Subject 13 : The Gospel According to MATTHEW
[Chapter 21-5] The Relationship between The Work of John the Baptist and the Gospel of Atonement for Our Sins (Matthew 21:32)
(Matthew 21:32)
“For
John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe
him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it,
you did not afterward relent and believe him.”
John the Baptist Who Was Sent by God
About
John the Baptist, it is written in the Gospel of John chapter 1 verses
6-7, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came
for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might
believe.” In this passage, the Apostle John is bearing witness to the
importance of the baptism John the Baptist gave Jesus with regard to the
gospel of the salvation.
Here,
speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus says, “This man came for a witness,
to bear witness of the Light.” In this passage, He bears witness to the
fact that it was none other than John the Baptist who had passed on all
sins of the world through the baptism He received. John the Baptist
bore witness to Jesus in order “that all through him might believe.” The
Apostle John tells us that through the witnessing of John the Baptist,
all the people in the world are able to believe in the Truth which
states that Jesus has saved all sinners by the baptism He received and
the blood of the Cross.
In
other words, this passage means that if John the Baptist hadn’’t borne
witness to the salvation of the water and the Spirit, people would have
been unable to know the salvation in which Jesus has saved sinners by
His baptism and the blood of the Cross. Therefore, the faith that is not
based on the knowledge of why John the Baptist baptized Jesus is a
useless faith. Only those who have met Jesus through the gospel of the
water and the Spirit can become the possessors of the proper faith.
What Sort of Person Is John the Baptist?
At
an old age, the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, had John the
Baptist by the providence of God and sang praise, “And you, child, will
be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of
the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His
people by the remission of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). As the prophet of
the Highest, the representative of all mankind, John the Baptist passed
on all the sins of the world by performing the baptism on Jesus and
caused people to believe in Jesus by preaching this gospel through which
people can receive salvation.
It
was none other than the prophet John the Baptist who had preached the
good news to let us know that we were saved from the judgment because
the baptism of Jesus was an atonement for all our sins. God sent John
the Baptist into this world as the representative of all mankind to do
the work of passing on the sins of the people to Jesus. In Luke 1:78,
its reason is stated, “Through the tender mercy of our God, With which
the Dayspring from on high has visited us” Here, “With which” means that
all mankind has to come to see the salvation through John the Baptist,
just as the rising sun shines from above on those who had been sitting
in the darkness and in the shadow of death.
Jesus
has atoned for all the sins of humankind. In this world, who is it that
guides us to the way of peace? It is Jesus. Since John the Baptist had
passed on all our sins to Jesus through the baptism, John the Baptist
had guided us to the gospel in which the Lord has atoned for all our
sins.
Let
us find out more specifically who John the Baptist is from the
Scriptures. These are the words in Luke 1:1-14. “Inasmuch as many have
taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have
been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed
good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the
very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent
Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you
were instructed.
There
was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they
were both well advanced in years.
So
it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of
his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to
burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole
multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then
an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the
altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear
fell upon him.
But
the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is
heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call
his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice
at his birth.””
Luke,
a fellow ministry worker of the Apostle Paul, delivered the gospel to a
gentile named Theophilus, a man of high position. However, because of
this man’s lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, Luke had to explain to
him about the Bible in detail, and that was why Luke started writing the
gospel from the time of the appearance of John the Baptist. In order to
explain the gospel fundamentally, it was necessary for Luke to explain
the genealogy of John the Baptist and the particulars of his birth.
Through these words, we will try to look into the birth of John the
Baptist and his ministry in detail.
If
we look at the above passages, there is a passage that states, “There
was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth” (Luke 1:5). It is clearly stated that
the mother of John the Baptist was a descendant of Aaron, but as for
his father Zacharias, we must figure out exactly which lineage among the
nations of Israel he was born in. John the Baptist’’s father was
Zacharias. And, Luke writes that he was a priest from the division of
Abijah.
Then,
who is this Abijah, the ancestor of the priest Zacharias? If we look at
the First Book of Chronicles chapter 24 verse 10, there is a passage
that states, “The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah.” God led the
people of Israel by placing Moses as His mediator, and God appointed
Aaron, Moses’’ older brother, as the High Priest. God had the
descendants of Aaron carry out all the sacrificial offerings held inside
the Tabernacle. But, Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron, died when
they offered profane fire before God at the time of sacrifice (Numbers
26:61).
After
the death of those two sons, the other two sons of Aaron, Eleazar and
Ithamar, took on the duties of the priesthood. But, the descendants of
these two sons flourished, so by the days of David, it became necessary
to institutionally reorganize the priesthood for entering the Tabernacle
and serving God. And so, with the heads of the houses among the
descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar as the basis, they divided the
priests into 24 groups.
Then,
as it was written, “Then David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and
Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule
of their service. There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar
than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided. Among the sons
of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers'’ houses, and eight heads
of their fathers'’ houses among the sons of Ithamar. Thus they were
divided by lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the
sanctuary and officials of the house of God, from the sons of Eleazar
and from the sons of Ithamar” (1 Chronicles 24:3-5), David set the
division of priesthood serving God inside the Tabernacle.
Among
the order that has been set shown here, through the passage, “The
eighth to Abijah,” just as we have read in the First Book of Chronicles
chapter 24 verse 10 and the passage, “a certain priest named Zacharias,
of the division of Abijah” (Luke 1:5), Luke proves that this Zacharias
was a priest from the division of Abijah among the descendants of the
High Priest Aaron. Furthermore, as it is said that Elizabeth was of the
daughters of Aaron. John the Baptist then, is clearly a descendant of
the High Priest Aaron (Luke 1:5) because his father, Zacharias, was a
priest of the division of Abijah. Since Elizabeth was also a descendant
of Aaron, John the Baptist, who was born between the two, was obviously a
descendant of the High Priest Aaron.
Luke
had to explain this part very well in order for Theophilus to
understand that John the Baptist had passed on the sin of the world to
Jesus as the representative of all humankind. Let’’s find out where the
Scripture passage is that states that the descendants of the house of
Aaron carried out the duties of High Priest.
John the Baptist Who Was Born into a Family of High Priests
A
High Priest’’s son inherited the duty of offering the sacrifices of
atonement. It says in the Book of Numbers chapter 20 verses 28-29,
“Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son;
and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar
came down from the mountain. Now when all the congregation saw that
Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.”
