Jesus baptized...

What is interpretation?
Tell us about a great leader.
Tell us about your favorite teacher.
What was the job of a first century Rabbi?
Not a priest
not a scribe
more like a school teacher (there was no public schools so most young boys would be sent out to study under the local Rabbi but more about later)
They provided/taught an interpation of the Hebrew scriptures.


Jesus is often called Rabbi in the New Testament. That’s how He was perceived. And some of His teaching simply blossoms when we can begin to see Jesus as his contemporaries saw Him, a Rabbi.

Here’s the picture...
The primary focus of Judaism is on lifestyle and action not on head knowled or book learning.
The responsibility of a Rabbi was to teach an interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. Hebrew Scriptures means what we know as the Old Testament, and it centered largely on the first five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Every Rabbi was associated with a particular interpretation or school, and his task was to pass on this interpretation of scripture to others. The teaching of a school or rabbi was called a “yoke.” So every rabbi was trained to pass on the “yoke” or the teaching of his school. Which he had learned from his Rabbi.
However, and this is a huge however, every now and again a Rabbi would come along with a new “yoke,” a new interpretation of the scriptures. This may not happen for several generations...

A Rabbi with this kind of authority would say things like:
“you have heard it said, but I tell you...”
Mat 5:21

So how would they know this teaching was legit?

Because it was so different it had to be tested first.
In order for a rabbi to teach a new “yoke” two other rabbis who had shimihah (authority) had to lay hands on him and publicly declare that they believed this Rabbi had shimihah and had a legitimate new “yoke” or teaching.


Mar 1:4
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mar 1:5
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Mar 1:6
John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Mar 1:7
And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

Mar 1:8
I baptize you with [fn] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Mar 1:9
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Mar 1:10
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

Mar 1:11
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."



In order to present a new teaching how many voices of approval does Jesus need?
Two
How many voices are there?

John the Baptist is one. He says:
“After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John affirms ahead of time the new “yoke” of Jesus.

God is the other:
“And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Principal of first mention...
We have Jesus in the water and
The spirit descended “like a dove”
Where else do we see the spirit of god hovering over the water?


Gen 1:2
Now the earth was [fn] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.


Every first century Jew would immediately recognize what was going on here.
This Rabbi had a new teaching, a new yoke, a new way of living.
And his authority was being confirmed in a powerful and supernatural way!
And with this powerful confirmation of His authority to teach, Jesus has been given the authority to do what He is about to do.


Lets look at this authority thing in action as they would have saw it...












Mat 21:23
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

Mat 21:24
Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Mat 21:25
John's baptism-where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'

Mat 21:26
But if we say, 'From men'-we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."

Mat 21:27
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Why do you think the religious leader were so spooked by Jesus question?
Where did John get his authority?

His father entered the holy of holies and received a word from god about John before he was even a thought in his parents mind
His father would have had to be an importatnt priest to even enter the holy of holies
This word was acompanied by a sign (his father became mute until John's birth)
His conception was a miricle
It is believed he was sent away to grow up in the desert with a radical tribe of religious zelots knowen as the essens

The religious folks would have been falling all over themselves to be the ones that gave John his athority.
But the Chief priest and the religious leaders don't know who gave John his authority!

John has all the marks of a prophet...

So couple this (Johns authority) with the whole spirit hovering, Gods voice from heaven thing.
The religious folks were pretty shaken up.