Transcription
With that being said, why did Jesus have to be baptized? What do you mean he because he didn't have to have sins forgiven? So you think that in Jesus, the only reason why he could be baptized is if he had sins? No, no, of course not. I was just—I just wanted more understanding on why he had—because yeah, I didn't see the connection. You threw me off there. What is Acts 2:38 got to do with—because John's baptism is not the same as the baptism administered by the apostles after Christ went to heaven. But you're saying, okay, if John—not Acts 2:38, Matthew 3:11—if John, Mark 1:4, baptized people for repentance of sins, and Jesus himself is sinless, why did he get baptized? Well, number one, the text itself tells you that Jesus did not get baptized because of sin. If you read the text here, so you're going to see why. Okay, so let's go there. All right, right here, let me get the Bible up. Mato, so you have a Biblical name. I like that. What nationality are you? I am Dominican. All right, here let's go to Matthew 3:11. Let's read all the way to 17. Matthew 3:11 to 17. And I have an article on this, and I'll give it to you in a minute. Okay, let's read the context. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clear his threshing floor, and he'll gather his wheat into the barn, but he'll burn up—he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Now, number one, even before you get to the baptism scene, Mark 1, Luke 3, Matthew, I'll tell you that Jesus is not sinful because what does John say about him? He is coming after me; he's mightier than my—than me. How mighty is he in comparison to me? He is so great; I'm not worthy to carry his sandals, remove his sandals. Now, do you understand what that means? Right? Yeah. What was—who would remove the sandals of people? The servants or slaves. So he's saying he's so great, he's so majestic, he's so glorious, I'm not good enough to be a slave. Right? But then notice how great he is. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. There's not a single verse in the Old Testament where someone other than God pours out the spirit, fills people with the spirit, immerses them in the spirit. Only God does this, and yet Jesus does it. And then he does something else that the Bible says God does: He will consume you with fire, unquenchable fire. So he's basically God in the flesh; he's doing what only God does. Okay, so we got it there. Right? Yeah. Okay. And then also it says that the wheat belongs to him, meaning believers are his, and the chaff, unbelievers, he will destroy with fire, and he's going to gather them in the barn, and the barn belongs to him; that's the kingdom. So now you've already been told who Jesus is: He's God in the flesh. All right, so then look at this. Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. Now here—but John tried to prevent him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm baptizing to prepare people to receive you, and I need your baptism. I need you to immerse me and the Holy Spirit, which ironically John was already filled with the Holy Spirit. You're coming to me, so I baptize you. Now here's the answer. But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it at this time; allow it, John. There's a reason why this is happening, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Righteousness means God's righteous requirements. This is part of God's plan and God's way, and God's will is perfect and just. So it is just for me to be baptized by you. Then he permitted him, and after being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were open, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, there was a voice out of heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Could the context be any clearer? Christ is absolutely sinless, so sinless that God says he's my son and I'm pleased with him. So we got that out of the way. Right? Yeah. So why be baptized? Well, you are aware that John the Baptist is a Levitical priest, correct? Yeah. Yes. You're saying it like you're hesitating. Do you know that for sure, or no? No. Luke 1 tells you so. When you get a chance, you're going to read Zechariah, his father was a priest, and he was burning incense in the temple because the lot had fallen, and it was his turn to serve in the temple, and his mother was a daughter of Aaron. Okay, in the days of Herod, Luke 1:5, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah, Abia, and from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. So Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron; Aaron's high priest, and the priests come from Aaron's line. So what does that make John? He—he's a descendant of Aaron, so he's part of the Levitical priesthood. You got it. And that means it would have been his right to serve in the temple, but he pulled away. Right? So he didn't serve in the temple. Right? Right. Okay. So number one, he's a priest; keep that in mind. Number two, Jesus is our high priest in the order of Melchizedek. So let me show you something. I'm going to get the article up in a minute. Okay, so watch here. Notice when he begins his ministry, Luke 3:21-23. Now it happened that when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was also baptized. While he was praying, heaven was open, 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." So