Bear the Reproach of Our Redeemer
Jesus endured the reproach of the world. He died as a laughingstock in the eyes of the world. As Christ-followers, we must do the same. Let us bear the reproach of our Redeemer.
Hebrews 13:10-15 speaks on the Christian's necessary sacrifices. We are to be hospitable, loving, faithful, and respectful in our conduct. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He is the one eternally trustworthy for us to imitate. We are not to be led astray by the shiny objects in false teachings. Instead, we must run to the life-giving life of men in Jesus Christ.
The writer compares Christ to the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. The law forbade the priests from eating the lambs slain on the Day of Atonement. Other sacrifices throughout the year were free game for the priests to enjoy and consume. This offering was different. They burned this sacrifice outside the city as a representation. The sins of the Jews were "placed" on the sacrifice, so they could not consume it. They desired God to cleanse their iniquities, so they destroyed it.
Jesus died on the cross outside the city of Jerusalem. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He died to sanctify us through his blood. He died to make us holy through the holes in his arms, feet, and side.
Being treated like a sacrifice and dying outside the camp was a shameful death. He died as a criminal. He endured the reproach of man, reviled, forsaken by his brethren. The people treated him like an annoyance rather than the Anointed.
Do you not think the author would tell us to avoid this treatment? No. He tells us to go to him outside the gate. We are to go where Jesus suffered and died, to the cross, so we may receive the Atonement. We do not travel to present-day Jerusalem and Golgotha. We are to go and bear the reproach he endured. We must bear the reproach of the redeemer.
How do we bear the reproach of the Redeemer?
Give a Sacrifice of Praise
The writer responds with an exhortation. “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise” (15). This is not a literal sacrifice, but it is the verbal praise of God’s name. The Psalms repeat this concept. We dignify God with the praise worthy of His character. We do things that please God. We must partake in the altar of Christ. We do not have to sacrifice animals for our sins. They could never forgive sins, but they represented the need for our forgiveness. Jesus came as the Representative Redeemer. He stood in our place, representing us. He died a real death to absorb our wrath and heal us by his wounds.
He is worthy of our praise. “Whatever we do, in word or in deed, we must do for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). This includes extolling God’s name. His name is “great and greatly to be praised.” We bear the reproach by giving a sacrifice of praise. Jesus glorified God the Father in His death, praising the name YHWH. We must glorify God by giving a sacrifice of praise.
Sacrifice Our Praise
We cannot only give God the praise, but we must also sacrifice our praise. We must decrease so He may increase. If we are to bear the reproach of the Redeemer, we must lay our praise at the altar of God. Jesus chose not to praise Himself in His final hours. He sacrificed the praise of man to gain the praise of God. He stated his authority to call legions of angels to his aid, but he did not. Instead, he permitted his suffering to provide a path to salvation. If we go to Jesus to bear the reproach, then we must be willing to lay down any idea that we will be pleasing to the world. Unless the Lord opens their eyes, the aroma of Christ will be a stench to their nostrils. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our sins. He took the punishment we deserved. The world rejected him. We must not look to our own interests, but we must sacrifice our praise. We must empty ourselves to suffer for Christ. We must bear the reproach he endured. We must respond to the opposition of the world in the same manner as he did. “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2). He endured the hardship for the joy set before him- the joy of fulfilling the will of God for His praise, not Jesus’ own. We must sacrifice our praise in the same way.
Anticipate the City to Come
How can we bear the reproach? We do not bear it on our own but with the hope of the city to come. The writer says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” We are sojourners, temporary residents in this world. Above all else, we are citizens of God’s kingdom who are not there yet. Jesus went to the cross with the “joy set before him.” What was the joy but that of His conquering of death and sin? After his death and resurrection, the Father bestowed on him “the name above every name.” He endured physical and mental suffering in his death, but he also trusted in the new heaven and new earth to come. We must be like Christ, anticipating His reign and rule as new creations in the new Creation. We must live in ambitious anticipation. We do not live apathetically waiting for Christ’s return. We live an active life glorifying Him. We anticipate his coming with joy while we live under the rule and reign through the Holy Spirit in the present.
We bear the reproach of our redeemer as we anticipate the city to come. This is a city where the Redeemer rules over the Redeemed. He died outside the camp, in sin and shame, so we may come to him. We must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. Jesus endured the reproach of the world. As Christ-followers, we do the same. Let us bear the reproach of our Redeemer.