The Law’s Final Act

What was John’s baptism? I’m talking about John the Baptist and the baptism that he was instructed by God to baptize with (Acts 1:33). John’s baptism was in fact the final act of the old testament law, to make the way for Jesus to take over and to be at center stage. Jesus clarified that John’s baptism was of the law by saying that he came to fulfill the law, and by telling John that was the reason that he came to him to be baptized (Mat. 5:17; Mat. 3:15). The entire purpose of the old testament law was to bring Israel to Christ, so that they could be justified by faith in Jesus (Gal. 3:24). All of the ceremonial worship and works of the law symbolized what Jesus was going to establish after a spiritual order (Heb. 10:1). John’s baptism was no different, and in fact it was the ONLY ceremonial work of the law that came with verbal confirmation from the prophet that it indeed WAS all about something that Jesus was going to bring to pass spiritually: “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost” (Mk. 1:8). Now John’s baptism was not the end of the law and the beginning of the new covenant, but it WAS the last statement made BY the law about Jesus and what he would establish for the spiritual order of the new testament. The covenants did not change until Jesus fulfilled EVERYTHING in the law, which included becoming both the slain sacrifice for sin AND the high priest who offered that sacrifice. We know that Jesus died as that lamb of God here on earth on the cross of Calvary, but he did not act as the high priest and OFFER himself until he went back to heaven before God: “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law” (Heb. 8:1-4). To make the point even more effectively we have this: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others… but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared [in heaven] to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:24-26; Heb. 1:3).

It is evident that Jesus entered “into heaven itself” when he ascended into heaven in the sight of his followers in Acts chapter 1, and Hebrews 9:12 makes it clear that he did not enter heaven before that. Now going back to John’s baptism it’s very interesting to note what Jesus said to his followers just before he ascended to heaven to make this offering for sin: “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:4,5). We need also realize that John’s baptism was another old testament form of remission of sins, like the sin offerings given earlier in the law; though it could not literally take away sin any more than could “the blood of bulls and of goats” (Mk. 1:4,5; Heb. 10:4). Once again, why did Jesus go back to the heavenly tabernacle and offer himself? “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us” (Heb. 10:12,15). Did you catch that last part of that passage? That’s the key to understanding what John’s baptism was about, and why it was the final act of the law that pointed to Jesus. John’s baptism was God’s update of the entire ceremonial law, that both showed WHAT Jesus was going to do, and HOW he would take sin out of the heart and conscience of those who truly believe (Heb. 9:13,14; Acts 15:8,9; Acts 10:44-46). The reason that Jesus told his followers to wait for the promised baptism of the holy Ghost before he ascended, was because it was the entire reason that he came, even as John had said. When Jesus offered himself in heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, he began baptizing honest hearts and souls with the holy Ghost, beginning with the approximate 120 at Pentecost, several days after he ascended. Baptizing with the holy Ghost is the work of the office of his priesthood in heaven, and it is the ONLY remission of sins that has ever existed under the new testament, and in fact it IS the new testament, or covenant (Heb. 10:14-16). This is why Jesus not only couldn’t be a priest on earth, but also why he did not baptize anyone when he was here (Jn. 4:2).Both involve the same thing.

Jesus’ baptism of the Spirit is the only act in the history of existence that constitutes a true and literal washing away of the sinful nature from the heart and soul (I Cor. 6:11; Tit. 3:5). The entire law typified it in one way or the other, but John’s baptism brought it up close and personal in real time, as Jesus was introduced to Israel. Because Jesus fulfilled the law, and because he has provided a true remission of sins that nothing in the law could give, we do not continue with the ceremonies of the law that only symbolized and typified what Jesus would establish by his death and resurrection. The apostle Paul put it in no uncertain terms: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). So who is it that truly believes on Jesus? Let’s allow him to answer that for us: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive]” (Jn. 7:38,39). There is no such thing in the Bible as ‘receiving the holy Ghost’ before being 'baptized’ with the Spirit with the accompanying sign of speaking in other tongues, as it was in the beginning (Acts 2:4). The law is fulfilled and there are no more symbols or ceremonies that remain for those who truly believe and put all of their confidence in Jesus and what he provided for us to enable us to be free from sin (Jn. 4:23,24; Philip. 3:3). To continue with water baptism today is the same thing as continuing to have an earthly priest offer animal sacrifices for us. Continuing to observe water baptism today is like a parent reading 'Golden Books’ to a grown child who has just graduated from law school. Golden Books were great when the offspring was a child, to start them on the way to where they were eventually going to get to; but now it’s time for them to practice law, not go back to childhood. The old testament law was not only great, it was the ONLY thing that was of God in the world for those who were being eventually led to Jesus; but now it’s all about JESUS, not the law! “Now the Lord IS THAT SPIRIT: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Cor. 3:17). Make no mistake about that liberty my friend; for the Spirit of God sets us at liberty not only from sin, but from the law that was given for those who were UNDER sin, and had no way out of it (Rom. 7:6). To observe the ceremonies of the law is to put one’s self in the position of having to be under sin, for one must go backward from the leading of God’s Spirit to do the ceremonial works of the law (Rom. 3:19,20; Gal. 5:18). As the apostle Paul said so clearly: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage… Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law” (Gal. 1:4). I don’t know about you, but I love the ‘effect’ of the Spirit of Christ in my heart and soul, and I don’t intend to dilute that for the honor of any dead and buried ceremony. Amen.