Janus the Baptist? – Part 2
For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John [Matthew 11:13].
We concluded our last study by observing how the Roman god Janus signified the end of one thing and the start of another thing. This concept has great bearing on the text quoted to begin this study. The Covenant of Law lasted until John Baptist arrived on the scene. Suddenly the Covenant of Grace took center stage, whether it was evident to folks at the time or not. Can anyone say “Janus the Baptist”?
The period of time from John the Baptist until the day of Pentecost fifty days after Jesus rose out of death was a sort of transition period. God sent His Son Jesus into the world, Jesus the God-man, in fulfillment of His promise to provide mankind with the seed of the woman. Jesus is Israel’s promised Messiah. Jesus is the prophet like Moses (Deut.18:15). Jesus is the One who implemented the Covenant of Grace (John 1:17).
John the Baptist was the person sent from God to identify the Messiah. John baptized people as a sign of repentance, in order to prepare them for the Messiah when He appeared. Then John identified Jesus as the Messiah, after which he directed people to follow Jesus their Messiah.
This means John began his ministry while Israel was under the Covenant of Law, but he departed this earth after the Covenant of Grace was being proclaimed by Jesus. Ergo, the time of John the Baptist was a transition period between the Covenant of Law and the Covenant of Grace. This made John the Baptist a sort of Janus. Janus the Baptist… Has a nice ring to it.
The transition period ended and the Covenant of Grace came in full force, when the Church was born on Pentecost. The birth of the Church signified the temporary setting aside of the nation of Israel as the people through whom God would carry out His plan for the earth. From that time until the Rapture of the Church at the end of the Church Age, the Church contains the people through whom God is carrying on His work on earth.
The Law came through Moses and was given to the Israelites as the legal code for the Promised Land while Israel dwelt there. Grace came through Messiah Jesus and is given to the Church during the Church Age.
This is why Jesus declared that the the Old Covenant was preached until John the Baptist came on the scene. John introduced Jesus the Messiah to Israel under the Law. Jesus did several things as the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world (i.e., the seed of the woman). Here are some of them:
1. He fulfilled the Law for Israel
2. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins
3. He rose out of death to provide forgiven sinners with new life
4. He ascended to heaven as the high priest for redeemed men
5. He sent the Holy Spirit to give birth to the Church
So why would anyone in his right mind want to put himself under bondage to the Law and the prophets again? That’s lunacy! Jesus freed us from bondage to the Law, enabling us to freely live for Him in holiness.
The Law and the prophets lasted until John the Baptist. John’s long been gone. Now is the day of grace. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study by observing how the Roman god Janus signified the end of one thing and the start of another thing. This concept has great bearing on the text quoted to begin this study. The Covenant of Law lasted until John Baptist arrived on the scene. Suddenly the Covenant of Grace took center stage, whether it was evident to folks at the time or not. Can anyone say “Janus the Baptist”?
The period of time from John the Baptist until the day of Pentecost fifty days after Jesus rose out of death was a sort of transition period. God sent His Son Jesus into the world, Jesus the God-man, in fulfillment of His promise to provide mankind with the seed of the woman. Jesus is Israel’s promised Messiah. Jesus is the prophet like Moses (Deut.18:15). Jesus is the One who implemented the Covenant of Grace (John 1:17).
John the Baptist was the person sent from God to identify the Messiah. John baptized people as a sign of repentance, in order to prepare them for the Messiah when He appeared. Then John identified Jesus as the Messiah, after which he directed people to follow Jesus their Messiah.
This means John began his ministry while Israel was under the Covenant of Law, but he departed this earth after the Covenant of Grace was being proclaimed by Jesus. Ergo, the time of John the Baptist was a transition period between the Covenant of Law and the Covenant of Grace. This made John the Baptist a sort of Janus. Janus the Baptist… Has a nice ring to it.
The transition period ended and the Covenant of Grace came in full force, when the Church was born on Pentecost. The birth of the Church signified the temporary setting aside of the nation of Israel as the people through whom God would carry out His plan for the earth. From that time until the Rapture of the Church at the end of the Church Age, the Church contains the people through whom God is carrying on His work on earth.
The Law came through Moses and was given to the Israelites as the legal code for the Promised Land while Israel dwelt there. Grace came through Messiah Jesus and is given to the Church during the Church Age.
This is why Jesus declared that the the Old Covenant was preached until John the Baptist came on the scene. John introduced Jesus the Messiah to Israel under the Law. Jesus did several things as the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world (i.e., the seed of the woman). Here are some of them:
1. He fulfilled the Law for Israel
2. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins
3. He rose out of death to provide forgiven sinners with new life
4. He ascended to heaven as the high priest for redeemed men
5. He sent the Holy Spirit to give birth to the Church
So why would anyone in his right mind want to put himself under bondage to the Law and the prophets again? That’s lunacy! Jesus freed us from bondage to the Law, enabling us to freely live for Him in holiness.
The Law and the prophets lasted until John the Baptist. John’s long been gone. Now is the day of grace. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
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