God gave the High Priesthood of the nation of Israel to Aaron and his
sons and said that this shall be an everlasting statute (Leviticus
16:34). That is why Aaron and his sons carried out the duties of
offering the sacrifices, which redeemed the sins of people of Israel
before God.
It
is written in Exodus 28:1-2, “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons
with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me
as priest, Aaron and Aaron'’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and
for beauty.”
Also,
in Exodus 29:1-9, said it says the following: “And this is what you
shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take
one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread,
unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil
(you shall make them of wheat flour). You shall put them in one basket
and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.
And
Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the Tabernacle of
meeting, and you shall wash them with water. Then you shall take the
garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod,
and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the
ephod. You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on
the turban. And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head,
and anoint him. Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them.
And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the
hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So
you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.”
So,
on behalf of the nation of Israel, God had the house of Aaron, Moses’’
older brother, carry out the duties of the High Priesthood, offering the
sacrifice of the Day of Atonement to God. No one could object to this
duty. The High Priesthood of the house of Aaron was a command set by
God. This High Priesthood was not something just anyone could carry out.
Only the High Priests from the house of Aaron could enter the most holy
place inside the Tabernacle once a year and minister the duties of High
Priest. Only they were able to atone for the year’’s worth of sins of
the people of Israel once and for all. That is why God said to Moses,
“Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the
children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and
Aaron'’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And you shall make
holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty” (Exodus
28:1-2).
That
only Aaron and his descendants could become the High Priest was the
everlasting institution set by God. God had commanded Aaron and his
descendants to carry out the duties of the High Priesthood forever, from
the days of the Old Testament until the coming of Jesus in the New
Testament. The descendants of Aaron had been carrying out the duties of
the High Priesthood which was an everlasting statute of salvation
through the atonement for sins set by God.
That
is why Luke was describing John the Baptist as the last High Priest of
the Old Testament by mentioning the fact that Zacharias was a man of the
house of the High Priest Aaron. With John the Baptist as a
representative on behalf of all humankind carrying out the work of
passing on all the sins of the world to Jesus, the Old Testament came to
an end, and from then on, the age of Jesus, the age of grace began
unfolding. God spoke of the history of humankind by dividing it in times
or dispensations.
John the Baptist Did Baptize Jesus Christ
Because
John had given Jesus the baptism, we call him John the Baptist. Then,
what does the baptism mean in the Bible? “Baptism,” “βάφτισμα”
(baptisma) in Greek, means “being immersed.” To baptize, “baptizo” in
Greek, means to immerse or submerge under water, to cleanse by dipping
or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self,
and to bathe. It also means to pass over or to transfer. By receiving
the baptism from John the Baptist, all the sins were passed onto Jesus,
and Jesus became the Savior to the faithful by taking on the sins of the
entire world, dying on our behalf for the wages of sin, and
resurrecting from the dead. The Lord received the baptism through which
He took on sins on our behalf and died on the Cross. It was because the
wages of sin is death.
Because
the rite of baptism is performed in the form of immersion and by the
laying on of hands, it is also called ‘‘the rite of immersion.’’ Both
have the same meaning. The word ‘‘baptism’’ also means ‘‘to cleanse.’’
The baptism Jesus received from John the Baptist at the Jordan River was
the baptism of the remission of sins by which He has cleansed us from
the sins of the world by having taken them onto His own body. Because
all the sins of humankind were passed onto Jesus by His receiving the
baptism from John the Baptist, we were able to receive the salvation by
believing it. If we look at length at the meaning of the baptism Jesus
had received, there are four meanings; “to cleanse,” “to pass over,” “to
transfer,” and “to be buried.”
People
of the Old Testament, in order to receive the remission of sins,
brought sacrificial animals like goats, sheep, cattle, and so on,
without blemish, and placed their hands on the head of the animals to
pass on sins. This is exactly the same as the baptism (βάφτισμα in
Greek) Jesus had received. In the Old Testament, people laid their hands
on a goat to pass on the sins of the nation to that goat, and because
the goat had received the passing on of sins, it had to atone for the
sins of people by dying.
In
the Old Testament, the High Priest Aaron represented entire the people
of Israel. Representing the nation of Israel, the High Priest
transplanted the sins by laying hands on the head of a goat, and by
drawing the blood of the animal from its throat and then putting it on
the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He offered the sin offering of
the Day of Atonement before God on behalf of the people. In the New
Testament, it was John the Baptist who was the representative of all
mankind. Thus, Jesus took on the sins of the world by having received
the baptism from John the Baptist, and in order to atone for the sins of
mankind, He shed His blood and died on the Cross. By being resurrected
from the dead, He saves those who believe in Him.
The Greatest among Those Born of Women
If
we look at Matthew 11:11, Jesus bears witness to John the Baptist,
saying, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater.”
John the Baptist passed on the sins of the world once and for all by
baptizing Jesus in accordance with the eternal statute set by God as the
High Priest of all mankind, like Aaron the High Priest (Matthew 3:15).
John the Baptist had the qualifications to be the High Priest of all
mankind. That was why it was possible for John the Baptist, as the last
High Priest of the Old Testament, to pass on the sins of all mankind by
baptizing Jesus. In the New Testament, the priest Zacharias was a
descendant of the house of Aaron, and the origin of the High Priest was
as follows:
In the First Book of Chronicles Chapter 24 Verse 10
The
order of High Priests who are the descendants of Aaron offering the
sacrificial rite is shown in the Old Testament, and the order of the
priest ‘‘Abijah’’ comes up as the eighth division. But still, in the New
Testament, the priest was chosen “according to the custom of the
priesthood,” as we can see from the Gospel of Luke chapter 1 verse 9.
Just like the Old Testament, the person chosen here became the High
Priest, taking on the High Priesthood of the Old Testament and carrying
on the duties. This tradition was passed down from generation to
generation starting from the days of the Old Testament up until the time
of Zacharias, John the Baptist’’s father.
Zacharias
was a High Priest born into the ranks of Abijah, a descendant of Aaron.
Just as the lion can only bear a lion cub, God had made it so that a
High Priest can come only from the house of Aaron, the High Priest. And
so, John the Baptist, from the house of a High Priest, took on the role
of an intermediary; the priest who would fulfill the prophecies about
the salvation of God, as promised in the Old Testament, and he who had
passed on the sin of the world to Jesus was the greatest among those
born of women. The passages in Matthew 11:11-13 bear witness to this.
