Baptism

[TruthInLove]

I was wondering, since baptism is a public statement of our following of Christ and it represents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and symbolizes the process of being born again........what was the purpose and meaning of baptism prior to Christ? Was it necessary in Judaism? Are Jews baptized nowadays?

[truth child]

Christians are baptized to show obedience to Jesus Christ, to walk in his statutes, is the way I see it and I wouldn't think Jews would since they are not followers of Jesus Christ. There were some baptisms of rain on Moses and the Children going into the promised land, hence the sprinkling mode, (again, I think.) Some theologian would be better at doctrines than I. I'm sure the baptism modes have been discussed and rediscussed but it's obedience. I doesn't make you a Christian, and today, we have the living Savior, but he told us to go forward, baptising in the name of Father, Son []and Holy Spirit. The OT saints believed the Savior was coming. Isaiah expounded on it.... and most lived according to God's laws through Moses, again, in obedience. The Jews would leave the Son out, so what would be the use, unless you believe in Him and follow Him, (Jesus) as well as the other Two of the Triune.

[Flossie]

Yes, Jews were baptised in the river Jordan before Jesus appeared, because baptism was a public show of repentance. That is what John the Baptist was preaching....repentance....and he baptised the penitents in the river. This is what was going on when Jesus appeared and demanded that he too be baptised. John couldn't believe it and said that Jesus should be baptising HIM, not he baptising Jesus.

[truth child]

True, true... but Jesus also believed in Himself and so did followers through John the Baptist's ministry. I was just wondering about the jews of today....because they do not accept the Son....I would think only when they come to the saving knowlege of our Savior would they be baptised. As I say, I'm not up on who is and who isn't baptised. So Jesus wasn't following himself in the baptism because he had not yet become the Savior, but he knew it was going to be. Some think Jesus was the pattern but seemingly there were others before him being baptised. There definitely were Christians before Jesus was baptised. The river just happened to be handy with the people.

[Jany]

Use of water to symbolize cleansing and consecration is very much a Jewish concept. When the Jewish prophet John came upon the scene, the Jews of his day saw nothing wrong in his demands that people repent of sin and be symbolically cleansed in the Jordan River.

One day Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, John pointed him out to the crowd, saying, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1 :29). Although Jesus was perfect and sinless, by being baptized with penitent sinners he identified himself as the one who had been sent to suffer God's wrath and judgment, so that all who would believe in him might go free.

In the days Christ walked this earth, those who repented and were symbolically cleansed by John in the river still brought animal sacrifices to the Temple in order to receive God's forgiveness. But after Christ gave his life as an atonement for sin, baptism took on a different and fuller meaning for those who believed. Now those who accepted Christ's atonement on their behalf received a new and permanent cleansing through his sacrificial death. Then, after believing, they were baptized in obedience to his command (Matthew 28:19). <><

[antsinmypants]

I was wondering, since baptism is a public statement of our following of Christ and it represents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and symbolizes the process of being born again........what was the purpose and meaning of baptism prior to Christ? Was it necessary in Judaism? Are Jews baptized nowadays?

There are a few reasons within Judaism that one would be 'baptized'....

One goes to the Mikveh during the conversion process (repentance/born again aspect), one would go to the Mikveh if you strayed and came back to Judaism (repentance/born again aspect - yet again)... If you were unclean and now wish to be ritually clean again - and also for special holidays or fast days.

It's still done today, but without the red heifer the going to the Mikveh in cases of ritual uncleanness is more a motion of faith and practice for when the red heifer is back and worship back in place on the Mountain.

There is reference even in the state of uncleanness about being 'reborn' in the prayer that is recited.

During various states during the year one would go to the Mikveh, say - Shabbat or the Holidays or public/private fast days - it is a sense more of spiritual renewal and reflection than being 'born again'..

[antsinmypants]

....The river just happened to be handy with the people.

Well, Actually... for one to be immersed (Baptized/ritually cleansed) you have to have it done in a place with living water.. say a river, a creek (one big enough), a lake that flows in & out (not just in), the ocean or a sea... or a specially built area that has living water on a spring or via spring & rain water.

Ritual laws (oral Torah) states it has to be x amt of living water for x amt of body... and one must be fully immersed (All hair, nails clean, eyes opened, mouth opened (at some point), ears filled) and even goes into what if x was there on y and how to solve the immersion issue... dunk one or three times - and I believe general agreement has been 3 times... at least from the sources I've been in contact with and reading from. It may go a bit different in other communities and areas.

For it to have been in the Jordan has a lot of Spiritual and Religious connotation, as one was not considered in times past to have entered the Promised Land until you crossed the Jordan River as was done in the times of Joshua and Caleb ;):
So in a sense it's being reborn into the promised land as the promised people of G-d