after his baptism, he begins his ministry. Is that a coincidence? When he began his ministry, Jesus himself was about 30 years of age, being as was supposed the son of Joseph, son of Eli. Now, did you catch it? When does he begin his ministry? After what? After baptism, and he starts it when he's around the age of 30. Right? According to the Book of Numbers, Numbers chapter 4, but we're going to look at three. Okay, Numbers 4:3, 35, 43. A priest is to begin his priestly work at the age of 30. Numbers 4:3, three, from 30 years and upward, even to 50 years old, all went into the duty of doing the work in the tabernacle meeting. So how old? 30 and up. All right. And then 50 is the limit. Numbers 4:35, from 30 years and upward, even to 50 years old, everyone entered the duty of service in the tabernacle meeting. That's a priestly duty. How old? 30 up to 50. Okay, Numbers 4:43, from 30 years and upward, even to 50 years, everyone who entered the duty of service in that meeting. Okay, Jesus is a high priest. Right? Yeah. But he's a priest in a different order. Correct? Yeah. So is it a coincidence he begins his ministry around 30, the age assigned to even Levitical priests? No. Secondly, the priests would have to be anointed for their work. For example, if you read Exodus 29 to 30, Exodus—I'll give you the article, all the details. Aaron had to have oil poured out on him; he had—he and his sons had to be washed in water before they can begin their priestly work. Are you catching it? Yeah. Anointed with oil and bathed in water before he and his sons could begin their priestly work. Right? What—what was the citation of that again? Exodus chapters 29 to 30. It's all there, and I'll give you the article; it's all there in the article, so I'll give it to you. Okay, so you caught it. Yeah. For a priest to begin his work, he's got to be around 30 years old. The high priest Aaron was anointed with oil and had to bathe, and his son's bathe to begin his priestly ministry. Right? Yeah. All right. Jesus is the high priest; he's around 30 years old, and by the way, who anointed Aaron and his sons? Moses. Right? Yeah. Moses is also a Levite; he's from the tribe of Levi. And where did the priests come from? Levi. And Moses was also a priest. I'm going to get you the article. How do I know it? Psalm 99:6. Here's the article I wrote on it, since baptism. Right? Right here, guys, this is why I say to you guys, go read the articles. Watch. 99% of your questions have been answered here. It is—this is an article I wrote over 10 years ago. Do you see it? Yeah. But here, I'm going to give it to you. I like your voice. You got like a voice that you can read the Bible or do acting. Thank you. Really deep, bro. But use it to glorify Christ. Amen. Oh, okay. Here you go, guys. Here's the link. Now, let me—guys, everything I'm saying in a nutshell is there in detail. It's right there. Go there. Let me enlarge the screen here. Now watch. Okay. Moses is a priest, and he anoints Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. Right? So notice, a priest anointed Aaron to fulfill his function of the priesthood. Right? Watch here. What is Moses? A priest. Here you go, Psalm 99:6. I'm sorry. Yeah, Psalm 99:6. Why am I here? You go, Psalm 99:6. Moses and Aaron were among his priests. We got it. Okay. Now are you seeing what's happening? John the Baptist is the legitimate high priest; he's a son of Aaron; his mother is a daughter of Aaron, and therefore he could legitimately serve as a priest in the temple. Instead, what he does is he is the Levitical priest anointing Christ for his priesthood. That's why when Jesus got washed in water, who immersed him? A priest. And then Jesus got anointed with the Holy Spirit, not with oil, because anointing with oil symbolizes being anointed with the spirit. So who came upon him to anoint him? The Holy Spirit. That's why here, Acts 10, Acts 10:37-38, but we're going to start at 36. So this was done because John was passing on the baton. He's saying the Levitical priesthood ends here, and now you usher in a new priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Okay, here, Acts 10:36-38. Everyone listening to this, or you guys going to sleep? Acts 10:36-38. As for the word, you're listening. Right, Mato? Yeah, absolutely. As for the word which he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. You yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. So the priests were anointed with oil, washed in water, and they began their ministry at 30. Jesus, the high priest, began their ministry at 30 after being washed in water and anointed with the Holy Spirit. And who anointed him? A priest, John the Baptist. And how do I know that this was symbolizing the end of the Levitical priesthood? Because Jesus says the Old Testament ends with John; it ended with him. Luke 16:16-17. It ended with him. Here it is. When did the Old Testament end? With John. The law and the prophets were until who? John. And then after John comes the good news, the gospel of the kingdom of Christ. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed; everyone is forcing his way into it, but it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. Meaning John terminates the Old Testament because now the fulfillment of the Old Testament is here: Jesus Christ. Wow, that's your answer.