That is why Jesus, pointing out John the Baptist, also bore witness that
he was the Elijah to come as prophesied in the Old Testament (Malachi
4:5).
Testimonies of the Apostles about the Baptism of Jesus Who Had Taken on the Sins of Mankind
The
baptism Jesus received was the atonement for sin, the sin of the world,
which He had taken on. The proof of the baptism Jesus received is shown
numerous times in the epistles of Paul and Peter and also in the
epistles of John. Let us first look at the Scripture passages concerning
Jesus’’ baptism through the Pauline Epistles. We will first look at the
passage from Romans 6:2-7.
“Certainly
not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not
know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into
death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For
if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly
we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this,
that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who
has died has been freed from sin.”
The
Apostle Paul’’s faith that we have received the baptism, and united
together with Jesus, is the faith of believing in the gospel that
Jesus’’ baptism had taken on the sin of the world and had atoned for
those sins . The gospel of the atonement for sins mentioned in the Bible
is the gospel of the water and the blood in which Jesus received the
baptism and was crucified. In the Bible, the gospel of the atonement for
sins witnessed by the apostles, tells us that Jesus has taken away all
the worldly sin.
How
does the Apostle Peter believe and explain the baptism of Jesus? In 1
Peter 3:21, he said, “There is also an antitype which now saves
us-baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of
a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.” The Apostle Peter is saying that the baptism Jesus received
from John the Baptist is an antitype of the salvation of Him having
atoned for our sins.
What
is more, the Apostle John said, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by
water and blood-Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.
And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that
bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these
three agree as one” (1 John 5:5-8). The Apostle John is saying that we
get to receive the salvation of God that has atoned for all our sins by
having faith in the Savior who has come by the water and the blood.
What Is the Proper Faith in Believing in Jesus Christ?
Similarly,
the Apostles said that the baptism (the water) Jesus received is an
antitype of the salvation that saves the sinners, and that the
born-again can overcome the world by believing in the gospel of the
atonement for sins which was perfected by the baptism and the blood of
Jesus. So, we can see that there is a vast difference between the faith
that the Apostles believed and the faith of today’’s theologians who
believe only in the blood of the Cross. Theologians these days believe
only in the blood of Jesus, but the Bible testifies that sinners can
receive salvation only when they believe in both the baptism of Jesus
and the blood of the Cross together. Therefore, we must know properly,
and believe in the gospel in which Jesus has atoned for all our sins
with His baptism and blood. Both the baptism Jesus received and the
blood of the Cross are essential components for the completion of the
perfect gospel. It is the gospel that has atoned for all the sins of the
world. In the Old Testament and the New Testament, it is written that
the gospel of the atonement for sins is the gospel of the baptism and
the blood, and this blots out all the sins of the world.
Matthew,
a disciple of Jesus, records in Matthew 3:15-16, “But Jesus answered
and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been
baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the
heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove and alighting upon Him.” Here, God tells us that all the sins of
the world were passed on to Jesus by His receiving the baptism from
John the Baptist. It bears witness to the righteousness of the salvation
that God has perfected through the gospel in which our sins were
atoned.
By
receiving the baptism, Jesus took on the sins of all the people in the
world, and bore witness to His salvation for 3 years. After these three
years, He died on the Cross shedding His blood and He was resurrected on
the third day. In doing so, He has perfected the salvation for all
those who believe in this Truth, and now sits at the right-hand of the
throne of God the Father.
Also,
the disciples of Jesus state, “So Christ was offered once to bear the
sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second
time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). This passage means
that the Lord will appear a second time to those, who, apart from sin,
wait for Him. That is, to those who, by faith, have received salvation
through the atonement for sins by believing in the baptism Jesus
received and the blood of the Cross.
“And
suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘‘This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased’’” (Matthew 3:17). This passage refers to the
fact that the One to whom all the sins of the world has been transferred
by the baptism, and atoned for those sins, is none other than Jesus.
Some theologians do not know at all about the Truth in which Jesus has
atoned for the sins of mankind by His baptism and blood. They are
spiritually blind; they are unable to take in the waters above the
firmament; that is, the pure Word. Because of this, people vaguely
believe that ‘‘Jesus has taken on the sins of the world somehow,’’ but
this is a thinking that comes from ignorance of the baptism of Jesus
that constitutes the gospel of the atonement for sins.
Yet,
just as the nation of Israel in the Old Testament were liberated from
sins by the High Priest passing on the sins through the laying of his
hands on the sacrificial animal, and that animal shedding blood, Jesus
has to save mankind according to what He has promised. Jesus was the
sacrificial lamb in the New Testament. He was in need of John the
Baptist, the representative of all mankind who would pass on all the
sins of the world to Jesus. That was why God the Father sent John the
Baptist to this earth 6 months prior to sending Jesus.
John
the Baptist was a servant of God who was already prophesied in the Book
of Malachi in the Old Testament. He was none other than the messenger
of God prophesied in Malachi 3:1-3. Also, if we look at Matthew 11:10-11
in the New Testament, the Lord needed to receive the baptism that would
have Him take on all the sins of mankind as the Savior, and that would
atone for their sins. So, Jesus needed a servant of God who would give
Him the baptism. That is why John the Baptist passed on the sin of the
world to Jesus by the baptism, obeying Jesus’’ command, “Permit it to be
so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”
(Matthew 3:15).
The
sacrificial lamb during the days of the Old Testament died having been
made to take on just the sins of a single person or a single nation. But
Jesus Christ the Son of God came to this earth and opened the age of
the New Testament. He took on the sins of the world without a single
trace left behind, in order to atone for all the sins of all mankind.
Then, He had to die through crucifixion as the price of atonement for
those sins. In order for Jesus to forever deliver mankind from the sins
of the world, He had to atone for all the sins of the world by receiving
the baptism from John the Baptist and then resurrecting three days
after having died on the Cross. God has saved those who believe in the
gospel of Jesus’’ baptism and blood, from all sins.
John the Baptist Was a Messenger of God
Matthew
11:11-14 bears witness to John the Baptist. Let us read the Book of
Matthew chapter 11, verse 7 through 14: “As they departed, Jesus began
to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the
wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to
see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft
clothing are in kings'’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of
whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’’
‘Assuredly,
I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater
than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are
willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.’”
