John the Baptist, Part 2

This is a little long, but it is very important.

Of all the gospel accounts, John 1:19-31, 3:22-36 vividly portrays the role of John the Baptist and lines up with Numbers 8:7-8. He is purifying and baptizing people in his role as the forerunner to Christ.

We should note that John the Baptist was born a Levite, so he is already a priest. Luke 1:5-25 We cannot miss the importance of Numbers 8:7-8. All priests were to be purified before service in the temple in the presence of God. The purification was by washing with water. This is the origin of Christian baptism today. Immediately after purification, they were to sacrifice a sin offering and a grain offering. Only the priests were purified in this manner when they prepared for temple service in the presence of God.

Jesus was born of the royal line. He was not born a priest in the line of the Levites. Thus, John the Baptist, in his role as the priest, baptizes Jesus. Matthew 3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus Christ is a symbol of purification and preparation for service as a priest in the temple in the presence of God. Essentially, John the Baptist is making Christ a priest here. Thus, Jesus Christ serves a dual role of priest and king. Genesis 14:18, Hebrews chapter 7, Hebrews 9:11-14, Revelation 1:5

This dual role was facilitated by John the Baptist, and it is in the office of the priest that Jesus Christ made the perfect sacrifice on the cross after having been baptized (purified) into temple service. In other words, for the sacrifice to be effective, purification and baptism by John the Baptist was necessary. This is why he is elevated to such high importance.

Thus, Christian baptism is rooted in Numbers 8:7-8 and 1 Peter 3:21. There is to be no dirt on the flesh through the purifying water. The new covenant instituted by Christ transforms the ritual of outward cleansing into a cleansing of the heart. Baptism symbolizes a death – death to dirt, sin and the stains of sin. Think of this death as what happens to the dirt in the shower. We put the dirt on our bodies to death by washing our bodies with soap and running the dirt down the drain. It is no more.

In baptism, it is a symbol of our sin and the grip of original sin dying, while we are raised to new life in Christ. [Once our sin is dead, we can only sin again by assigning life to the old flesh. Thus, I cannot understand any teaching that we continue to sin while remaining pure. A heart which chooses to sin is not pure and is in need of cleansing, perfection and continued purification.]

Today, we are all priests, and we are all baptized to signify our purification in preparation for service in the temple of God. Yes, and even our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and must be pure. 1 Corinthians 6:19 The purification is a setting apart for service and separating from sin. Numbers 8:14

We are a holy priesthood. Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 61:6, 1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6

The temple is in heaven, and what Moses constructed was a copy or pattern of what God revealed to him from heaven. Exodus 25:9, Acts 7:44, Hebrews 8:5 Jesus returned to heaven after the cross to cleanse the sin in heaven. He is seated on the throne as a ready sacrifice for sin. Revelation 5:6 Just as there was sin in the temple of heaven, there is also sin in our hearts, which spiritually is the temple of God. As the temple required cleansing (the heavenly temple and the earthly temple (Matthew 21:12-17)), so our bodies, physical and spiritual, require cleansing.

The new covenant, which was facilitated by John the Baptist, marks a shift in the temple of God. No longer was the temple to be a physical, outward emblem of worship. With the ushering in of the new covenant, we are all priests in the temple of God, and our bodies represent the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19 The whole system of worship of God, purification for service, and cleansing is now all spiritual and inward, not physical or outward.

Thus, from the beginning, a sacrifice for sin was taught. Genesis 3:21, Genesis 4:4, Exodus 12:13, Hebrews 11:4

From the beginning, worship of God was taught. Genesis 1:1, 4:3-4, Exodus 20:2-6, Leviticus 10:1-3, Isaiah 6:1-7, Matthew 4:10

From the beginning, obedience of God was required. Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:16-17, Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:36-40

From the beginning, blamelessness or Christian perfection was required. Genesis 17:1, Exodus 28:36-38, Deuteronomy 18:13, Leviticus 10:1-3, 16:1-14, Leviticus 21:6,8,17, Ephesians 1:4

Where once outward cleansing of impurity was required, because the temple was outward and physical (leprosy, handling dead bodies, and various other impurities), the new covenant requires inward cleansing of inward impurities. In other words, we cannot come into the presence of God dripping with sin, just like a person with leprosy or various other impurities could not enter the temple. There must be an inward purification, just as there had been an outward purification. The purpose for outward cleansing of the various impurities was for our instruction and an aid to understanding. Christ spiritualized the law and obedience to God (e.g., Sermon on the Mount), and the Old Testament impurities represent the sin in our hearts. We cannot have impurity in our hearts and serve in the temple in the presence of God.

Jesus foretold that the temple would be destroyed and raised up again. John 2:19 By this, He signified a spiritual (not literal) raising up of the temple within each priest or believer. It was also a return of the temple into heaven. The physical representation of the temple which is in heaven would no longer be necessary once Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was completed. In Luke 22:20, Jesus described the new covenant in which we will partake of the spiritual blood of His sacrifice, putting an end to the sacrificial system in the physical temple. Thus, we are all able to enter into the spiritual holy place because we are all priests and have been purified. Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 10:19-25 We now worship God in spirit and truth, not through a physical representation. John 4:23-24, Philippians 3:3 God has always been spirit, but physical representations were necessary for our instruction. 1 Corinthians 10:11-12

[We are in the middle of the series on dispensationalism, and I am inserting this paragraph to connect the previous paragraph with the teachings of dispensationalism. The New Testament makes it plain that a physical temple is no longer required because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. There is no prophecy in Scripture that the new covenant will be terminated and the original law of Moses restored. Any such teaching completely undermines the role of John the Baptist, the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, and the priesthood of all believers.]

John the Baptist came as the messenger or forerunner to mark a new requirement that we all be purified as priests who would be serving in the temple, that being the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist was preparing us for this service and preparing us through the purification of repentance to receive the new covenant. Remember, when you were baptized, you were purified as a priest, descendants of the Levites, walking in the footsteps of Aaron, and prepared for service in the holy temple of God.