Dive deep into the historical and spiritual significance of baptism as Rabbi Schneider reveals profound insights that stretch beyond the simple act of going under water. Discover the ancient Jewish traditions and their embodiment in Christian rites today, providing a richer understanding of what it means to live a life transformed through baptism in Christ. This episode will challenge you to reflect on your own spiritual journey and the symbolic importance of new beginnings.
I’ve never heard this before. You’re telling me that there was symbols of baptism before Jesus was baptizing people.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. What I want to do now, Dustin, is bring our listeners back to some of the Jewish roots of Christian baptism.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. My name is Dustin Roberts, your host. And today, Rabbi Schneider’s right here in the studio with me. And we’re in the book of Romans exploring Paul’s epistle. And I’ve got to tell you, Rabbi has some revelation on Christian baptism that I believe many people have never heard or considered before. We’re going to be talking about it right now. Rabbi.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s begin by reading the fourth verse in Romans 6. Paul says, Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of God the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection.” So I want to just think about this theological construct in relationship to Christian baptism. When we get baptized into Messiah, into Christ, what we are being baptized into is both his death and his resurrection. And in being baptized into his death, what this means is that our old life has passed away. We go under the water, symbolizing that our old life is gone. We come out of the water, a brand new creation. And what this means is that if we understand that we are truly brand new creations, we’re not gonna live the way we used to live before we came to Christ, we were baptized. We’re not gonna think the same. Everything in our life is gonna change. There’s gonna be a radical change in our life that is a reflection of this new relationship we have with God, which is illustrated and symbolized by Christian baptism. And many of our listeners today know this, but what I want to do now, Dustin, is bring our listeners back to some of the Jewish roots of Christian baptism. You and I have been to Israel together many times, and you know that in Israel, they would actually build the baptismal tank that they call a mikvah, before they would actually build a synagogue.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. There’s actually remnants of mikvahs that you can see in Israel still today. It shows the importance of baptism in the Jewish faith.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. In fact, Dustin, as you know, before a Jewish woman gets married, she’ll go to the mikvah. She’ll go under the water. Why? It symbolizes that her old life and her status has passed away. She comes out of the water, no longer a single woman under the authority of her earthly father, but she comes out of the water now as someone that’s being united to her husband, who will now become the covering or head of her life.
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re telling me that there were symbols of baptism before Jesus was baptizing people. There are symbols of baptism in just daily rituals with marriage.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. I mean, think about it. Before we have Christian baptism, think about in Israel when Yeshua appeared on the scene. They were coming to the rivers of the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. It was a baptism of repentance. But it wasn’t Christian baptism. They weren’t being baptized into the death and resurrection of Yeshua of Nazareth. They were coming because baptism represented a cleansing. They were turning away from their sin, and they were repenting. They were going to lead a different type of life. But we’re on this topic right now because we just had got done discussing in Romans chapter five and chapter six how that because we’ve come into this new relationship with Jesus and that we’ve received the free gift of righteousness, it doesn’t give us an excuse that we can continue to sin because we know that our sin is covered by grace. And the point is, is that if we truly are in communion with the Lord, we’re not going to desire to sin because we understand deep in our center that that old life, when we did our own thing, went our own way, indulged in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, that life has been buried. And we’ve come out of that water now as a new creation, even as that ancient Jewish bride, and even still today, goes into the mikvah. Her old life being under the authority of her father has passed away, and now she’s coming out from that mikvah in a completely different status. She’s now united to her husband, and under his authority, it’s a brand new lifestyle. I mean, I think Christian baptism is something that really needs to be explored. There’s a lot of different ways that people baptize today. With some people, you know, pour water over the individual’s head. Sometimes it’s sprinkling. But I don’t think that pouring or sprinkling adequately communicates or symbolizes what true Christian baptism is about. Because Christian baptism is about a true immersion. your old life is completely cut off from you. When you go under the water of the mikvah, when you go under that baptismal water, it symbolizes a cutting off of the old life. Then you come out once again into a brand new life, a life of following Jesus. And there’s some people that have had tremendous testimonies as to what has happened to them when they were baptized. My testimony isn’t quite so dramatic. I was baptized because I wanted to be, and I knew The Scripture told me to, and I’m so happy that I did. In fact, I was baptized many times, you know, in those early days. But some people, Dustin, you probably afford yourself, go through the ceremony, the rite of Christian baptism, and they have a supernatural experience.