People
went into the wilderness to see John the Baptist. John the Baptist was
crying out to people to repent. As Jesus saw the people going to see
John the Baptist, He said, “For what did you go out into the wilderness?
A man clothed in soft garments? Those who wear soft clothing are in
kings’’ houses.” But the prophet John the Baptist was in the
wilderness.
These
Words by Jesus speak of the Truth that God had put John the Baptist
here as the representative of mankind, and also had him give the baptism
to Jesus. As Jesus was personally bearing witness concerning John the
Baptist, He said, “Why did you go out into the wilderness? Why did you
go to a man clothed in camel’’s hair, a man like a wild man? What did
you go out there to see? Did you go out to see a man clothed in soft
garments? Such a man is in kings’’ houses. But, he is greater than
kings,” and also, He bore witness that John the Baptist was the greatest
among those born of women, saying, “Why did you go out? Did you wish to
see a prophet? Yes, he is more than a prophet.”
In
the Old Testament days, prophets were considered’ greater than kings.
Then who was the greatest among all the prophets of the Old Testament?
He was none other than John the Baptist. Jesus personally bore witness
that John the Baptist is the representative of mankind, and Jesus said
that it is John the Baptist who is the greatest among all mankind. John
the Baptist was a servant of God, sent 6 months prior to the birth of
Jesus. He was also sent to pass on the sins of the world by giving Jesus
the baptism. So the Lord said, “Yes, I say to you, and more than a
prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: “Behold, I send My
messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” The
Bible clearly writes and bears witness to John the Baptist of this.
John
the Baptist, who had been witnessed by Jesus like this, bears witness
to Jesus now. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!” (John 1:29) It was John the Baptist, who bore witness to Jesus,
saying, “Jesus has taken away all the sins of the world, and He is none
other than the Son of God,” and he was truly the greatest among all
people and among all prophets. It can be said that John the Baptist was a
High Priest because both of his parents were descendants of Aaron. We
know that in the Old Testament God had chosen Aaron be the High Priest
of Israel for 40 years. He had forever entrusted the High Priesthood to
his descendants, and there is no lacking of belief that John the Baptist
is the representative of mankind, and as the priest who has passed on
all the sins of mankind to Jesus.
The
Lord Jesus continued to say, “And from the days of John the Baptist
until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take
it by force” (Matthew 11:12). This passage shows that Jesus has become
the Savior of all people by having received the sins of the world
through John the Baptist. Jesus has personally borne witness to the fact
that John the Baptist had passed on all the sins of the world to Him.
The Words in Matthew 11:12 bear witness that the sins of the world, all
the sins of mankind, have been passed onto Jesus by giving Jesus the
baptism. Believers in the gospel of Heaven, that is, the gospel of the
baptism Jesus received and His blood, believe that Jesus went and died
on the Cross, having completely taken on all their sins by His receiving
the baptism.
Testimony of Zacharias
Having
heard the angel’’s message that God would grant him a son, Zacharias
couldn’’t believe it at first. So, as punishment, he became a mute.
Later on, upon seeing the Word of God becoming realized, he named the
baby, John, as the angel had ordered. Then, his tongue became untied,
and he was able to talk. Then, being filled with the Holy Spirit,
Zacharias started praising God like the following.
“Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
‘And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.’
So
the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till
the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:67-80).
In
this passage, the father made prophesies on what sort of a prophet John
the Baptist would become in the future, and how he would carry out the
priesthood. He also prophesied that John the Baptist would be a servant
of God. Especially, he prophesied, “And you, child, will be called the
prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to
prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the
remission of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). This passage prophesies about
the gospel. Through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, John the
Baptist becomes a witness to the Truth for those of us who believe in
Jesus. John the Baptist told us that we have received the remission of
sins by believing in Jesus’’ baptism and blood that is the atonement for
our sins. In order to atone for our sins, Jesus took on all the sins of
the world through the baptism He had received from John the Baptist.
Also, John bore witness to the fact that he had passed on all the sins
of the world by baptizing Jesus. In other words, through his witnessing,
John the Baptist had us know about the salvation through the atonement
for sins.
Everyone
gets to receive salvation from sins by believing in Jesus’’ baptism and
blood. Also, through the witnessing of John the Baptist, everyone found
out that Jesus was the Savior who has atoned for all his or her sins.
If people had not known about the gospel of the atonement for sins which
John the Baptist had given Jesus, how could people have been 100%
certain that Jesus was their Savior?
If
a person does not know about the gospel Truth of the atonement for
sins, there is neither salvation nor everlasting life for that person.
If you were to believe in Jesus without knowing the ministry of John the
Baptist, your faith would be an imperfect faith, and you would be
leading an imperfect Christian life. You would be doing things such as
relying only on doctrines mentioned in theology. However, if you know
who John the Baptist is and the Truth of what sort of baptism he had
given Jesus for salvation that has atoned for the sins of mankind, you
will be saved from all sins by having faith in the Truth.
In
the Book of Genesis, stories starting from the days of no sin, of Adam
and Eve, the first human being, through the days of Abraham who was a
descendant of Seth and of Shem after Adam and Eve sinned, until the days
of the descendants of Jacob are written. In the Book of Exodus, the
beginning of the days of the Law is written. After crossing the Red Sea,
the Israelites received the Commandments at the wilderness of Sin
through Moses, and lived according to those Laws.
And
during these days of the Law, God gave the people of Israel the
sacrificial system of the Tabernacle. God had them offer sacrifices in
which the High Priest would pass on the sins of people by the laying of
hands on the head of a scapegoat, and then through the death of the
sacrificial offering on behalf of people, which atoned for sins .
But,
this age of the Law comes to an end with the onset of the age of grace;
that is, with Jesus’’ receiving of the baptism. All the salvation
promised by the atonement for sins during the Old Testament era came to
an end with the baptism given to Jesus by John the Baptist. Through the
baptism Jesus received, and the shedding of His blood, the sins of all
mankind were remitted, and salvation from sin was perfected completely.
The
priest Zacharias heard God saying to him that He would grant him a son.
For Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias was old in age. It seemed
impossible for an elderly woman to bear a child according to the human
way of thinking. But the wife of Zacharias became pregnant and started
bulging just as God had said. Six months after that, the Virgin Mary
also started bulging from pregnancy. An angel appeared before Mary and
said the same, “Blessed be the one who have found grace,” and Mary fell
down flat on her stomach and said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!
Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
And
so, having put on the grace of God, Mary received the blessing of
giving birth to Jesus Christ. However, this incident of Mary, a virgin,
becoming pregnant can only be called a blessing. In actuality, it was
something condemnable under the commandment for those who commit
adultery, according to the Jewish laws at the time. As it was back then,
and even now, for a woman without a husband to bear a child is a great
disgrace. It results in getting cut off from ever getting married. But,
the grace of God had Mary enjoy the honor and glory, instead of having
to bear the agonies of the flesh.
After
confessing her faith, Mary started bulging from pregnancy. The fact is
that Mary’’s conception of Jesus was carried out through the Holy Spirit
just as the message that was delivered by an angel of God. Thus,
through the body of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born.
Mary wasn’’t a descendant of Aaron. She was a descendant of Judah.
Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, was also a descendant of Judah. So,
Jesus Christ was born into the family of kings. Because Jesus Christ is
the King, He had to come through a house of kings. In the same chain of
reasoning, because John the Baptist came as the last High Priest, he had
to come from the house of High Priests, through the descendants of
Aaron.
God
sent Jesus and before Jesus, He sent John the Baptist, the greatest
prophet and servant of God. Only in doing so, the prophecies of the Old
Testament get fulfilled, and it becomes possible for us to believe in
God properly. Because the High Priesthood is something set eternally by
God, the sins of the world had to be passed on by baptism to Jesus
through a descendant of Aaron, and it was John the Baptist, as the last
High Priest of mankind, who had carried out that work.
Aaron
was the first High Priest of Israel, and he was the elder brother of
Moses. His great-grandfather was Levi (son of Jacob); his grandfather
was Kohath; his father was Amram; his mother was Jochebed; and his elder
sister was Miriam (Exodus 6:16-20). Aaron had sons named, Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar, and Ithamar (Exodus 6:23, Numbers 3:2). From the time when
Moses received the calling of the exodus out of Egypt from God, Aaron
helped Moses, who was slow of speech and slow of tongue, and Aaron spoke
for him (Exodus 4:10, 7:10). Also, when the ceremony of making the
covenant between God and Israel was being held at Mount Sinai, Moses,
along with Aaron and his two sons and seventy of the elders of Israel,
saw God, and they ate and drank there. This shows that they were
formally representing the people of Israel (Exodus 24:1-11).
Then,
from the moment when God commanded them to build the Tabernacle for the
people of Israel, Aaron and his four sons received the anointing from
God and came to receive the priesthood, having been consecrated (Exodus
40:13-16). Aaron, as the first High Priest of Israel, carried out the
priesthood for 40 years, and for this reason, the tribe of Reuben
protested Aaron’’s authority as the High Priest.
But,
according to God’’s command, almond flowers blossomed on Aaron’’s rod
representing the tribe of Levi among the twelve tribes which had placed
rods; and it was proven that the priesthood was given to the house of
Aaron by God (Numbers 17:1-10). When Aaron died at the age of 123,
Aaron’’s garments were worn by Eleazar his son, and Eleazar became the
High Priest in place of Aaron (Numbers 20:23-29). The writer of the Book
of Hebrews bore witness to the fact that Aaron was the High Priest of
the earth and that Jesus was the High Priest of Heaven (Hebrews
7:11-28).
It Is Clear That John the Baptist Was the High Priest Who Could Give Baptism on Jesus’’ Head to Atone for the Sin of the World
Jesus
bears witness to the fact that John the Baptist is the representative
of all mankind. As it is written in Matthew 11:10-11, “For this is he of
whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who
will prepare Your way before You.’’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those
born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist;
but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” John
the Baptist carried out the priesthood of passing on the sins of mankind
to Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God.
The Gate of Heaven Came to Be Opened from the Time of John the Baptist
When
we set off to do a certain work, we prepare ourselves to do that work
successfully. Likewise, in order to blot out the sin of the world, God
had prepared John the Baptist first of all. Here is the evidence: “The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is
written in the Prophets:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’’
John
came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from
Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan
River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel'’s hair
and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild
honey. And he preached, saying, ‘There comes One after me who is
mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and
loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit’” (Mark 1:1-8).
We
will look further into John the Baptist, the preparer of the gospel of
Heaven. If we read the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament, we can see
that the priests at the time of Malachi were totally corrupt. For that
reason, there wasn’’t a priest that was proper in God’’s sight among the
Israelites prior to the coming of Jesus 2,000 years ago. Priests back
then were so corrupt that they had discarded the statutes of the Word of
God, the God-given sacrificial system, and His Commandments.
And
for that reason, God had to have a priest, His messenger, be born on
this earth. So, God sent his messenger, and he was none other than John
the Baptist, the preparer of the gospel of Heaven. John the Baptist was
sent to this earth 6 months earlier than Jesus. Because God always used a
representative priest to pass on the sins of people to a sacrificial
lamb, He had to send John the Baptist. Thus, God sent John the Baptist
and made him the representative priest of mankind. But, because John the
Baptist could not be together with corrupt priests, he was pressing the
Israelites for repentance all the while living alone in the wilderness.
In
the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verse 2, it is said, “As it is written in
the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will
prepare Your way before You.’” However, the one shouting in the
wilderness was also crying out the baptism of repentance that would lead
them to receive the remission of sins. There were two types of baptism
given by John the Baptist.
The
first one was the baptism of repentance he gave to the people of
Israel, and this was a baptism that had people who had left God revert
back to Christ who was the eternal propitiation for their sins. As a
prophet, by making people realize that they are sinners headed for hell
before God, John the Baptist gave this baptism of repentance to those
who acknowledged and confessed their sinful existence. And so, people
came before John the Baptist and received the baptism of water as the
symbol verifying the fact that they are sinners before God.
The
second baptism was the baptism John the Baptist had given to Jesus, and
this was the baptism that had passed on all the sins of the world to
the body of Jesus. John the Baptist bore witness for those who had
received the baptism of repentance before God, to believe in Jesus who
had taken on and carried away the sins of the world by the baptism.
When
Jesus was about to receive the baptism from John, He said to John the
Baptist, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to
fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). As it is written in this
passage, the Words of the prophecy of God that says Jesus would take on
and atone for the sins of mankind became realized. All people who
believe in Jesus must believe in both the baptism and the blood of
Jesus, and the gospel of the atonement for sins. Because John the
Baptist, the preparer of the gospel of Heaven, had passed on the sin of
the world to Jesus for all eternity by baptizing Jesus as an atonement
suitable for the sins of the world, John the Baptist has made it
possible for us to go to Heaven by having faith in Jesus. Jesus has
become the Way to Heaven. Do you believe this?
