¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³ So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

The death and burial places of Christ have been disputed by various traditions. According to some (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic and other traditions), the location of both is where the present day Church of the Holy Sepulcher sits. However, this has been disputed because that site is situated inside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem—and according to our verse today, Jesus was crucified outside of the city of Jerusalem on a large mound, called by all four gospel accounts, “Place of the Skull.” Old traditionalists counter that at the time of Jesus’ death, the walled city of Jerusalem defined a smaller area and that location was indeed outside the walls at that time.

The alternate tradition places both the crucifixion and the burial outside what is now known to be the walls of the old city. In fact, the specific location for the crucifixion is identified with a place overlooking a bustling thoroughfare with a bus depot at its base. Indeed, the mound looks like a skull! Likewise the alternate location for the tomb, called today the “Garden Tomb,” was suggested in the 1800s and located outside the city walls as well. The acceptance of this tradition has grown. Ultimately we cannot know for sure and leave the debates up to the scholars.

The idea that the location of such a hallowed event as the death of Christ being now used as a bus depot and a busy thoroughfare without much thought of the location’s eternal significance seems offensive to the spiritually sensitive mind. However, the present day situation was probably not much different than in ancient times. The Romans always chose public, well-travelled places to display their crucifixions. Such community viewable executions served as a deterrent, a graphic demonstration to any who would defy Rome that such efforts were futile. Keep in mind, Christ’s formal charge of death was as “King of the Jews” which was an affront to Roman sovereignty.

Today, we live daily a crucified life, and we do so in public as well as private. As we walk through our lives, people around us are oblivious to the sanctity of Christ living in us, that we are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Even we are ridiculed for being followers of Christ. As believers, we have joined Christ, as it were, outside the camp. As we live the crucified life, we join Him in bearing “His reproach.” He suffered ignoble suffering and death, and we accept that as central to following Him.

Lord, I accept the reproach of living the crucified life with You outside the camp.