SPEAKER 04 :
And can I just say, for those of you who are listening, maybe you didn’t understand some of these things when you were baptized. Know that the old you is gone, and now you’re reigning with Christ, living in life with Him.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. Paul picks up here in verse number five, he says, for if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, and that’s what we’re doing when we’re being baptized, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. It’s a newness of life. Knowing this, Paul speaks, that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For who has died is is freed from sin. And so this speaks to us about the fact that there should be a total change that took place in our life when we gave ourselves to the Lord. Maybe you’re at a place right now where you’re feeling a little bit like the in-between stage. You believe in Jesus, you gave yourself to Him, you love Him, you were baptized, and yet in a way, You’re feeling like you’re caught between two worlds because you know that there are things in your life that you need to repent of that you haven’t yet repented of.
SPEAKER 04 :
And we have to deal with those things because that is washed away. So when we don’t deal with the things that, you know, God is convicting us in, it separates us from him.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, we need to, as Paul said, consider yourselves, in verse 11, to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, he continues, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts. That’s it right there. Yeah. Consider yourself dead. Don’t let it reign. Don’t let it rain. Because you could. You could. But don’t. Exactly. And then he says, do not go on, in verse 13, presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. This is something that every day we’re making decisions all day long. That what are we going to do? Are we going to yield our mind, our thoughts, our body? It even applies to eating. I mean, if somebody is eating themselves to death, aren’t they presenting the members of their body to sin and obeying its lust? Rather than recognizing the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, we need to take care of it? Amen. Yeah. And it’s all day. It’s every day. It’s like, what are we going to focus on in our thought life? What are we going to agree with in our thought life? What are we going to allow to run through our mind and agree with in relationship to other people?
SPEAKER 04 :
And sometimes it just happens and you don’t even realize it’s happening. We’ve got to be aware of what we’re thinking about.
SPEAKER 03 :
We do, and we need to actively be fighting and rejecting and renewing our mind on a daily basis. So this is work. This is why Jesus said seven times in the book of Revelation, chapter 2 and 3, he that overcomes will inherit all these things. We’re saved by grace, but listen, if we’re really saved, we’re going to be fighting.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s right, Rabbi. And you know, before we go any further, friends, I just want to pause a second. I want to say thank you to everyone listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. We’ll be right back into this conversation. But first, I want you to hear a brief testimony from a Jewish man whose life was changed through this program.
SPEAKER 01 :
I first heard about Rabbi Schneider, I didn’t agree with him and everything he was saying because I was a reformed Jew at the time and I was coming from a whole different perspective. I was not yet a believer. Little by little, I picked up things and I began to grow in faith and shortly after I had watched Rabbi’s program, I did come to faith in the Lord, in Yeshua. and i believe so strongly that rabbi is one of the greatest teachers i’ve ever listened to in spreading the gospel and teaching it there’s more relevancy when it comes from a jewish person to jewish people wow i love howard’s story and you know it’s just one of many god is moving among jewish hearts and this month we’re believing for a worldwide jewish awakening
SPEAKER 04 :
And if you’d like to be part of reaching Jewish people with the gospel, I want to encourage you visit discoveringthejewishjesus.com or call us at 800-777-7835. And now, back to our conversation. Rabbi? Rabbi?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, Dustin, as we’re talking about sin here, we talked about presenting ourselves to the Lord rather than yielding to the power of sin. One of the ways the Lord prepared the world to receive His Son is by sending the law. Because without the law, people didn’t know what sin was. But when the Lord sent the law, people became aware of the fact that what they were doing, what they were thinking, how they were speaking was not in accordance with the law. So law basically brought death. Not because there was something wrong with the law, but because there was something wrong with man. Exactly. They couldn’t live up to the law. So Paul says here in Romans 7, 7, what should we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the law. Hmm. For I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, you shall not covet. And by the way, coveting is something that happens in your heart, right? Stealing is something that you do, which the law also addresses when you’re physically taking something that belongs to somebody else. But coveting is something that happens inside. So the law made mankind, particularly the Israelites, aware of sin, that they were in bondage, that they were slaves, that they were by nature Yeah. And it was in that state of recognizing that they weren’t living up to the demand of the law that God prepared them to receive His grace that we’ve been talking about.