|
by
Doug Ward |
We read in the Gospels that the public ministry of Jesus was heralded by
his cousin John, a powerful prophet who proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of
God and called for Israelites to repent of their sins. Many who responded to
John's message underwent baptism, a ritual immersion in water symbolizing the
spiritual transformation occurring in their lives (Matt 3:1-6). For this reason
we refer to John as John the Baptist.
John
announced the imminent arrival of an even greater prophet, "he who is
mightier than I " (Mark 1:7). When that prophet,
Jesus of Nazareth, came forward for baptism, John was understandably surprised.
Why would Jesus, who had never sinned, request a baptism of repentance? (Matt
3:13-15)
The
answer lies in Jesus' role as a representative and personification of Israel.
Though he had not sinned, Israel corporately needed to repent, and Jesus acted
on their behalf. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, he symbolically
"passed through the waters" as Israel had once crossed the Red Sea
(Matt 3:16). God then claimed Jesus as his son (3:17), as he had done for
Israel in Egypt (Exod 4:23). Jesus went on to fast
for forty days in the wilderness, a symbol of Israel's forty-year sojourn; and
was tested with bread (4:2-3), as Israel had been with manna (Deut 8:2-3). Jesus passed his test and thus served as a
forerunner for the restored nation, leading the way as the first to embark on a
promised great future Exodus (Deut 30:1-6).
|
Approaching
the Most Holy Place |
Along with these familiar Exodus connections, the Gospel accounts of Jesus'
baptism and testing also contain some allusions to the tabernacle or temple.1
The temple connections begin with John the Baptist himself, who came from a
priestly lineage (Luke 1:5; 3:2). Although John never served at the Jerusalem
temple, as far as we know, he can be considered a sort of wilderness priest
with a unique set of priestly garments. In particular, the Greek word for the
"leather belt" that John wore (Mark 1:6) is the same word used in the
Septuagint (LXX) for the "sash" that was part of Aaron's raiment (Exod 28:39).
One
of prophecies describing John's mission, according to Mark 1:2, is Mal 3:1:
"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me."
This prophecy continues, "And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to
his temple." As we will see, the Gospels make a series of references to
features of the tabernacle or temple, presented in the same order in which one
would encounter those features while approaching the inner sanctuary. We can
then think of Jesus "coming to his temple" as the narrative proceeds.
When
John greeted Jesus, he declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) At the tabernacle the bronze altar was
the place where lambs were offered each day (Exod
29:38) and atonement for sin carried out (Lev 1:4; 4:35; 5:16). John's greeting
associates Jesus with the lambs and that altar.
Then
Jesus was baptized, an event we can connect with the "basin of bronze"
that stood between the altar and the tent of meeting (Exod
30:18). At Solomon's temple it was called a "sea" and measured ten
cubits in diameter (1 Kings 7:23). Hebrews 9:10 notes that it was used for
"various washings," where the Greek word for "washings" is baptismoi.
As
Jesus came up from the water, the heavens were "torn open" and the
Holy Spirit descended upon him (Mark 1:10). The verb for "torn open"
is used later in the Gospels for the tearing of the temple's inner veil (Mark
15:38). Here we can picture the outer tabernacle curtain opening to reveal what
is inside the holy place, including the golden lampstand (Exod
25:31-40). The oil that fuels the lampstand is associated with the work of the
Holy Spirit in Zech 4:1-6.
The
first temptation that Jesus faced in the wilderness was the devil's directive
to turn stones (Greek lithoi) into bread (artoi). Correspondingly, at Sinai (Exod 24:4) Moses initially erected an altar and twelve
stone pillars (lithoi in the LXX) representing
the twelve tribes. Then when the tabernacle was constructed, the twelve loaves
(artoi in the LXX) of the bread of the
presence, on a table opposite the lampstand, represented the tribes. In effect
the stones were turned into bread-but at God's command, not the devil's. The new Israel, represented by Jesus, would have to
live by God's Word (Matt 4:4).
The
descriptions of the second and third temptations contain links to the inner
chamber of the tabernacle or temple, the most holy place. The devil next set
Jesus "on the pinnacle of the temple" (Matt 4:5). The Greek word
translated "pinnacle" comes from the word for "wing." In
the LXX, this word is used for the wings of the wooden cherubim in the inner
chamber of Solomon's temple in 1 Kings 6:24.
Then
Jesus was taken "to a very high mountain" to view "all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matt 4:8). In the ancient world
high mountains were associated with the presence of deity. When Ezekiel was
shown visions of a future temple, for example, the temple was on a "very high
mountain" (Ezek 40:2) and the entire top of the
mountain was "most holy" (43:12). We also can compare Matt 4:8 with
Rev 21:10-11, where John the Revelator is taken "to a great, high
mountain" and shown the New Jerusalem "having the glory of God."
The New Jerusalem is in the shape of a cube (v. 16), like the most holy place
in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:20). We might think of the New Jerusalem as a
"very large most holy place."
This
final temptation was critical. Israel had often sinned by turning to false gods
at "high places" (Jer 3:6), so it was
especially important for Jesus, representing a new Israel, to reject idolatry.
He did so decisively (Matt 4:10), quoting Deut 6:13.
With
the tests completed "the devil left him" and "angels came and
were ministering to him" (Matt 4:11). Symbolically, Jesus had "come
to his temple", entering the most holy place as the one truly worthy of
worship. The devil had been dismissed from his presence, and angels served
before him as priests.
The
tabernacle/temple links in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism and testing
further highlight for us the deep symbolic meaning of those events. Jesus paved
the way for a restored Israel and also was the Lord coming to his temple, as
prophesied in Mal 3:1.
1See
Nicholas P. Lunn, "The Temple in the Wilderness: Allusions to the Hebrew
Sanctuary in the Baptism and Temptations of Christ", Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society 59 (2016), pp. 701-716.
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