E
Eucharisted
Guest
We all know that the Baptism of Jesus prefigures His death and burial, and in it He instituted the Sacrament of Baptism, but few realize the importance of His Baptism to the gentiles (non-Jews) of His time.
In Jesus’ time, there were two types of gentiles, so to speak: there were those who were not a part of Israel and there were those who believed what Israel believed but not wish to be Jews. If we could draw a picture, it would be that of a Temple, with the Jews inside, the believing gentiles standing outside, and the disbelieving gentles elsewhere entirely.
In Judaism, a person is initated into the House of Israel by way of Mikvah; this isn’t the only reason for the ritual, though. It is used for purity of men and women and cleaning of utensils, as well. Mikvah is a typo of Baptism, in that the Sacrament fulfills Mikvah. By way of Jesus’ Baptism, by Him associating Himself with sinners, by Him being plunged into the Jordan waters, Jesus fulfilled Mikvah, He instituted Baptism, He prefigured the Redemption of man by His cruel death (and this includes preaching to the righteous in Limbo and leading them into Heaven), and in so doing, He opened the door of the House of Israel for all people: no longer is there gentle or Jew, woman or man, slave or free, for all have become one in Christ: the world is one and the world is reconciled to the Father (this is why the Church is called “the world reconciled”). Jesus has literally fulfilled a Messanic prophesy in opening the way of salvation for all.
But, what is the widening of the Door, if the House is not yet pure? This isn’t to say that Judaism is impure - far from it! - but rather, there are laws and practices within Judaism which were no longer necessary, and these are the laws and practices that the Pharisees demanded of the people (dietary laws, no going out to fields on Sabbath, etc.). But these laws and practices weren’t necessary not because they were changed, nor because they were replaced, nor even because they were unfit; rather, they were no longer necessary because they had fulfilled their purpose - preparing Israel for Christ - and they were only temporal - for a certain time and place. This is readibly seen in the laws about building the Tabernacle (Tent), which was replaced by the Temple once Israel had left the desert and settled itself in the Promised Land. So the temporal laws were no longer necessary, as Israel became universalized by Jesus.
So gentiles, by Jesus’ Baptism, were allowed entry into Judaism, and they were no longer bound by the Law of Moses, for He had fulfilled the Law and freed man, He had given to men new hearts, whereby the Law was no longer necessary, for man now lives by the Holy Spirit. This, too, was a fulfillment of a Messianic prophesy.
In Jesus’ time, there were two types of gentiles, so to speak: there were those who were not a part of Israel and there were those who believed what Israel believed but not wish to be Jews. If we could draw a picture, it would be that of a Temple, with the Jews inside, the believing gentiles standing outside, and the disbelieving gentles elsewhere entirely.
In Judaism, a person is initated into the House of Israel by way of Mikvah; this isn’t the only reason for the ritual, though. It is used for purity of men and women and cleaning of utensils, as well. Mikvah is a typo of Baptism, in that the Sacrament fulfills Mikvah. By way of Jesus’ Baptism, by Him associating Himself with sinners, by Him being plunged into the Jordan waters, Jesus fulfilled Mikvah, He instituted Baptism, He prefigured the Redemption of man by His cruel death (and this includes preaching to the righteous in Limbo and leading them into Heaven), and in so doing, He opened the door of the House of Israel for all people: no longer is there gentle or Jew, woman or man, slave or free, for all have become one in Christ: the world is one and the world is reconciled to the Father (this is why the Church is called “the world reconciled”). Jesus has literally fulfilled a Messanic prophesy in opening the way of salvation for all.
But, what is the widening of the Door, if the House is not yet pure? This isn’t to say that Judaism is impure - far from it! - but rather, there are laws and practices within Judaism which were no longer necessary, and these are the laws and practices that the Pharisees demanded of the people (dietary laws, no going out to fields on Sabbath, etc.). But these laws and practices weren’t necessary not because they were changed, nor because they were replaced, nor even because they were unfit; rather, they were no longer necessary because they had fulfilled their purpose - preparing Israel for Christ - and they were only temporal - for a certain time and place. This is readibly seen in the laws about building the Tabernacle (Tent), which was replaced by the Temple once Israel had left the desert and settled itself in the Promised Land. So the temporal laws were no longer necessary, as Israel became universalized by Jesus.
So gentiles, by Jesus’ Baptism, were allowed entry into Judaism, and they were no longer bound by the Law of Moses, for He had fulfilled the Law and freed man, He had given to men new hearts, whereby the Law was no longer necessary, for man now lives by the Holy Spirit. This, too, was a fulfillment of a Messianic prophesy.