In
the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verses 14-15, it is said, “Now after John
was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Gospel is “the good
news,” and it is “euaggelion” in Greek. The news that Jesus took away
all the sins of the world by having taken them onto His body when He
received the baptism from John the Baptist for the atonement for sins is
the gospel of Heaven. All the sins of the world had been passed on to
Jesus through John the Baptist when Jesus received the baptism.
The
gospel atoning for the sins of mankind was the gospel of the baptism
Jesus received and His blood of the Cross. The sins of the world refer
to the sins all the people have committed in the world. All the people
include you and they include your grandchildren who will be born in the
future. Your sins refer to all the sins of your past, present, and
future (they include not only the sins committed in the past but the
sins you will be committing in the future), and they are for the sins of
the world. Furthermore, the world doesn’’t just refer to Earth, but the
beginning and the end of the entire universe.
John the Baptist Came to Preach the Truth of the Atonement for Sins
John
the Baptist came carrying the Truth of righteousness, or the Truth of
the salvation, by which God has atoned for the sins of mankind, as it is
written, “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did
not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when
you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him” (Matthew
21:32). John the Baptist came to preach the Truth of righteousness. John
the Baptist was a prophet sent to the world by God so that he may lead
all the people to righteousness. By passing on the sins of all the
people in the world to Jesus, all the people received the remission of
sins by believing in this Truth. By him having bear witness to ‘‘the
gospel of the atonement for sins,’’ in which he himself had passed on
all the sins of the world to the Lord, numerous people have received
salvation from sin by believing and having faith in that Truth of
salvation because of John’’s witnessing.
In
Matthew 21:32, it is said, “For John came to you in the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and
harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent
and believe him.” Here, the phrase, “For John came to you in the way of
righteousness,” speak of the work of John the Baptist, as the last High
Priest of the Old Testament (Matthew 11:13), having passed on all the
sins of mankind to Jesus by the baptism.
But
why do you think the tax collectors and the harlots believed in the
baptism of Jesus in which John the Baptist passed on the sin of the
world to Jesus? We must think once more about why the harlots and the
tax collectors received salvation from all their sins by having faith in
the righteous work carried out by Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.
And why did so many people suffer destruction by not having faith in
this righteous ministry? The harlots and the tax collectors were typical
people who had committed many sins.
If
it were the case that John the Baptist hadn’’t done the work of passing
on the sins of the world to Jesus once and for all, the harlots and the
tax collectors would not have received salvation from their sins which
were thicker than the dark clouds and fogs. The tax collectors and the
harlots believed in their hearts that the baptism Jesus had received
from John the Baptist was a baptism for the atonement for all their
sins, and thus, they received salvation. Also, they believed that Jesus
was the Son of God, and that they received the everlasting salvation by
having faith that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb God had sent to save
them from all their sins.
If
it had not been for the role of John the Baptist in the gospel of the
atonement for sins, how could we have believed in Jesus and received
salvation? You might say, “I do not believe in the baptism of Jesus, but
still, I do believe in Jesus.” If so, do you think Jesus can be your
Savior without your having faith that your sins have been atoned for by
the baptism of Jesus? If that were the case, then Jesus died without
having taken on all your sins by His baptism. Do you think you can be
born again by believing in Jesus? Dear fellow believers, please think
about it once gain.
In
order to deliver you from your sin and punishment, God sent John the
Baptist, and God had planned for Jesus to take on all your sins through
John the Baptist. If God had decided to pass all your sins to Jesus by
the baptism of Jesus, then you will never be able to receive the
salvation by resisting the decision of God. If you were to oppose the
gospel of Jesus’ baptism and His blood, then you would not be a redeemed
person. Instead, by opposing the plan of God, you will be one of those
people destined for hell. I hope that you will think through your own
reasoning about what proper faith is, based on the Word of the Truth.
It
is correct that you receive salvation by believing in Jesus according
to the plan set by God. What are your emotions like right now? I hope
that you will throw away all your thinking and believe in the Truth that
all your sins have been remitted through the baptism John the Baptist
had given to Jesus. I pray that you will believe in the will of God that
wants to save us by the water and the Spirit.
If
you believe that all your sins have been passed on to Jesus, you are
the righteous, for you are without sin by faith, and the righteous who
believe this go to Heaven according to the law of the grace of God. If
you are unable to accept the fact that all your sins have been passed on
to Jesus by John the Baptist, then it means that you have refused the
salvation of God. Will you still refuse the way of righteousness John
the Baptist had performed on Jesus? If you were to resist this blessing,
you must realize that it would be like refusing all the plans of God
entirely, and you will have become a wicked child, refusing the Truth
with your own mind.
Having
baptized Jesus at the Jordan River, John the Baptist bore witness to
Jesus the next day, shouting, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus received the sins of the world,
and 3 years after having received the baptism, He died on the Cross as
the price for those sins.
A
sin does not have any weight. It doesn’’t have color, smell, or shape,
and it does not make sounds. Because one cannot perceive it through the
senses (sense of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch), people cannot
feel it on their own. Do not try to rationalize through your senses or
emotions that your sins have disappeared. Emotions change. But, because
the Word of God, the Truth of Jesus having blotted out the sin of the
world, does not change for all eternity.
I
am sure trust that you nowwill believe in the Word of Truth in which
John the Baptist bore witness, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and then feel it. Jesus
bore witness for 3 years, saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life” (John 14:6), and bore witness that the atonement for the sins of
mankind was the baptism Jesus received and His blood. He told those of
us who believe to live a life as a disciple, spreading the gospel of
Jesus’’ baptism and blood.
Dear
fellow believers, the Prophet Isaiah said, “That her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD’’s
hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:2). Yes, this is true. Jesus
has saved us by taking on you sins as well as mine through the baptism
He had received from John the Baptist, dying on the Cross for their
price, and being resurrected. The very first thing God did in order to
atone for the sins of us human beings and to save us was the sending of
John the Baptist. In order to save us sinners from sins, the fact is
that God had first sent us John the Baptist, the ambassador of the King.
The Bible says so.
In
the Book of Malachi of the Old Testament chapter 3 verse 1, it is said,
““Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,”
Says the LORD of hosts.” It is the case that God had promised to send
John the Baptist, a messenger of God, in the Book of Malachi of the Old
Testament.
