and abuse, misunderstanding and persecution. (Phil 1:29, 2 Tim 3:12, 1Peter 4:12-19).
Also, the writer states that believers are to make a different sacrifice. First, we need to stand with Christ and carry His shame; bear His reproach.
Now the third benefit; believers have acceptable worship to God.
Hebrews 13:15 “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
Do you see it? “Let us CONTINUALLY offer up a sacrifice of praise” when life is hard or when life is going well.
No matter what, acknowledge Christ’s character, and recognize that He is good even when life isn’t. Now, that’s hard to do, isn’t it? God is good all the time!
I want to go back to verse 9 of this chapter. “For it is good that the heart be established by grace.”
That’s why in verse 13, the writer calls it a “sacrifice of praise.” Instead of the sacrifice of animals and religious rites, we offer God a better sacrifice when we praise and honor Him every day.
To live as such, is a sacrifice and it’s transformational, meaning we’ll find purpose, contentment and joy in all of life when we learn to worship God in this way.
After all the changes in our society, we need a reminder to praise God- continually.
Dr. Samuel Weinstein was the chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Back in 2006, he traveled to El Salvador with Heart Care International in order to provide life-saving operations for less-fortunate children. However, it would take more than his expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of 8-year-old Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez.
Dr. Weinstein and his team began operating on Francisco’s heart shortly before noon. Twelve hours later, the procedure took a deadly turn. “The surgery had been going well, everything was working great, but he was bleeding a lot and they didn’t have a lot of the medicines we would use to stop the bleeding,” Weinstein said. “After a while, they said they couldn’t give him blood because they were running out and he had a rare type.”’ In fact, Francisco’s blood type was B-negative, which—according to the American Red Cross—is present in only 2 percent of the population.
As it was, the only other person in the room with a blood type of B-negative was Dr. Weinstein. Knowing what he had to do, he stepped down from the operating table. As his colleagues continued their precision work, Dr. Weinstein set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then, in the corner of an unfamiliar operating room, the prestigious doctor from one of the most advanced hospitals in the world sat down to give away his own blood.
When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then—20 minutes after stepping away from the table—he rejoined his colleagues. After watching his own blood begin circulating into the boy’s small veins, Dr. Weinstein completed the operation that saved Francisco’s heart—and his life. (Jim Fitzgerald, “Doc Stops Surgery to Give Own Blood to Patient,” LiveScience.com, 5-26-06; www.Preaching Today.com)
The blood of that doctor saved the boy’s life. Even more so, the blood of Jesus Christ, our Great Physician, saves those who depend on Him. Now, that boy will eventually die of other causes, but those who depend on Christ will live forever in heaven.
More than that, those who depend on Christ begin to take on His character. You see Christ’s blood not only saves those who trust in Him; it sanctifies and transforms their lives, as well.
No religious rite or sacrifice in the world can do that. Our salvation results in our transformed life through Christ’s sacrifice.
Look to Christ! Reach out to Him and trust Him.
If you’ve never done that, I invite you to do that right now. Come to Christ and admit your sin. Thank Him for shedding His blood to cleanse you from all sin, and ask Him to change you. Ask Him to strengthen your heart for your life’s journey until He takes you home to heaven.
When your desire shifts from “give me” and “get me out of here” to giving thanks even in the midst of your situation, you know your life has been changed. You see, that’s what true, gospel life-transformation is all about. It’s about making those kinds of sacrifices for Jesus Christ.
Finally, the writer reminds them of others on the same journey of faith.
Hebrews 13:16 “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Unlike the sacrificial religious rituals, they are told that God is pleased with sacrificial giving. When we sacrifice our time and resources to help others, God is well pleased.
One bad consequence of religion is that it tends to make people treat others poorly. As these Jewish Christians knew all too well.
God is interested in His people expressing loving words and deeds, rather than mere external rituals performed by obligation. The text says doing “good”, and “sharing” are aspects of authentic worshipers.
Long ago a king organized a great race within his kingdom. All the young men of the kingdom participated, because the king promised a bag of gold for the winner. He put the finish line within the courtyard of his palace, and the runners took off. On their way back to the King’s palace, they were surprised to find a great pile of rocks and stones in the middle of the road. But they managed to scramble over it or run around it and eventually made it to the courtyard.
Eventually, all the runners crossed the finish line except one. However, the king still did not declare a winner. After a while, one lone runner came through the gate. He lifted a bleeding hand and said, “O King, I am sorry that I am so late. But you see, I found a pile of rocks and stones in the road, and I wounded myself in removing them. It took me a while, but Great King,” he said as he raised the other hand with a bag in it. “I found this bag of gold beneath the pile of rocks.”
The king declared, “My son, you have won the race, for he runs best who makes the way safer for those who follow.” (Bruce Thielemann, “Christus Imperator,” Preaching Today, Tape 55; www.PreachingToday.com)
Jesus cleared the way for us. He took our sin on the cross and those who believe are made right with God. This is reminder for the Jewish Christians and us. Then we are to do good and share God’s mercy and grace with others.
Mr. nice guy and goody-two shoes are biblical characters after all!
So, in conclusion, our lives are transformed when we trust in Jesus because:
- We do not need religious rituals to be right with God and for our sins to be taken away.
- We have a great eternal future to look forward to.
- God is pleased with our worship and good deeds through Christ.
- We no longer try to do good deeds to earn salvation.
- We do good deeds and worship and praise God because, we love Him and are thankful for all He has done for us.