Bible Question:
What were John the Baptist's legal Jewish credentials to baptize the Savior? We know that he was the son of the High Priest Zacharias. Shouldn't John have been ministering as High Priest, in the Holy Place of the temple, as opposed to baptizing the Savior in the wilderness? John the Baptist apparently trashed his fine religious robes to wear a poor man's garb of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. Shouldn't Jesus have been baptized by John at the temple? |
Bible Answer: BAPTISM The immersion or dipping of a believer in water symbolizing the complete renewal and change in the believer’s life and testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the way of salvation. Jewish Background As with most Christian practices and beliefs, the background of baptism lies in practices of the Jewish community. The Greek word baptizo, “immerse, dip, submerge” is used metaphorically in Isaiah 21:4 to mean, “go down, perish” and in 2 Kings 5:14 for Naaman’s dipping in the Jordan River seven times for cleansing from his skin disease. The radical Qumran sect which produced the Dead Sea Scrolls attempted to cleanse Judaism. The sect laid great emphasis on purity and purifying rites. These rites normally involved immersion, though the term baptizo does not seem to appear in their writings. It is quite possible that such a rite was used to initiate members into the community. Along with the rite, the Essenes at Qumran emphasized repentance and submission to God’s will. At some point close to the time of Jesus, Judaism began a heavy emphasis on ritual washings to cleanse from impurity. This goes back to priestly baths prior to offering sacrifices (Lev. 16:4,24). Probably shortly prior to the time of Jesus or contemporary with Him, Jews began baptizing Gentile converts, though circumcision still remained the primary entrance rite into Judaism. John’s Baptism John the Baptist immersed repentant sinners: those who had a change of mind and heart (John 1:6,11). John’s baptism—for Jews and Gentiles—involved the same elements later interpreted in Christian baptism: repentance, confession, evidence of changed lives, coming judgment, and the coming of the kingdom of God through the Messiah, who would baptize with the Spirit and with fire (Matt. 3:11). John thus formed a purified community waiting for God’s great salvation. Jesus’ Baptism John also baptized Jesus, who never sinned (Matt. 3:13-17; John 1:13-16). Jesus said that His own baptism was to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). Thus Jesus acknowledged that the standard of life John demanded was correct for Himself and for His followers. In this way He was able to identify with sinful mankind and to be a model for others to follow. In this way Jesus affirmed John and his message. The coming of the Spirit and the voice from heaven showed that Jesus represented another point in God’s revelation of Himself and formed the connection between baptism and Christ’s act of redemption. Holman Bible Dictionary— |