Subject: Did John really baptise Jesus?? |
Bible Note: Shalom Doc, Circumcision was an external sign on the flesh only and also done without the person's desire for it to be done. For that reason, you should not compare it with baptism, which is done at a person's request. Mikveh was indeed (and still is) performed by a person when they go through teshuvah. That is what John was calling Israel to do, to turn away from their own ways and come back to faith in the God of Israel. Here I'm a little shakey but it seems to me that John could not have been baptising in the Name prior to Messiah coming to him because until that time the "anointing" for His ministry had not yet come on Him permanently, so the "name" would not have had any power, nor had he purged mankind of sins, died and risen again and ascended to the Father. (Where I'm shakey is I'm not sure the people were being baptised in the name at all while He was still here on earth, cos like you said, it's symbolic of becoming One with Him in His death and resurrection?) |