This past Shabbat rest, I spent my time thinking about Jesus as a Jewish Theologian. Mainly because my friend Nehemia gave me a book by that title and because I have decided that I want to understand more of the “history”
of my religion, and to develop my own “Theology” as I was once told to do.
This week my studies took me in to the drama of Messiah (Jesus/Yeshua) life. The main study is about his baptism. As we know John, called the Baptist, (though not the founder of the Baptist church) came before Jesus to proclaim the coming Messiah; to show people before Christ came how they were to live. Before baptizing people, he commanded Jews to exercise virtue, both in the set of righteousness towards each other and piety towards God. (Whiston 1998) Then they could come for baptism. Even today this is our way of doing things. We ask God to save us, to purify our lives and to make us righteous, and then we go for baptism.
So the book explores why Jesus, Son of God, yet Son of Man had to be baptized? Is it because He was a sinner? No. Jesus, himself never knew sin. However, the modern Christian church teaches that he was giving “Christians”
an example of how we are to live. This is only half true. Since Jesus never knew sin, he didn’t have to exercise virtue or turn from his “past.” The people that John had baptized prior to Jesus are our example on how we are to turn from
our ways and receive Grace. Dr. Brad Young says in his book, Jesus: The Jewish Theologian, Jesus went for baptism so that he is “identified with all humanity”; Young goes on to say that “At baptism Jesus didn’t become a child of God, rather God PRESENTED Him for the entire world to see.” (Young 1995)
So I want to move on from this very important point. God presented Jesus. We often think, “Well didn’t God present Jesus at His birth?” To this I would have once said “yes!” but today I have to say that I now know that while
he was presented to the world, it wasn’t until His ministry was ready to start that He was truly presented.
At the time of Jesus’ baptism I believe that He was submitting to the Will of the Father. So it is when we too are baptized. Many Christian churches teach that “When we are immersed in the water the old man is dying and we
are raised with Christ.” That to me is a feel-good explanation. The reason I believe this is that when we are saved, we receive Christ into our lives, we are immediately changed. The old man dies; we are immediately changed into the “New Creation/Creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 states “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (NIV). So regardless of our “baptized” state, we are new and united with Christ. Our
baptism is our “Presentation” to the body of believers and it is truly during our baptism that we are submitting ourselves to the Will of the Father.
Bibliography
Whiston, William. "Josephus: The Complete Works." In Antiquities of the Jews, by Josephus, 581. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998.
Young, Dr. Brad. Jesus: The Jewish Theologian. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
*Note to reader: Recently I challenged my friends to seek a “Shabbat Rest.” The writings here, are my observances and things that I am studying and learning during my “time of rest.” The views held here are my own observances and opinions. If you disagree, you are free to comment on this or any notes. I welcome your own observances in that we may learn and grow in faith together.
RA
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