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. The law is important. It really let us know how sinful we were. Without it, wouldn’t realize how much we actually need a savior. And Jesus even came and took it a step further because he fulfilled the law. So there’s a standard that exists that we have today. And we wouldn’t even know about the standard if it weren’t for the law and Jesus fulfilling it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. And a lot of believers understand that Jesus saved us from what we call the curse of the law. And by the curse of the law, I mean this. The law promised a blessing to anybody that could keep it. But to anyone that didn’t keep it, a curse came upon them. That’s not good. So the law became a curse to all mankind because no one could live up to the law’s demands. So Jesus redeemed us from that curse by dying in our place. He lived a perfect life before dying in our place. He died in our place, shed his blood to cleanse us and forgive us of our sin, and then he imputed his own righteousness to us. So he fulfilled the law in that respect, and he redeemed us from its curse. But what many Christians make the mistake of thinking is, is that because Jesus delivers from the curse of the law, they think, therefore, the law no longer has relevancy. Or they think, Jesus fulfilled it, and because Jesus fulfilled it, it’s done and over. But that’s not what Jesus taught. Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 5. that everyone that teaches people to forsake the law and the prophets will be called least in the kingdom of God. But those that understand how to live by the law and the prophets, the principles, the moral essence of God’s character that’s revealed in the law and the prophets, those that live out what’s in the law and the prophets, not as those that are under legalism, but those that recognize there’s a manifestation of God’s moral character in the law— Those that live by the precepts of the law, Jesus said, and teach others to do so will be called greatest in the kingdom of God. This is why Paul said in Romans chapter 7 that the law is holy, spiritual, righteous, and good.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so the law is good. And he says in verse 13 that it’s not the law that was the issue, rather it was sin. And so we like to say the law is the issue, but no, it’s our sin that’s the issue.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. And Paul kind of sets this up where he says, for we know that the law, I’m in verse 14 of Romans 7, for we know that the law is spiritual. So the law is not bad. The law is spiritual in the most positive sense of the word. But Paul continues on here. But I am a flesh. So the problem is not the law. The problem is us. OK, so let’s clear that up in our mind right now, because a lot of you out there have been taught to be antagonistic or hostile or to reject the law. But my friend, the problem is not the law. The problem is you and me. So is it good for us to be reading the law in the Old Testament? Absolutely, because by studying the essence of God’s heart that’s contained in the law, we then know how to walk a holy life with God today. And I want to encourage people to get my book, Decoding the Torah, Applying Ancient Wisdom to a Modern World, because I go through over 100 laws in the Hebrew Bible and give modern-day application for our lives today. For example, many times people today are showing up in church, and I don’t want to sound like I’m judgmental or legalistic, but they’re showing up at church in a way that really isn’t appropriate when you think about the fact that the Lord told the priest in the law to dress modestly before him and to wear garments of glory and beauty. And yet today, many are coming to church with shorts and tennis shoes, with a cup of cappuccino in their hand, and it’s just way too casual. Not that God is not our friend, but what we’re missing here is respect for a holy God. When Moses met the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “‘Take off your shoes.'” for you’re standing on holy ground. But we have such a message today of greasy grace and sloppy agape that people have come into an understanding that they’re saved God’s grace, but because they don’t know the law and the fear of the Lord, they don’t know how to walk with God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, when we approach God’s throne, we’re not going to be approaching him so casually and be like, what’s up, buddy?
