Lesson 18 – Result of suffering – identification
Hebrews 13:11-15 (ESV)
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

One more very important result of our suffering is that we identify ourselves with Christ Jesus. His entire life here on earth was one of sacrifice. He left the splendors and glory of Heaven to live here on earth for those years – from perfect light to darkest night at the best of times; and from eternal life in sinless perfection to being made sin for us at the worst of His death.


When we shrug off the pleasures and comforts of this world and intentionally choose the suffering that comes when we openly place ourselves with Jesus, we can be sure that the suffering will come because God’s greatest enemy, Satan, will do all he can to lure or chase us from Jesus’ side. Jesus receives glory when we choose to stand with Him, and the evil one will do all he can to dim that glory through us.

In the verses above, Jesus as the sacrifice for our sin was banished from the community of those who rejected Him. We cannot stay in this world’s community and still bring glory to Him, for He is not to be found in the associations of this world – He stands “outside the camp” and calls for us to join Him there.

We still live in this world, still work here, have families here, learn and serve, teach and minister – but we do so from a position of standing with Him outside the camp.

*How does Jesus’ suffering for you, and knowing He understands, encourage you as you suffer?
*What event in Scripture comes closest to your experiences of suffering, and how are you helped by this?