God
had us human beings receive the atonement for sins through Jesus by
John the Baptist, His servant. He passed on all the sins of the world to
Jesus by the baptism. This is the way of making us prepare the way to
Heaven by having us receive the remission of sins, and this is the way
of salvation which has saved us human beings. And, there isn’’t any
other way of salvation. The Lord said, “I am the way, the truth and the
life” (John 14:6).
That
Jesus has atoned for all our sins by taking on our sins through the
baptism and dying on the Cross, is the way and also the Truth that
enables us to receive salvation. And believing this, we are able to gain
new life. Did you also pass on all your sins to Jesus when John the
Baptist passed all the sins of the world to Jesus by baptizing Him? Do
you believe in this Truth? It was the plan of God, set by Him, and
befitting to the Wise. If you refuse this, you can never enter into
God’’s kingdom. To save you, God received the baptism of John the
Baptist and atoned for all our sins. I hope that you believe in the way
of salvation opened up by Jesus. I hope for all of you not to refuse the
way to life.
“And
from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). To
suffer violence means that people who believe in the fact that all the
sins of the world were passed on to Jesus when He had received the
baptism from John the Baptist will boldly enter the Kingdom of Heaven by
faith for they do not have sins. Now the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
those who believe that the sins of the world were passed onto Jesus
through John the Baptist. Whoever believes in the gospel of the
atonement for sins in which John the Baptist had passed on all the sins
of the world to Jesus will receive salvation without fail. Fellow
believers, who is the one that prepares the way to the Kingdom of Heaven
for us?
God
saying, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way
before Me,” means that He had prepared John the Baptist beforehand so
that we may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. By carrying out the work of
passing on our sins to Jesus Christ, John the Baptist has made us the
righteous without any sin and the children of God. He prepared us so
that we may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is John the Baptist, a
messenger sent personally by God, who had prepared the way on our
behalf, so that we may go to the Kingdom of Heaven by his being the
representative of each and every one of us. John the Baptist prepared
the way for us human beings to be born again.
“Then
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘“I need to be baptized by You,
and are You coming to me?’” But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘“Permit
it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.’” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus
came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened
to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying,
‘“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew
3:13-17).
John
the Baptist carried out the righteous work. The ministry of John the
Baptist that he had passed on all the sins of the people of this world
to Jesus was a righteous act. This is the gospel of the atonement for
sins, and the righteousness of God as well as the way toward salvation
John had witnessed. In order to receive the salvation, we must realize
and believe in our hearts Jesus’’ baptism, His shed blood, and His
resurrection, which make up the gospel of the atonement for sins.
Also,
Jesus perfected the righteousness of God with His baptism. Jesus
completed the salvation of mankind by taking on the sins of the entire
world through the baptism of John the Baptist, and dying on the Cross
after having atoned for all those sins.
If
we look at the Book of Hebrews, Jesus is said to be the High Priest of
Heaven after the order of Melchizedek. He is without genealogy, and He
isn’’t even a descendant of Aaron. Jesus Christ is not a descendant of
Adam, but rather, He is the Son of God. And, because He is our Creator
and the One who calls Himself “I am who I am,” He doesn’’t possess
genealogy. But, He threw away the glory of Heaven and came to this earth
in order to save His people. When the people He had created in order to
bless them were gasping for life after having fallen into sin due to
the devil’’s temptations, He came to this earth in the flesh of a man
and received the baptism at the Jordan River in order to save mankind by
atoning for all their sins.
Let
us read Matthew 3:15 together. “But Jesus answered and said to him,
‘‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.’’ Then he allowed Him.” Jesus commanded John the Baptist,
a representative of earth, to permit it to be so now. John the Baptist
obeyed, saying, “Yes, I will make it so.” Thus, Jesus put forth His head
toward John and was baptized. Just as the High Priest had performed the
laying on of the hands on the head of a scapegoat to transfer all the
yearly sins of the Israelites, as we can see in the Old Testament, in
the same manner, John the Baptist passed on the sins of this world to
Jesus by baptizing Him.
Salvation from Sins Accomplished by the Principle of Representation
When
one country signs a treaty with another country, that treaty becomes
effective when the heads of state from both countries sign the treaty,
each representing the people of his or her nation. Likewise, our
salvation was accomplished under the principle of representation.
Representing all mankind, John the Baptist passed on the sins to Jesus.
And, Jesus received the baptism from John the Baptist. In the word
baptism, there is the spiritual meaning, “to cleanse, to bury, to pass
over, and to transfer.” In the Old Testament, when a sinner passes on
sins to a goat through the laying on of hands, those sins were passed
over to the goat and the goat had to suffer death in order to atone for
those sins.
In
Leviticus 16:21, there is a passage that goes, “Aaron shall lay both
his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the
iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions,
concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and
shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.”
As it says in this passage, every year on the Day of the Atonement,
Aaron performed the laying on of the hands by placing his hands on top
of the scapegoat’’s head in accordance with the principle of
representation on behalf of people, and just as Aaron had placed his
hands, all the sins that were with the people of Israel were passed onto
the goat through the hands of Aaron (Leviticus 16:20-22). Then, did the
people of Israel have sins at that moment? No, they didn’’t. Under the
same principle as this, through the baptism Jesus received from John the
Baptist, a representative of mankind, the will of God to atone for the
sins of all humankind was accomplished.
In
the Old Testament, the sacrificial animal received the passing on of
the sins of people by receiving the laying of both hands (Leviticus
16:21). The baptism Jesus had received from John the Baptist at the
Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17) is of the same sacrificial offering of
atonement. The Words, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting
for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15), has the same
meaning as “I will fulfill all the righteousness in this world by taking
and carrying on My back all the sins of the world by receiving the
baptism from you.” And, “For thus” means “By you giving Me the baptism,
and I receiving the baptism from you.” The words “For thus,” as
mentioned here, is ‘‘οϋτως γάρ’’ in Hellenic. And these words have the
meaning, ‘‘exactly in this way,’’ ‘‘most fitting,’’ or ‘‘no other way
besides this.’’
Therefore,
the phrase, “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness,” means that “it is fitting that I take on the sins of all
mankind, of all the people, by way of the most fitting method, you
performing the baptism on Me and I receiving the baptism from you all.”
