Stepping out of the Comfort Zone 15

This week we wish to begin a discussion on the Christian ritual of Baptism and where its roots begin in Jewish Culture.

The beginning of the Jewish faith wasn’t started until the entire family of Jacob was removed from Slavery out of Egypt. When Adonai came down and gave the people of Israel his laws at Mount Sinai. On must keep in mind that Moses’ wife as well of many of the wife’s of Jacobs children were a diverse group. For instance Joseph married and Egyptian women, Moses wife was the daughter of a Priest from a different culture; it is told that many of the other wife’s of Jacobs Sons were Canaanites.

So how did it all begin for the people of Israel, Exodus 19:10 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes”. The Jewish traditional understanding of this verse is that the people of Israel were immersed in water. It is not important if you believe this or not the important point is that the Jewish people were required to cleanse themselves before entering the Temple grounds period. To the Jewish believer they would have understood this as being part of the rich tradition of ones acceptance of the Torah that their forefathers took part in at Mt. Sinai.

So why is John the Baptist out baptizing people, what was he doing and why? Well this was a time when Adonai had left the presentence of his people for several hundreds of years. Adonai had kept his silence and left his people go about their business alone, without his directions. It was obvious from reading scripture he was at a point where he was allowing them to suffer at their own hands for as many put it their failure to comply with Torah Laws (Written) and not what mans interpretations were Talmud (Oral).

So just what was John out doing?, he was trying to bring the people of Israel back to the Torah, in his baptisms his attempt was to instill in the people a rededication to Adonai and his Torah. Which is why when Jesus came to him to be baptized John complained he wasn’t worthy of baptizing him, that Jesus was the Messiah and John was not worthy of the position of baptizing the Messiah found in Matthew 3:13-18. It wasn’t until Jesus told him in order to fulfill the prophets did John consent to do so.
The bottom line is no matter how we try to envision baptism or justify its meaning, if you fail to understand it’s meaning to the Jewish people, and why it was so significant for Jesus to be baptized. Even though Jesus is the Messiah and the Living Torah he has established and confirmed a need for the Jewish followers to recommit themselves to the Torah and the Mitzvoth contained within.

The Jewish culture and tradition during the Thousands of years before Jesus, any person who married outside of the Faith, would have been converted to Judaism in a ceremony called a Mikvah. Although the Bible doesn’t give details about these being performed it would have surly been obvious to its Jewish readers. It would be like me telling you my friend Kevin received his Doctorate in History. It is surly obvious and understood that Kevin wrote a Thesis and defended it.

So the next time you are attending a baptism or your Pastor does a service to rededicating your baptism understand that its true meaning is you are converting your self to following the Torah and the Mitzvah contained therein.


The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.