We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13: 10-12, NKJV.
Dear God, how we love You for being not only our great High Priest, but also the Sacrifice, for our sins, and then You took it a step further, You took Your place outside the camp, to identify completely, with sinners! For all of this and much, much, more, we give You our heartfelt thanks, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ! Amen.
I marvel at how complete the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was, on our behalf! He became human like us. He died the death that should have been ours. And in the same manner in which those who were considered unclean had to go outside the camp until they were pronounced clean by the priest, in His death, He was crucified “outside the city walls.”
Sin is often compared to leprosy. During the journey of the Israelites in the desert, God gave them a list of rules to help them enjoy good health. People with infectious diseases were quarantined. The quarantine station was outside the camp: “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13: 45, 46).
Yet when Jesus met a leper during His ministry here on earth, he did not shun him. He actually reached out and touched him! Let us read the story together: “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘ “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” ‘ he said. ‘ “Be clean!” ‘ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy” (Matthew 8: 2, 3). He who was untouched by sin, was willing to be touched by our sinful humanity. He cleansed that leper of his physical leprosy that day by His touch. Then on the cross, along with all of humankind, He cleansed him of the leprosy of sin.
The woman with the 12 year flow, was in the same predicament as the leper. Because of her malady, she too, was considered unclean (Leviticus 15: 25-27). That is, until she touched Jesus: “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘ “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ‘ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering” (Mark 5: 25-29).
Dear friends, we have such a wonderful Savior! The maladies of the two persons we just mentioned, came about as a result of sin in our world. Because of his leprosy, and her flow of blood, they were both, put outside of the city, on the charge of being unclean. When Jesus was crucified, He too, was treated like a criminal and was nailed on a cross, outside of the city, to be identified with you and me, in every sense of the word! He took upon Himself your uncleanness and mine, so that through His purity, we might be identified with His righteousness, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5: 21). What “a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!” Is He your Savior and Lord? If not, will you accept Him today?
Have a Blessed Sabbath!