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s going to be like Isaiah, woe is me. Exactly. You’re going to cry out, holy, and you’re going to be thankful that this amazing God had mercy on you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. Isaiah chapter 6, if anybody wants to read that, when Isaiah encountered the Lord, he fell on his face. And he said, woe is me for I’m a sinful man and I’m surrounded by a people of unclean lips. So the law is very, very, very important. And we need a restoration to the biblical godly principles for those of us that are in relationship with Jesus that can come to us through the revelation of the law and also the holy fear of the Lord that the law imparts. Not a law that makes us afraid of God so that our communication with him is broken off, but but the holy fear of the Lord that actually lifts us up and makes us clean and inspires us. You know, Dustin, the Bible says about Jesus that the spirit of the fear of the Lord rested upon him.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s amazing. And because of that, he walked in obedience.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly, exactly. And one of the things that’s beautiful about the fear of the Lord is we’re kind of just talking about the purpose of the law here as it is brought up in Romans 7 is that sometimes you wake up in the morning, you feel full of faith emotionally. You feel connected to God. You do your devotional and, you know, you’re reading and you’re tuned in and you’re focused. You feel inspired to praise God or to pray. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and you feel that way. But for me, many times I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel connected to God. I might wake up with a headache. I might wake up still tired. I might wake up groggy. Maybe I had a bad dream and I’m just feeling some torment about the dream I had. I’m not feeling emotionally connected to God. But, you know, the law tells us that the priests were to burn sweet incense to the Lord every morning. in the temple and the tabernacle. So, of course, we’re not in the temple or the tabernacle anymore here, like the one that stood in Israel, but what’s the application? The application is, like the priest of old, we’re to wake up every morning and burn sweet incense to the Lord of prayer and praise and thankfulness and worship. And so the point is, is that if I wake up in the morning and I feel disconnected to God… But yet I’m applying the principle of the law in my life. I praise God anyway because I know the Lord told me to burn sweet incense to him every morning. The law helps us to know how to walk with God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it sets you up for success and it gives you the discipline in your life so that you’re not letting sin reign. But when you take charge, you know the principles from the law and you follow them. It provides life.
SPEAKER 03 :
A hundred percent. So Paul kind of wraps up this argument about the law in the 14th verse. Once again, Romans 7. Paul says, I did not understand, for I’m not practicing what I would like to do, but I’m doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I did not want to do, I agree with the law, confessing that the law is good. So now no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me, for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh. For the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. So he’s talking about this battle that he’s in. That he knows the law. He sees the goodness of the law. He sees the spirituality of the law. But he finds this struggle because he finds that in his flesh, he’s still tempted to sin. And he said, who’s going to set me free from this fight? And he said, thank God that gives me the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. So there’s still this struggle, but through the law, we know the right way to walk. And through the grace that’s being imparted to us through Jesus, we overcome and we enter more and more into the shalom and rest of the Lord himself. Beloved, if this teaching is helpful for you, I just want to ask you straight and simply, would you financially support my ministry? I want you to hear I say this to you. A lot of people don’t realize this, but what we do costs money. And we can’t do what we do without God’s people that are being fed and blessed by the ministry financially supporting it. So we need your help to continue to preach the gospel. And the gospel tells us that the church should support those that are going out for the sake of the truth. So if you feel that I’m a messenger of truth and you’re being fed truth through discovering the Jewish Jesus, the New Testament actually tells us that we should financially support ministries like these. And I’m asking you to support today, discovering the Jewish Jesus. I hope you’ve enjoyed this time with Dustin and I today. I just want to bless you. Father God, thank you for my friends, these that are listening today. I ask you to bless them, Father God, that the seed that was sown today will continue to germinate in their life and bear fruit, and that each one, Father, whose heart is a big yes towards you, I ask, Lord, that they would bear a hundredfold fruit for you in Jesus’ holy name.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. And to take that step of faith right now, just go online and give at discoveringthejewishjesus.com or you can also support this ministry by giving us a call today. Our number is 800-777-7835. And you know, we’re so grateful for your generous financial gifts. They help Rabbi’s Messages touch lives, not only in your local listening area, but all over the entire world. Your faithfulness allows us to share the gospel in places like Ukraine, Russia, Israel. We’re reaching Jewish people with the truth about our Messiah. So please give online today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com or you can also mail in your donation to Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan, 49228. Once again, that’s P.O. Box 777- blissfield michigan 49228 and you know as a token of our appreciation we want to make sure that you receive our latest newsletter it is full of exclusive content and exciting updates from the ministry and for those who are seeking to deepen their connection with the ministry would you consider becoming a monthly partner today when you do you’ll receive an additional gift a handcrafted shofar made right in the Holy Land. This beautiful instrument is the same kind that’ll be used to announce Jesus’ second coming. And we hope it’ll remind you of the impact that your financial gift is having on this ministry. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter that’ll help you tell people about Jesus as we prepare for His imminent return. Once again, to receive your own shofar, become a monthly partner at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Now here’s Rabbi with the Aaronic Blessing.
SPEAKER 03 :
In the book of Numbers chapter 6, we find a personal blessing from God our Father. This blessing should touch our hearts because it’s so personal. Father God wants to intimately bless you. So receive his blessing into your life today with gladness and an open heart.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m your host, Dustin Roberts, and this program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider reveals how to make it through the battle. Learn more Tuesday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
