Baptism
The word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo which means to make fully wet or to cover wholly with a fluid. It originated in the ancient city of Tyre which was known for it’s brightly colored fabrics and clothing. A piece of cloth was soaked (baptized) in a large vat containing dye until the cloth took on the color of the dye.
The Hebrew equivalent of baptism is tevilah - to immerse in water.
Leviticus 17:15, 16
“When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”
Tevilah was a ceremonial immersion in water which symbolized a change of status. In many of the Levitical laws this change of status meant going from a state of being unclean to a state of being clean. And in the process one would have to set themselves apart to God in preparation to receive the cleansing.
Mark 1:2-4
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John the Baptist (or in Hebrew - Jochanan haMatvil - John the Immerser) prepared the way for Jesus. He preached a baptism of repentance - an inward reflection or examination accompanied by a desire to change one’s status from a state of being spiritually unclean to a state of being spiritually clean. The immersion in water and the changing of status was done in order to set oneself apart to God and to prepare oneself to receive Jesus - the Christ - the Messiah.
In order for you and I to receive Jesus as our Savior we too must undergo an inward reflection and examination, a repentance, a desire to change our spiritual status. We must set ourselves apart to God and prepare ourselves to receive Jesus and have Him come into our hearts and into our lives.
The concept of baptism, or tevilah, goes all the way back to the time of Moses and was an integral part of everyday Hebrew life. John’s baptism of repentance was nothing new to the Jewish people which is why the Pharisees did not ask John “What are you doing?”, but rather “Why are you doing it?”…
John 1:24-27
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
Mark 1:8
“I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
According to Hebrew thought water is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. John was a shadow of things to come and he immersed in water - Jesus is the fulfillment and He immerses in the Holy Spirit.
So…
Have you had an inward examination, a repentance, a change of status?
Have you set yourself apart to God?
Has the way been prepared for you to receive Jesus?
Have you been immersed in the Holy Spirit?
Baptism
Hebrew baptism (or tevilah) symbolized a change of status from a state of being unclean to a state of being clean.
Exodus 40:12,13
“Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.”
Tevilah also symbolized another kind of change of status. When a Levite became a priest he too underwent a ceremonial immersion in water which symbolized his change of status from Levite to priest.
Numbers 4:1-3
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.”
Luke 3:21-23a
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age,
Before a Levite could become a priest he had to be at least 30 years old. When Jesus was baptized by John He was not changing His status from being unclean to clean (Jesus was already clean) but rather He was changing His status to Priest, He was fulfilling the Law - the law of the priest…
Matthew 3:13-15
Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
There was another change of status symbolized by an immersion in water. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go behind the veil of the Temple into the Holy of Holies to offer up the blood of a bull and the blood of a ram to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16). But before going behind the veil he would immerse himself in water and put on the white linen garments.
There was another change of status symbolized by an immersion in water. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go behind the veil of the Temple into the Holy of Holies to offer up the blood of a bull and the blood of a ram to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16). But before going behind the veil he would immerse himself in water and put on the white linen garments.
Leviticus 16:4
“He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.”
At this point the high priest was in a special state of purity which allowed him to go behind the veil and come into the presence of the Almighty. And if anyone touched him, even another priest, he would become unclean and the atonement for the sins of the people would become invalid.
John 20:17a
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father;”
After Jesus rose from the dead but before He ascended into heaven He was in this special state of purity which is why He told Mary not to touch Him. Jesus was now our High Priest and was once again fulfilling the Law - the law of the high priest.
As a result of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross He changed His status to that of High Priest and He was about to ascend into heaven and come into the presence of the Almighty. He would not offer up the blood of a bull or the blood of a ram however, but instead He would offer up His own innocent blood to atone for the sins of all people.
Revelation 5:9, 10
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
And because of what Jesus has done for you and for me we too have become priests - able to freely come into the presence of the Almighty and minister before Him.
And because of what Jesus has done for you and for me we too have become priests - able to freely come into the presence of the Almighty and minister before Him.
So…
Have you been baptized into the priesthood?
Have you been in the presence of the Almighty?
Baptism
Hebrew baptism (or tevilah) symbolizes a change of status…
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
According to Hebrew thought immersion in water also symbolizes going back into the womb and being born again. And it is this rebirth experience which Jesus is referring to in His conversation with Nicodemus.
You and I must be born anew - born of the Spirit (symbolized by tevilah, by immersion in water) if we are to see and enter the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 12:40
“for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Luke 12:50
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”
According to Hebrew thought tevilah also symbolizes death and resurrection. When you and I are immersed into the water we go under the water and die but we come up out of the water resurrected to new life.
Jesus was baptized - immersed into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights and then He was resurrected - raised up from the dead to new life never to die again…
John 10:17, 18
“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Revelation 1:17, 18
Revelation 1:17, 18
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
John 6:40
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,”
The day is coming when you and I will also be resurrected to new life never to die again.
Baptism then is more than an act of obedience or a public profession of our faith…
Baptism then is more than an act of obedience or a public profession of our faith…
It is an inward reflection and examination.
It is setting ourselves apart to God.
It is a repentance.
It is a desire to change our status from being unclean to clean.
It is preparing our hearts to receive Jesus, our Redeemer.
It is being immersed in the Holy Spirit.
It is a change of status where we become priests ministering before God.
It is going back into the womb and being born again, born of the Spirit.
It is a death to our flesh and a resurrection to new life in the Spirit.
So…
Have you been immersed?
