MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Continuing a study of the historical Messiah, Galatians 4:4 has been a theme: “when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” Today we’ll try to examine what it means that Jesus was “born under the Law.”
There were two events in Jesus’ childhood, one shortly after His birth, and the other about 12 years later, that fulfilled the Mosaic law. (Later in adulthood He would sometimes forego cumbersome regulations, but they were some that had been added by religious leaders.) In the first instance, an elderly man Simeon entered the temple in Jerusalem the same day that Mary and Joseph came to present the child and fulfill two legal requirements - the redemption offering for a firstborn son, and the purification of His mother. After the rituals, and Simeon and Anna’s astonishing pronouncements (Luke 2:27-38), scripture tells us, “And when they [Joseph and Mary] had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39).
The second event is described in Luke 2:41-42. “His parents used to go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast.” Since the days of Moses, meeting with teachers of the law had been required of every adult male (Deut. 16:16). His journey with them demonstrated Jesus’ careful conformity to the ritual of Mosaic law, as His time at the temple was preparatory for Him formally becoming a “son of the law” at age thirteen.
Jumping ahead a few years, the gospel writers each give an account of Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist. Mark completely moves beyond the birth and childhood accounts and begins his gospel in chapter 1, connecting the arrival of John with prophecies in Malachi 3 and Isaiah 40. John “appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Many from Judea came to John and were baptized in the living waters of the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John’s message was not only for proselytes, but for Abraham’s children, which naturally brought opposition from religious leaders.
Matthew adds an urgency by quoting John, “’Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:2). And John makes it clear that he is not the Messiah, but there is one “’who is coming after me is mightier than I; ... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’” (Matthew 3:11). Luke specified the timeframe of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-18).
John the gospel writer quoted John the Baptist, “’I am not the Christ, ... He must increase, but I must decrease’” (John 3:28, 30). The ministry of John the Baptist marked the end of an era, of the Old Testament and the prophets and the Law. Jesus ushered in a new, spiritual kingdom, with His own baptism in the Jordan a pivotal point, “fulfilling all righteousness”, completing that which was past and introducing something new. Men could symbolically baptize, but only God can truly purify.
John protested that the sinless Jesus did not need to undergo a ritual of purification. But Jesus’ answer was, “’Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’” (Matthew 3:15). When He submitted to the baptism, Christ assumed the position of every fallen person, identifying with us in washing away with water. Jesus, who was born to be the perfect sacrifice, was baptized to fulfill all righteousness and meet all the requirements of Mosaic law. Hebrews 7:26 says, “It was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.”
I would encourage a careful reading of Hebrews chapter 10, which addresses the change in our relationship to God, from ritual to reality, brought about by the Messiah. “By this will we have been sanctified [made holy] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:10-12).
All the laws in the Old Testament - the rituals and sacrifices and offerings - were a shadow, leading through each generation to the One who would once and for all set us free. Returning to Galatians, the verses that follow our theme read, “...in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts...” Galatians 4:5-6).
Jesus was born, lived, and died under the old Mosaic Law. Paul tells us, though, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:2). And in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” The Law shows us our sin, but through Christ, the Holy Spirit brings freedom. Next week we will plan to look further at the baptism of Jesus.