Put differently, the Lord is saying, “All people go to hell for they
have sins. Everyone is suffering right now because of sin. They are
getting harassed by the Devil. Because of sin, they are not able to
receive the blessings. So, in order to bless all people so that they may
enter Heaven, I must receive the baptism from you. You are a descendant
of Aaron. So, as the representative of mankind, you should perform the
baptism on Me on behalf of everyone. I will receive the baptism from
you. In doing this, all the righteousness will be fulfilled in this
world.” When Jesus told John the Baptist, “Perform the baptism on Me,”
John the Baptist replied, “Yes, I will do so.” And then, John the
Baptist laid his hands on Jesus’’ head and then took them away. Right at
that moment, all the sins were passed on to Jesus Christ completely.
Was
there ever an occasion when Jesus had committed a sin? No, there
wasn’’t. Because Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He was
born without sin. Neither did the Lord commit sin while in this world.
We human beings are born with sin, but Jesus wasn’’t born with sin.
While living on this earth, Jesus never committed one sin, nor did He
ever make a mistake. Yet, why do you think Jesus had to die by being
nailed to the Cross?
In
the public ministry of Jesus Christ, the very first work done by Him
was the work of taking on all our sins by receiving the baptism at the
Jordan River. Through the last High Priest called John the Baptist, the
representative of all mankind, Jesus took on all the sins of all people.
That was why He received the judgment and died on the Cross. This is
what Jesus Christ, as He went about for 3 years, had meant when He, even
upon seeing an adulterous woman, said, “Even I do not condemn you. Even
I cannot pass the judgment on you. I must receive the judgment. I must
die on the Cross in your place.”
In
the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went out and prayed, “Not as I will,
but as You will.” At first, He prayed earnestly, “Father, if it is Your
will, take this cup away from Me.” But soon, He willingly obeyed the
Father’’s plan of salvation. Although Jesus wanted to avoid it if it
were possible, and in the will of the Father, He gave it up, saying,
“Not as I will, but as You will,” and then clearly prepared His heart.
He knew that it was the will of the Father for Him to die. From then on,
He was led away to Pilate’’s court, He was tortured, lashed by whips
made for criminals under the penalty of death, until His whole body was
torn, and even before He was hanged on the Cross, He was almost
half-dead.
To
the question by Pilate, “Are You Christ? Are You the Savior? The Son of
God?” Jesus answered, “It is I whom you speak of. It is as you say.”
When Pilate said, “If You say the right words, I can release You. I have
the power to do so,” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all
against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11), and
stayed silent like a lamb before its shearer.
Why
do you think Jesus did that? The fact is that Jesus had to vicariously
suffer the punishment of crucifixion, for He had taken on all the sins
of the world by His baptism. Only when Jesus receives the punishment of
crucifixion will the time of warfare against sin come to an end. Only
then will people no longer suffer due to sin. Only then will all mankind
be free from sin and be liberated from the slavery of sin, it is a case
where Jesus stayed silent, like a lamb getting its wool shaved off.
This is the gospel of Jesus’’ baptism and blood that has atoned for the
sins of all mankind.
The Lord Has Atoned for All the Sin of the World Completely
In
the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 29, John bore witness to Jesus the
day after Jesus’’ baptism, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!” John the Baptist clearly gave Jesus the
baptism that atoned for the sins of mankind. When Jesus came toward John
the Baptist the day after Jesus was baptized, John the Baptist bore
witness by saying to the people, “Please take a look at Him. He is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You people, take a
look at Him! He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
world.” Because he had passed on all the sins of mankind to Jesus by the
baptism, he himself was able to personally bear witness to the fact
that Jesus was the Savior. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus was the Lamb of God who has taken
away the sins of the world. The Son of God came to this earth and took
away the sin of the world.
In
John 1:35-36, John the Baptist bore witness again as it is written,
“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking
at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’” The Lamb
mentioned here is in expression of Jesus as the lamb who has, as our
substitute, become the sacrificial offering for all mankind, just like
the sacrificial animal in the Old Testament that died on behalf of
people.
On
behalf of you and me, the Son of God, our Creator, came to this earth
and blotted out your sins as well as mine by His baptism and bloodshed.
In order to take on and atone for all the sins—the original sin,
personal sins, all the sins of trespasses, and whatever wicked sins that
every single human being commits from the days of the Creation until
the end of this earth, Jesus received the baptism from John and shed His
blood on the Cross.
Approximately
2000 years ago, Jesus had already blotted out all the sins of the
world. We are currently using calendar years based on the birth of Jesus
Christ who is the Master of history. As you well know, we refer to the
dates before Christ as ‘‘B.C.’’ and the dates after His birth as
‘‘A.D.’’ (Anno Domini, that is, ‘‘in the year of our Lord’’).
Because
in A.D. 30, Jesus took on the sins of the world completely by receiving
the baptism from John the Baptist, John the Baptist pointed out Jesus
the next day and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world!” (John 1:29) And again on the following day John the
Baptist bore witness to Jesus, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John
1:36) John the Baptist bore witness to the gospel of the atonement for
sins, saying, “Jesus took away all your sins completely. So your warfare
is ended. You are without sin. No matter what kind of sin you may have
committed, the Son of God took away all those sins.”
Dear
fellow believers, God atoned for all our sins by the baptism of Jesus.
After having passed on all the sins to Jesus, John the Baptist bore
witness, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!” (John 1:29) John the Baptist bore witness to this Truth in order
for everyone to believe in Jesus. It is written, “This man came for a
witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might
believe” (John 1:7). This is the Word that appears in the Gospel of
John. If it had not been for the witnessing by John the Baptist, how
would people have known whether or not Jesus had carried away the sins
of the world? Although the Bible says that Jesus died for all our sins,
but it is John the Baptist who testified, “Having taken on the sins of
the world by His baptism, Jesus has personally carried them away to the
Cross.”
John
the Baptist was the bridge connecting the Old Testament and the New
Testament. He was the servant of God who had made it so that all the
Words of the Old Testament would be realized in Jesus. By believing
this, I pray for you to receive eternal salvation. Because of the
witnessing by John the Baptist and by those who are currently faithful,
it became possible for all mankind to believe that the baptism Jesus
received was the baptism of taking on the sins of all mankind, and as
its result, Jesus had to shed His precious blood on the Cross.
I offer thanks to God who has allowed all our sins to be atoned for by sending us John the Baptist and Jesus.
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