Bible Reading: Matthew 7:21-29 KJV
- Matthew 7:29 KJV
Have you ever read something in the Bible and thought, 'That is interesting. I wonder what that means exactly?' Many times there is more to what you are reading. Sometimes it is cultural, that just flies over our head since we are not familiar with the culture that was present in bible times. Today we are going to look at two of those instances. The first is what was meant when people said Jesus spoke with authority. The second one is, what was the significance of the events that happened right after Jesus was baptized.
Jesus was not called rabbi because he was just a teacher. There were many teachers in his day. He was called rabbi because he was qualified. He would never had been allowed to teach in the synagogue if he were not qualified to do so. Note Jesus was never called a carpenter, but the son of a carpenter.
As mentioned in the last devotional, between age 12 and 30 there were five additional steps that a man had to pass to be a rabbi. Jesus completed step 4 and was a rabbi at that point. The fifth level is a rabbi with semikhah. Maybe only one or two rabbis qualify at this level every 100 years. Semikhah literally means a rabbi with authority.
So what did it mean to have semikhah? If you did not have semikhah or authority then all you could do is repeat what was taught to you. Only a rabbi with semikhah could interpret the Torah (the law). In Matthew 7:29 it says, "For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Jesus indeed had passed the fifth test and gained semikhah.
To be recognized as a rabbi with semikhah two witnesses were necessary to testify to the supernatural power of God on his life. Jesus had these witnessses:
Witness #1 - John The Baptist
We know from the scriptures that John the Baptist was qualified to be a witness since he was considered to be a rabbi (John 3:26) or a prophet (Matthew 21:26). In John 1:29-34 the Bible says:
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water."
"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."
Witness #2 - God The Father
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water, and at that very moment heaven opened up as described in Matthew 3:16-17, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
None of the rabbis with Semikhah that came before Jesus had this strong of an endorsement. Jesus was the special, beloved Son of God.
Sources:
- Portions of the above is from Dwain Miller's excellent book Jesus the Rabbi: Unlocking the Hebraic Teaching of Yeshua
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